I have shared this before but at the beginning of the new year it is definitely worth a revisit.
When I was trying to work out what made up the characteristics of a music student I realised that music students are diverse and varied. Some students are serious about their music and some are too little to decide whether lessons are beneficial for them or not.
Below are 5 characteristics which typify our students:
- ‘Exam Student’:
This student is working towards an assessment and is committed to regular practice. They are focused on achieving the next grade level as this organically produces great improvement in technique and skill and leads to a sense of accomplishment and achievement when the exam is complete.
Most of our exam students sit for exams through the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) and all of our teachers are able to assist with their preparation. The teacher can assess whether the student will be ready to undertake the exam and also can always tell if there is adequate practice at home.
- ‘Just for Fun’
Some students aren’t interested in the pressure of sitting an exam and prefer to study music for fun. The teacher can work with this student to find some pieces that they are interested in learning to play, but at the same time, continuing to work on improving technique.
- ‘Too Young to Decide’
At Dynamic Rhythms we have at least 60 students that are not yet at school but attend music classes with their parent or grandparent one morning per week. These littlies are yet too young to decide whether music lessons are beneficial and rely on the parent to guide them during class and model the activities.
Both of our early childhood courses, Jigglemusic and Kinderbeat, are written by early childhood educators and music teachers. These courses are designed to be appropriate for these age groups and provide activities that are both fun and achievable for little hands.
- ‘Excited to Be Here’
This category is broad and covers lots of our students. I get great pleasure in seeing the little faces light up when the teacher comes out of the room to get them for their class. Squeals of delight are common and also tears at the end of the lesson when it is time to go home.
- ‘Not Interested but Parents Insist’
Thankfully this is a small category and usually only relates to school age students. Often a parent feels that they have missed out during their life and wishes that they had learnt an instrument. To try and make sure their child does not have the same experience they enrol them into lessons and continue to make them come even when the interested has waned.
A better option would be to enrol in a lesson themselves and begin to learn as an adult. You are never to old to start learning and we should all be striving for continuous learning right through life. I personally actually didn’t start getting official lessons until I was 28 but managed to practice and complete all my grades on flute as an adult with 2 and later 3 children.
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