In our discussion of new practice techniques and good habits, we covered personal discoveries as well as individual theories in moving forward in our development as musicians. However, in doing so, we have failed to acknowledge the biggest angle of approaching this development:
The teacher.
Yes, we talked about our lessons and different pieces of advice from our respective private teachers at different levels, but we haven't really talked about if there's a solid, defined method of teaching truly solid practice habits.
Well we can.
And it works.
Please read about this study done with teachers and their students. It's really interesting to see the results unfolding right before your eyes. (Music Ed majors especially.... It very well might give you some ideas on approaches on how to present this crucial area to your future students.)
http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/metacognitive-instruction-how-to-foster-smarter-more-independent-learners/
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ReplyDeleteI really like this article and the four-step Plan, Play, Evaluate, New Strategies process- it's so simple! I've been working on doing this better in my own practicing, and for me the hardest parts are Plan and Evaluate because I never quite know what I'm looking for or going to find. The awareness, ear/eye for what's important and what's not/what needs improving and what doesn't, and energy required to do this process well is a lot more than I thought it'd be; whether out of fear, impatience, or laziness, I never really did these steps very well in the past, but I know now that the time will absolutely pay off.
ReplyDeleteThe planning stage reminds of something Maya Beiser said in her master class on Saturday. She stressed the importance of imagining what you want for the final product of a piece of music and then figuring out how to execute your vision. I know I sometimes jump into a piece of music too quickly, learn it and then struggle to add the stuff that makes it beautiful. I'm going to try the metacognition/Maya Beiser strategy the next time I get a new piece of music!
ReplyDeleteThis article as well as the four step plan does have some great points in it and really seems to streamline the practicing that needs to occur in order to get a piece prepared for a concert as well as what a teacher can do in order to help a student prepare a piece. I can always hear what I want the music to sound like in its final version but getting to that final stage is something that I continually have problems with. I'm going to try these steps in the next coming weeks and see what the outcome is.
ReplyDeleteI think a musicians private teacher is a huge part of continuing to nurture a certain persons given skill/talent. That was a huge part in deciding where I wanted to come to school. I think teachers do what most students are too lazy to do on their own - looking into the problems in the music that we should be looking at deeper. With many exceptions to my own opinion, I personally rely on my teacher too much to fix problems that I know are already wrong. I'm not sure why, but hearing how to fix it and why I should fix it from someone else just helps my brain naturally fix it. Given, after a while, fixing the same thing over and over becomes habit, but I definitely thought the process given was an interesting take and idea.
ReplyDeleteOne of my teachers used to tell us to keep in mind when we started our own teaching careers that our job was to "find a problem and fix it, find another problem and fix it," and so on. This meta cognitive strategy is great. You all,are finding the best articles!
ReplyDeleteI'm music ed and currently hoping to teach at the highs school level. I really liked the method described in the article, and I think it'd be cool to see how it translates into a large band or orchestra setting. Often at the per-collegiate level (at least in my experience) students tend to rely on the teacher to point out hard sections and evaluate what needs to improve. It would be so cool to see this get flipped in a classroom and have the students suggest ways to improve or discuss what went well/poorly in a rehearsal. I think it would be best to do in sectionals by instrument, and then take to the large rehearsal afterwards. This would be a very different, but I think very effective way of approaching rehearsal. Thanks for the helpful article!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really helpful article! There's a reason why many people stress the importance of finding a good music teacher when it comes to the school of your choosing.
ReplyDeletePrivate music teachers are an important part of a young students development. My first year on oboe I didn't have a private teacher, and I felt very limited in what I could learn. I don't learn well on my own, especially when it come to learning a new instrument. When I started taking private lessons I learned things that would have never learned on my own. Now, being in college my oboe professor is pushing me even more than before. What I really like about my teacher is that we questions me all the time. He tells me to do something and than he asks me if I understand why I am doing it. Also he encourages self discovery which I think is a huge part of learning anything new.
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