Do you have a student thinking of quitting music? Many of us go through those phases where we want to quit. I know I have!
Below are some ideas to think about when working through this time with your student. Some I’ve used, some I haven’t.
- Consider adding more “fun” repertoire. Yes, the technique book should still be used. This discipline is necessary, but think about asking the student what s/he would like to play. Add fake books or playing by ear to the mix! These are also great skills to have. Ideally, you (or I) will already be doing this, but it’s easy to get caught up in curriculum.
- Assign this student a young, beginning student to teach. Of course, check with both students’ parents and the “teacher” student first.
- Be up front. Talk with the student. Did you have a time when you hated the instrument? Let him/her know that sometimes it’s part of life and you just have to barrel through. Leveling and letting the student know that it’s not just him/her can be very helpful.
- Communicate with the parents. Perhaps discuss goals: the student’s, yours, and the parents. Remember that parents have a huge role in their student’s musical experience.
- Arrange outings/fieldtrips (concerts, etc.). Depending on the student, consider attending a concert with him/her, or even make it a studio outing! For liability purposes, consider requiring parents to be in attendance and responsible for their children. Check for deals on concerts….student tickets, specials for music studios, free concerts, even check your library to see if they have a deal with the local symphony or any music programs coming up!
- Have the student plan event and/or camp. If you’d like to plan a music camp or music day, this is a great way to get some extra help while giving this student some ownership. If you do this, be sure to praise the student’s work. Learn to let the student make his/her own mistakes (as long as everyone is safe!). If it seems to them that they can’t do anything right, this will probably not encourage the student to have positive memories about music.
- Read 10 Things I Want My Teen Piano Students To Know Before They Quit Lessons from TeachPianoToday.com. It includes a sample letter from a piano teacher to a student who is moving on. Even if your student decides to quit, encourage him/her to pursue music in different ways for life.
What do you do when students want to quit? I’d love to hear what’s worked and what hasn’t in the comments, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on Twitter!
-Barbara
P.S. Have you been to my YouTube channel lately? Check below for my harp cover of Little Big Town‘s “Girl Crush.”
Barbara Fischer runs Fischarper, LLC and loves her job as a harpist and private music educator. She enjoys blogging about various aspects of the music field on fischarper.com/blog. For more music resources, check out the Fischarper store. Find out where you can find Barbara on the interwebs here. And you can sign up to receive Fischarper updates by joining the email list.