Loving the kids. Loving the teachers. Being okay where we are at, but at the same time imagining that we could do even better.
Saturday was our Suzuki Piano Teacher's Guild Recitals for Advancing Students, in Antonello Hall at MacPhail. We had two one hour recitals. My kidos (Lena, Solomon, Mary and Calvin) performed on the 4:00 recital. We invite students in Suzuki Piano Book Four and above to perform.
There are three kinds, well maybe four kinds of performances, well maybe more than that. . . but the three kinds I noticed on Saturday were those who nailed it, those who were obviously well prepared and played very musically but got mixed up anyway and those who just weren't that well prepared. It's the middle group that I always feel for. Lord, haven't we all been there.
It would be easy to be critical of that group who are not well prepared, perhaps not a shining example of Dr. Suzuki's heritage. A few phrases come to mind--one from the Karate Kid: there are no bad students, only bad teachers.
I would add to that. . . there are no bad teachers. . . only incomplete training.
Regardless, this road is not going to get us anywhere, because tomorrow it will be my student that is unprepared and none of us are going to get it right all the time. Too many glass houses around for throwing stones.
When I look at some of these oh-so-awkward teenagers, my heart goes out. Did they even want to be up there? And yet they were there and they made it through their pieces in a very fancy hall on a nine-foot Steinway and they lived.
I try to embrace the paradox. I love every kid that had the courage to get up there and put their soul on the line in shoes that may or may not have been appropriate. And I love and respect each and every one in our teacher group. Yet, I do think we can do better. Saturday there was more fear in the hall than love and that's not how it's supposed to be.
My idea? Next year? I think we should have the children submit an audition video due at registration two to three weeks ahead of the recitals. Not that anyone would be rejected. It would only force the teachers to submit only those kids who had the piece memorized and ready in enough time to be comfortable. The teachers who watched the videos could give a one line feedback, even if was only to suggest they start with a more elegant bow and rest position. I think this would vastly up the performance quality. This also takes the weight off the teacher to tell them no if they just aren't prepared. If you don't have it ready, you don't get to play.
Well--it is not my intention to be a kill-joy. In fact it's the opposite. Kids who get up on the stage and crash year after year are not gonna love music. It's our job as teachers to prepare them thoroughly so they can experience that joy of making music--and don't get me wrong, it's doesn't have to be note perfect to be beautiful music. Loving kids means setting them up for success.
Compassion? Yes. Yes. Yes. And then let's talk about how to make it better. For the kid. For the music. In that order.
Congratulations to all the kids who worked so hard and played from their hearts. There was a whole lot of very moving performances.
When it doesn't go exactly as you planned? Wash it down with cookies and punch and top it off with a hug. Recommit to learning something from it and move on.
Click here for link to Mary's Mozart Rondo
Click here for link to Calvin's Mozart Fantasy in D Minor, K. 397
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