Hire a Teenager!
by Rebecca Martin
Music teachers
want their students to succeed. We, as seasoned performers
and teachers recognize the value of discipline, repetition, and
consistency of practice. We try to train the parents in our
studios to work with their children. We offer all kinds of
practice incentives, motivational charts, anything we can think
of to keep our students moving forward.
But what do you do when this process breaks down, when you feel
ineffective with the student’s progress?
The answer in my studio has been to match up the struggling
student with a teenaged practice buddy/mentor.
It’s a win/win/win situation. The younger children love
the attention of the older teenager and will work much harder to
please them and complete all the practice spots. The
teenaged helpers love the contact with the younger children and
the practice times reinforce the basics of playing the
instrument for the older student. The parents love it because
they get a break from the practice schedule. In lots of
cases, my older students are much more accomplished pianists and
can more efficiently and effectively move the practice session
along. Having played the literature, they are empathetic to
difficult passages.
The practice helpers are paid for their time by the student’s
parents. They travel to the student’s home (another
convenience for the parents). They agree on a set time,
which encourages consistent practice. Some set up a 1-2
times per week schedule or they make themselves available to
work when a competition or festival is approaching. They
coach individuals or ensembles. They are so proud of their
“students” when they hear them at recitals and the younger
students are excited to get positive reinforcement from their
practice buddies.
When I am working out at the gym, I see many adults who have
hired personal trainers to help motivate them or to get them
past some athletic plateau. Why not do the same for your
child? Don’t let them quit. Hire a teenager! It will
make a lasting difference.