In the current (Fall 2011) issue of Listen music magazine, I was greatly inspired by an instructional approach advocated by David Robertson, music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. In his interview with Ben Finane he has this to say:

“One thing that I have found is very helpful – and I wish that we could do it more in real life – is to focus on the solution rather than trying to define the problem. So very simply, you don’t say, ‘Basses, you’re late,’ you say, ‘Basses, we need more forward motion on that triplet.’ And so, all of a sudden, that’s not looking at the problem as ‘Those people are rushing’ or ‘Well, I thought I was in time,’ or ‘Well, these two notes take more time on the bass than they do on the cello’ – by missing the thousands of ways you could talk about the problem you focus on the one which in the end everyone has to do. There will need to be forward motion on those three notes even in the performance, even when it’s played right. So let’s start working on what’s right, from the start, and not worry about what might be the definition of what was wrong.”

What a fascinating approach. I usually spend a good deal of time with students helping them learn to identify problems and then devise appropriate solutions, but I’m intrigued by this concept. Granted, I know he is dealing with professional musicians who aren’t struggling to recognize notes moving in skips vs. steps, but I still wonder what it would look like to try this idea in my teaching… Any thoughts?

Isn’t that a beautiful aim for every musician? It comes from a column by Thomas Lanners in the recent e-newsletter put out by The 3-D Piano Method. His piece, More Virtues of Letting Go, eloquently expresses the importance of patiently working with students to help them give up control in order to achieve greater musicality. I know first-hand how difficult this can be – both from my own journey down this path under the instruction of a patient teacher, and now with many of my students who come to me full of insecurities and poor skills, manifested in tense, mechanical playing.

I especially love some of Mr. Lanners concluding comments:

“My student’s story suggests that perhaps the most powerful benefit of letting go occurs on a psychological level. Physical rigidity is typically an outward manifestation of a psychological state that may be as uncomplicated as nervousness in performing for others, or as complex as deep-seated feelings of inadequacy or an irrational fear of failure that may have roots in childhood trauma, family dysfunction, adult relationship difficulties, etc. While it’s unwise to play amateur psychologist, we must address the entirety of the unique individuals we teach.”

What a reminder of the incredible privilege we have of working with students one-on-one, sensitively and thoughtfully identifying and addressing their needs at multiple levels to equip them for success!