Teaching
Practical ideas and observations from more than 30 years of teaching musical instruments. From planning lessons and managing progress to working with schools and finding ways to keep pupils interested. Some things work brilliantly. Others are still a mystery.
When Pupils Start Their Own Bands
There’s something rather wonderful happening with some of my pupils lately. They’re starting bands. Not because I’ve suggested it, or because the school has organised an ensemble. Nobody has decided that collaborative music-making would be beneficial to their personal development. They’ve simply got together with a few friends and decided to start a band. Some…
Thirty Minutes a Week. What Exactly Are We Supposed to Do With That?
Thirty minutes a week. Just 16.5 hours a year. How much can an instrumental music teacher realistically achieve in that time, and how do we make every lesson count?
Stop Answering the Same Parent Questions Every September
Every September, the questions begin. What do I need to buy? Which book should we get? What size instrument do they need? Can you recommend a music stand? Where can I buy one? What was the name of that app you mentioned? Which one of these seventeen almost-identical things online is the right one? These…
Do Music Grades Actually Matter?
Music grades are useful. There. That’s probably disappointed half the people who clicked on the title. They’re also nowhere near as important as we sometimes pretend they are. I’ve taught Grade 8 musicians who were absolutely superb. Confident, musical, technically accomplished players who thoroughly deserved the result they achieved. I’ve also taught Grade 8 musicians…
The Lesson Doesn’t End When the Pupil Leaves the Room
A pupil walks into the room at 10:30 and leaves at 11:00. Half an hour’s work. Except it isn’t, is it? That half-hour lesson is just the bit of the job that happens to have a pupil sitting in front of us. There’s everything that happened before it. Everything that happens afterwards. And quite often,…
Your Instrumental Teachers Need To Know
Instrumental teachers occupy a slightly odd position in schools. We might teach at the same school every week for years. We might know some pupils from Year 7 right through to sixth form. We work with them individually, often for longer than almost any other teacher in the school. And yet we can be remarkably…
The Pupil Who Never Practises But Never Misses A Lesson
Every instrumental teacher has one. They arrive every week. Usually on time. They’re perfectly pleasant. They enjoy the lesson. They might even be quite enthusiastic while they’re there. There’s just one small problem. They haven’t practised. Again. We Had This Conversation Last Week You ask the question. “Did you manage to practise this week?” There’s…
Stop Trying To Finish The Book
There is something deeply satisfying about finishing a tutor book. You start on page one. You work your way through. Page 12. Page 18. Page 27. Eventually you reach the final page. Finished. Excellent. The pupil has completed the book. There is only one slight problem. They can’t actually play half the things in it.…