Comments on: Guest Post – Piano Lessons for GenZ

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:32:46 +0000

You guys have the right idea!!! I am a student who wants to become a teacher one day, and I smile as I read this post. My piano teacher gave me a great, new appreciation of classical music, but also taught me theory and worked with me on aural skills from the beginning so that I could use these skills to my own ends. He liked it when I would bring him something that I either arranged, or began to learn on my own. Shouldn’t our main goal be to help them make music a meaningful part of their lives? IMO, this is the best way to do it!

By: Cathy Shefski

Cathy Shefski — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:52:54 +0000

Mary – Sounds like we’re going through the same things with our students. I have three students composing their own pieces now and I had to laugh today when one little one showed me how she sets up her video camera on her piano to film herself playing her own pieces.

Mike – Teaching Czerny to every student seems more like “hard labor” than “lazy teaching” to me! LOL!

Stengel99 – I agree. That’s why, even though my students might be learning tunes from YouTube, I still insist on developing sightreading skills, technique and a strong foundation in music theory.

By: Stengel99

Stengel99 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:59:12 +0000

I think to a certain extent we need to adapt our curriculum and methods to fit this generation. But on another level, learning to play an instrument may be one of the first real disciplines that these kids learn.

By: Mike Saville

Mike Saville — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:20:51 +0000

“And lessons have become collaborations between student and mentor where the goal is for the students to be able to teach themselves, become musically independent, and ultimately, confident creative musicians.”

Should this not be the goal of lessons in any case? I don’t think that new technology has changed my view on that.

From my own experience I can’t say I have particularly noticed a new breed of student. For me each and every student is different – I teach, set exercises and find things of interest for that student. Typically these are based upon them, their lives and what they want from lessons.

I think this post does have a valid theme – that of not doing the same tired old Czerny for every student – that is lazy teaching. It is not however specific to GenZ. As teachers we need to be open to new ideas, be adaptable and yes, keep learning ourselves.

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:44:25 +0000

I hear you clearly with the “new breed of piano students.” At age 58, this teacher is scrambling to keep pace! I have to share a couple of fun things I’m doing. One of my high school students asked me to get a Gary Stadler New Age piece, “Whispers.” My wonderful friend, DeAnn Diller, searched for the music and we finally decided it was non-existent at this point. SOOO- I ordered the CD from Amazon and after a brief listening lesson, I sent the CD home with her to begin “mapping” the bass line. She was most intrigued with this project. Next, we will formulate some rhythmic structure, figure out what the chordal structure is and work on the right hand melody.

Another high school student wanted to purchase “I Can Only Imagine” (Mercy Me). I happened on a YouTube tutorial that is actually pretty good so I facebook’d her the link and we’re going to learn it that way instead of actually getting the music and learning it in the traditional way.