What to Expect When You're Expecting (A New Teacher)

Starting music lessons with a new teacher can be daunting when you don't know what to expect.

Something I say to many new students is that every teacher has different vocabulary, and even if you've taken lessons before, getting into a good flow of communication with your teacher can take a little bit of time and effort. You might wonder, "is it okay to ask to play specific songs?" "Can I tell my teacher if I don't understand something and need help?" "What does my teacher expect from me?"

Needless to say, any number of issues can crop up when we don't have clear communication.

At Parker Music Studio, one of my central goals is that every student is respected and heard, which means that I take my responsibility to communicate kindly and clearly very seriously. I remember being a 13-year-old in viola lessons, staring at my teacher, feeling like they were speaking Greek at me. At the time my best response was a fervent nod (even though I had no idea what was going on) and blind hope that I could guess whatever it was I was doing wrong and maybe (?) fix it. As anyone could guess, this strategy was decidedly unhelpful. However, it left a strong impact on me. No student should have to fear judgement or scolding due to a lack of understanding, which creates the basis for my first teaching tenant.

1) I would ALWAYS rather you tell me when you don't understand, than pretend like you get it when you don't.

It doesn't matter if I've explained it twice already. A good teacher should be able to explain a concept in multiple different ways. Honesty and vulnerability helps us to work together, figure out where missing pieces are, and attack the problem from new angles as a team.

To expand upon Point 1) : your responsibility is to be clear about where you are. My responsibility is to help us move forward.

Which brings us to the next very important point!

2) I can explain a concept beautifully, but if you don't practice applying that concept, we're going to get stuck going over the same thing every week.

There is so much flexibility when it comes to how practice is structured for every student. Young students might practice 3-4 times a week for 10-15 minutes. More advanced students often practice 5 days a week for an hour at a time. Adult students juggling jobs and families might practice their instrument for shorter periods of time during the week, with one good long practice on the weekend. Practice looks different for every phase of life.

My general philosophy is if you're practicing twice a week, you're doing the bare minimum to just not forget what you learned in your lesson - which is something! However, the bare minimum is not going to give you the best return on your investment. If you want to get the most out of your instrument, consistent and frequent practice is absolutely essential.

You may not know exactly what your practice should look like, and that is totally okay. One of the benefits of having a private lessons teacher is having a professional on hand to help you structure your practice schedule to the one that will be the most beneficial for you. It is always so good to discuss what you have going on in order to set good expectations (on both sides) for what practice can look like.

3) Let me know how you're doing so I can tailor your lessons to where you are.

I cannot count the number of times that a student has hit a wall in a lessons, and eventually tells me something like "I just started a new extracurricular and I'm exhausted." Or, "we're in the middle of moving and I don't have access to a piano right now."

Knowing these things isn't strictly necessary, but man, it sure does help. Because....

4) I am going to push every student to be the best they can be!

I want every student to be the best they can be, which means I am going to require a lot from them. I am going to require that they be disciplined. I am going to require that they play with good technique. I am going to ask them to try things they might not feel confident about, like performing in recitals as a soloist, or playing duets, or even simply playing LOUDLY (this is scary for a lot of people, believe it or not).

When you commit to enrolling in music lessons, you are putting yourself in a place where discomfort is a given. We must endure some degree of discomfort in order to grow, which means we have to be okay with feeling awkward or unsure at first.

The consolation in being voluntarily uncomfortable is that EVERYONE is learning. Everyone is feeling the growing pains. Being brave is a lot easier when everyone around you is going through the exact same things. That's the cool thing about being a part of a like-minded studio. Creating a studio culture of curiosity and grace is a continuous goal of mine.

5) Everybody deserves respect and understanding.

Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or a student, we all practice speaking clearly and kindly to one another.

As a teacher, my job is to assess and communicate.

A student's primary job is to communicate and apply.

A parent's job is to fill in the gaps if they observe their student needing something they don't know how to communicate.

I value all of the relationships I have with my students and their parents. I personally think I have the coolest job in the world, because every day leads to interesting conversations and new musical discoveries. Having an open line of communication is a huge key to having a great experience in private music lessons. When in doubt, ask! There's no issue we can't resolve when we work together.

I hope this gives you a better idea of what to expect when you enroll in lessons at Parker Music Studio! I can't wait to work with you!