Inside A Kid's Brain During A Piano Lesson
Let us imagine we are inside a kid's brain during a piano lesson, listening to their thoughts. There are two possible scenarios that are probably unfolding.
Positive
Inside the child's head: "I've got a song I want to play. I hope he'll let me! Yes? Okay, here goes." (Playing the song) "Oops. Good, got that part." "He liked it. Mr. John laughed and smiled even though I made lots of mistakes. He didn't get mad or stop me at all." He wants me to play it again and he's not just talking and talking. Wow, I'm going to try it slower like he says. He's making funny jokes about turtles playing the piano. Tom Turtle..."
Kids Follow Your Commands
"(Playing the song) Oops. Hey, it is easier slower. But I want to go fast, so....." "It got so out of control that I was just hitting the keys. But he's laughing and telling me how many mistakes he makes and how every musician wants to play something fast. Then something about trying it again, if I like, and seeing if I can extend the time that I go slow, no matter what happens." "Okay, here goes, so slow he'll scream."
(Playing the song) "Wow, TOO slow is harder than fast! He's laughing and saying I have found a better tempo. I'll just start again. I love how he lets the mistake happen and then laughs and then tells you a way out of the mistake. instead of making the mad face like most teachers."
Negative
Inside the child's head: "I don't want to play piano. It's boring. Life is boring. English is boring. Homework is boring." "What? He agrees? He's playing a lullaby and telling me to take a nap. So he's being really funny and he's not mad at all?" "Now he's telling me, while my head is resting here, how boring it is sometimes for everybody to play the piano."
"Now he's making that lullaby into some sort of Monster March. It's fun. He's asking me to play one white key while he plays. Okay, it's just a button. Just one. Maybe two."
Keep Ahead Of The Child
(Playing the song) "Hey, that was fun, but now he says I'm exhausted and should rest so now he's playing the lullaby in a really funny way. I kind of like piano, how you can take a song and do it different ways." (Finally) "I've got a song I want to play. I hope he'll let me! Yes? Okay, here goes."
Both lessons (scenarios) lead to the same place, the desire to play the piano. The teacher followed the energy of the student and found a place to enter into the child's present mind. Sometimes, a child doesn't want a lesson under any circumstances. At those times, go with Plan C: play music yourself and let them listen.
REFERENCES
Child’s Point of View
Don't Tell Kids How Hard the Piano Is
Number Sheets For The Piano
The Pillow and the Piano
What The Piano Means To Your Child
A Child’s Point of View
Finding A Child’s Piano Comfort Zone
Why Kids Need Freedom To Learn Piano
A Bill of Rights for Kid’s Piano
How Kids See The Piano
Kids Don’t Care What’s In The Piano Book
Let The Child Appear To Lead The Piano Lesson
What Bores Children In Piano Lessons?
What Kids Like About Piano Lessons
The Teacher Is More Important Than The Book
Strict Piano Lessons Don’t Work For Kids
The Piano Is A Child’s Thinking Machine
How A Child Sees The Piano Keyboard
Kids Like Holiday Songs On The Piano
I Want To Learn That Song That Goes…
Follow The Child’s Pace With Piano Lessons
Discipline and Repetition Don’t Work in Kid’s Piano
Every Child Learns Piano Differently
Funny Piano Lessons
Engage Kids With The Piano
How A Child Sees The Piano
What Kids Think In A Piano Lesson
What Is Soft Piano?
Freestyle Kid’s Piano
What Kids Need In Piano Lessons
Piano By The Numbers
Piano With Numbers Keys