I wanted to share one more quote from
the podcast that I did with Dave Simon last month.
“… I actually began to see games, and playing on the iPad, and performing for each other, and doing group technique exercises, I actually began to see that as the enemy to the goal that every party involved had. I want to keep students a long time, kids want to have fun, and parents want their kids to get a result and feel as if the money they are investing in music lessons is actually worth their time and worth the investment.And so the more repertoire that a child would acquire during each lesson, all three goals were being fulfilled… When you can deliver results like that, the marketing writes itself.”
A simple phrase comes to mind.
Good is the enemy of the great.
There’s nothing wrong with games, and technique, and technology, or even performance.
But, in 12 years of teaching group lessons, I’ve found that the most effective use of time is to focus children on repertoire acquisition.
Every other activity actually slows children down.
And, this is really the “secret” of my group lesson program. It’s why I have a super-majority of children coming back each year with Highest Honors scores from the Royal Conservatory.
Group lessons gives you time to instruct and to observe. It gives the child time to understand and to learn repertoire.