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My different types of music students |
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This is a little bit, about how I became a small time music teacher. My own music teacher was a longhaired, short, stout guy named Timir. He taught music in our company sponsored classes on each Sunday. I was already playing around with my guitar for a few months before I gathered enough courage to go and have a peek into his class.
A lot of people surrounded him as it was one introduction class and he was saying "The first thing you need to do is to buy a guitar" ... and he explained what make the guitar should be etc...
So I joined the class and got his default indifference in return. I learned later that he was indifferent to you by default until you showed up at least 5 times in a row. Later I learned the reason: most people came with visions of rock starts jumping around or lover boys sitting with a girl playing a song on guitar.
However, when they find out that they can't even play a chord or a succession of 5 notes decently after 3 weeks of practice, their dreams give in to reality and their guitars put for sale in our company website.
Music teaching can be quite interesting: as I became more proficient; I found a few wide-eyed 'fans' surrounding me. It appears that I was the only student among a hundred or so who could play the guitar and also sing decently at the same time.
So I became a little, half-learned teacher in my own right. The girls particularly seem quite fascinated with anybody just trying to sing, let alone somebody who can carry a tune to some degree of dignity.
So soon, I was a music teacher, however small time. I went to music website (s), downloaded some chords, did some practice and would play it for girls, ignore boys and then go ahead and be joined by some other girls during lunch. It has been happening for some time now and I am really enjoying it. During this time, I have learned a little about teaching music in the meanwhile.
To keep students returning to you for some time, first thing is to impress a new student by playing your best song. You have to become their instant role model or you will soon lose them. Myself, I was not concerned with any payment, since I didn't get any.
Therefore, if it is a boy, I tell him how hard it is going to be and that it's a long journey etc. However if it's a girl, I just encourage her to come here and learn with me for a long time. Then, there are sincere students and there are quick result seekers. The sincere types are interested in basics while the others are happy to learn a tune half-heartedly and play it in more mediocre manner.
There are those who are systematic and then there are trigger-happy types. The trigger-happy ones come in two varieties, first is just impatient. This type will keep making same mistakes and not really learn at the end of it. Then there are talented cowboys, who are impatient because they learn things very fast.
I like this type, as they give me instant credit of teaching some trick so well. There are some who are stuck in a rut; they just keep playing the same thing for months without realizing that they haven't really progressed. Then there are those who wouldn't finish a tune halfway before jumping to another.
I have developed my own tastes for students for whom I am really willing to spend some effort. Of course, all girls qualify, but for filtering others, I am learning my own (real) music teacher's tricks on avoiding some and focusing on others. I think an 80/20 principle applies well to music teaching as in any job, which requires a lot of patience and hard work.
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Earl Marsden started developing a passion for music at the early age of twelve. He first learned to play the guitar at thirteen, and from there he pursued the study other instruments including the violin, piano and flute. Currently, he devotes some of his spare time to writing articles about music teaching while managing his own music studio.
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