Poodle Poodle in the Car

One of the things I find endlessly amusing about my littler students is their complete guilelessness re. practice events (or non-events).  Perhaps I should be more perturbed by the non-events.  But.  Lots of parents want their kids to be (simultaneously) exposed to lots of different activities from a young age, in the hope that their child will find something they truly enjoy and maybe even become passionate about.  Most parents work.  Lots of  students have attention-sucking younger siblings.  Put these together and you have a situation where there truly is very limited time and energy for practice.  At this particular phase in that student's musical like.  NOT forever.

Focusing on the realities of where the student and their family are actually at, rather than on what is ideal, may seem counter-intuitive to the achievement of high standards.  But in the long term, it's much more effective than nagging, bribing or guilting.  To whit, today one of my most charming little girls struck a triple whammy in her response to my usual casual inquiry of "How was piano this week?  Any questions?"

"Ms. Alison!"  she exclaimed, eyes shining.  "I practiced ONCE!  Piano is so easy!  I love piano!  It could never be boring!!!"  "Mmmmm", I say, trying not to laugh.  "So why only one practice session this week?"  Wait for it:  "My Mom organizes my life so I can't practice.  "Oh yes?"  I say, trying really REALLY hard not to laugh. "On Monday I have ballet.  On Tuesday I have.." and so on.  Fair enough, the kid makes a valid point.  "So, how DID you find a way to practice?"  "On my Barbie keyboard, in the car on the way here".

I had a choice:  dive into the endless pit of piano teacher existentialist despair, or remember that this was the same child who a couple of months ago found the very idea of repetition, a.k.a. practice, totally incomprehensible and rather exhausting.  And so I had her show me exactly HOW she had practiced.  (Once.  In the car).

First time:  counted out loud (correctly and with a rock solid steady beat). 
Second time: sang the note names (in tune). 
Third time:  slow motion "turtle speed" (paying extra attention to technique). 
Fourth time:  eyes closed (best one so far). 
Fifth time:  with my accompaniment (oblivious to the distraction) 
Sixth time:  "Can I show you what I made up with the left hand?" (application of thirds and seconds at inopportune moments). 
Seventh time:  singing the words she'd made up (something about poodles.  Hilarity ensues). 
Eighth time "Can I do it again???" 

Yes, she could be playing something much more complex and practicing much (much!!!) more often.  However, the pertinent short term question is:  has she acquired the study/practice skills that will serve her so well in later years?  Has she learned HOW to learn?

It would appear so.  And hopefully, one day, she will choose piano over the other activities currently on the introductory menu...if and ONLY if she still "loves piano" and finds that it "could never be boring".  Facilitating a life-long non-dysfunctional relationship with music, and all that implies, is the heart and ultimate purpose of my job.  I try to achieve this with pedagogical cunning, an appreciation for the realities of modern family life, and lots of affection, warmth and humor.

Because it works.  If do say so myself.  And it's much more fun than that pit of piano teacher existential despair about things I cannot control.