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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The patchwork quilt


Ok, I admit it: I almost always enjoy teaching my 23 students, but there are days when it's harder than others. I think of teaching like creating a patchwork quilt - it's different for each student. Most of the time I feel like I know what I'm talking about, but sometimes I throw something out there during a lesson for which I have no basis of thinking that it should actually solve the problem my student is facing. And sometimes - miraculously - these off-the-cuff suggestions work! I don't recommend doing this often, of course, but sometimes, you may just want to try it. Go with your instincts and see what happens.


I attempt to use this technique more often with my vocal students than with the others. The problem with the voice is that you cannot see inside a person's throat without special equipment. With violin or piano, I can tell a student that his hands should be curved on the keys or that her pinky needs to bend the way God intended, instead of sticking straight out like she's having tea with the Queen of England. Therefore, sometimes I try random exercises in order to evoke the sound I'm looking for rather than following a rigid curriculum that won't work for every student but can, in fact, be effective for some.


Has anyone else tried this technique of instinctual teaching before?

at 6:47 PM
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2 comments:

  1. AngelaMay 18, 2011 at 9:33 AM

    I have a student who cannot figure out how to use her abdominal muscles for support. She breathes high, and NOTHING I suggest seems to help. She's run around the room, laid on the floor, bent over and grabbed her ankles in a chair, plugged one side of her nose by covering the hole with a finger (which I just recently learned - pretty cool!). I don't want her to get discouraged, so I just keep trying new things, even things I've never heard of or thought of before that moment, and even though none of these methods have worked for her - sometimes they do work for others!

    This also reminds me of my most recent voice teacher in a way. She had some of the most outrageous analogies to describe how she wanted you to think or feel - nothing technical at all - but they worked! A little different, but still. For example (most effective when read with a good 'ole country accent): "Angela, I want you to put that sound right through the front windshield. Don't look in the rearview mirror, it's not in the backseat! It's on the hood! Put it on the hood, girl!" Also most effective with dramatic hand motions.

    I think that as long as we know what we definitely SHOULDN'T suggest, there's a little room for experimentation. I'm sure you do a wonderful job with your students!

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  2. KellieMay 18, 2011 at 8:24 PM

    I have to go by instinct sometimes too. :-) I think it's a matter of knowing what result you want and getting creative (or desperate) to find a way there. I know you're doing a great job!

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