What are our goals before we pack our bags for college? For the first time in my career I have been in one place long enough to have several post Book 7 students. What now? What is important for them? How should we challenge them yet keep them grounded? I always had a pet peeve about advanced kids who played music that was too hard for them. They didn't seem to understand the music, and they never really seemed to nail it in performance. Now I understand that the teacher is not always at fault. Sometimes kids are just driven to learn a certain piece and you can't hold them back. What should we do? Hold them back? Compromise our standards? These are very serious questions because there is a lot at stake. We must reflect and continue to reflect on how to facilitate bringing these kids to their full potential.
Here are some important avenues to fulfilling this goal:
- Picking repertoire that represents four style periods with challenges but that is polishable
- Having enough time with the teacher each week to cover new and review repertoire
- Working with collegiate faculty in masterclasses situations
- Having intensive experiences such as summer camps
- Exploring chamber music and ensemble experiences--including concerto opportunities
- Using contests as a motivation when it is desirable and appropriate
- Communication of the goals with students and parents
These elements are pieces in the puzzle, but what is it that I truly want these kids to learn from me before they journey off? In thinking about what is important for middle school and high school kids to learn, I came up with four key elements:
- Learn how to practice independently and effectively
- Learn how to listen more deeply to their own playing and to artistic recordings
- Learn tools and clues to interpreting new repertoire in a stylistically appropriate and musically satisfying ways
- Learn how to perform confidently, musically, accurately and BEAUTIFULLY
When we have mastered these four tasks, I believe the student will be ready to go off to college to study music, or astrophysics, or whatever they choose.
In my studio students have the option to perform a solo recital at the end of each Suzuki book level. When/if they make it through Book Seven, I have a "wall of fame" in the studio where I hang a framed 8x10 glossy of the student with a copy of his Book Seven recital program.
I propose to my students that even after they are done with graduation recitals we continue in this vein. I propose that students perform an eighth grade graduation recital, a sophomore recital, and a senior recital. This allows us time to prepare new repertoire for growth and also play some interim pieces for special events or (heaven forbid) challenge and pleasure. It also allows time for critical review and mastery of the pieces. Siblings or peers can choose to perform their recitals together, and students are encouraged to play solos on a second instrument when appropriate. Even if students have not graduated from Book Seven, I encourage them to play a senior recital, and to date, every senior has chosen to celebrate in this fashion.
I feel focused and confident about the goals I have for my students. Setting goals, helping students with the four key elements, and communicating with parents--I feel that we will look back and say that we have nurtured our students with love in the way that only a Suzuki teacher can, while fulfilling their wondrous, individual, and unbridled potential.
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