I’m teaching more little ones this year. Mostly it’s been great, however there are days when I feel like the energy is sucked right out of me.
Last week, one of my young students, we’ll call him “Michael,” came into the room for his lesson. Oh, God, I’m thinking, here it goes again. Michael proceeds to smash away at the piano while I’m trying to give him instruction. “Michael, can you play your C major scale for me?” So he does, but he gives me the Michael version, which is playing the first five notes perfectly, then smashing away at the remaining notes.It takes me three or four tries to finally get him to play it properly. The kid knows how to play it properly – and perfectly – he just chooses not to.
Then it’s time for Star Wars: Michael knows how to count properly. I’m letting him get away with changing the rhythm for this song only, because a)he’s stubborn and I’ve given up b) he knows how to count but chooses not to for this song and c) it’s good to let him be creative: not everything has to be played exactly as written on the sheet music, and the last thing I want is to make a robot out of a gifted student. So he’s playing Star Wars in his own little way, and, as predicted, he starts smashing away halfway through the song. “Michael, don’t play so loud. You want to learn how to play really really fast, right?” He shows a wide grin and nods his head while giggling. “Okay, so don’t smash away on the piano, okay?” So he heaves a big sigh and does as he’s told. When we’ve finished with the Star Wars, he takes his Star Wars music book, throws it on the floor and starts stomping on it!
I often wonder if he ever takes in any of the information I give to him: he never appears to be listening and is determined to spend lesson time being as destructive as possible. So I’m always amazed every week when he comes back having practiced his guts out, having practiced ten times more than I asked him to, and having everything I asked for perfected. He is one gifted 6-year-old boy reading at a grade 2 level and for those of you who have never taken piano, that is a pretty amazing feat. Teaching him is definitely bittersweet.
I was googling gifted children and piano lessons when I came across your website. My just turned 9 year old daughter is having her Grade 7 practical piano exam in less than 2 weeks. She has told me that she does not wish to continue lessons after the exam because of the “pressure to be perfect”. This is her first exam ever and she finds practising the same songs for months to be laborious and boring. Sure, I can convince her to continue but I don’t know if I want to. She is a very intelligent student who skipped grade 1 and is constantly getting A’s at tests studying by herself. She used to like to play radio songs on the piano and even composed simple tunes and wrote them down on staff lines. I want her to enjoy playing the piano and do not wish to stiffle her curiosity and her desire to explore. Am I right about my decision to stop her lesson?
Hi Jenny,
Interestingly, my own parents pulled me out of music lessons when I was 9 as well. They pulled me out for a year, and it was the best thing they ever did for me. I loved music, but I hated the laborious strict practicing, especially because deep down, I just wanted to play pop songs.
A year later, they found me a new teacher, one who was great with kids and let me play whatever I wanted, which was mostly pop, but sometimes I would ask for the odd classical piece. No exam preparation. Her style was more about music enjoyment, and it cemented my love for music so much, that I returned of my own accord to strict classical training so that I could get better technique.
I can’t say whether or not your daughter will return to piano lessons, but it sounds like she knows what she needs at the moment and I think that you’re doing the right thing by respecting her wishes. Eventually, you could introduce her to other music programs, like band or ensemble work, that aren’t as strict and have more wriggle room. I hope this helps.
Lee