Philosophy
My goal is to push my students to a high level of musicianship while at the same time fostering in them an enjoyment of the learning process and an appreciation of music. If they aren’t enjoying it at all, it doesn’t work. I am extremely persistent in a gentle way. As the zen proverb goes “Little by little, the water wears away the stone.” Rigor and play should work hand in hand. Students who are working only to avoid punishment develop tension (preventing good technique) or even a disdain for music lessons or practicing music.
Motivation is more of an art than an exact science. Of course there is no cookie-cutter solution, but as a rule I motivate my students mostly by giving them bite-sized goals, creating little games, giving rewards, and teaching them songs or parts of songs that they like. These activities are integrated with a more thorough approach that includes reading, technique, playing expressively, memorization, theory, standard repertoire, and building time management skills.
The students start with little goals and successes. Once they start achieving their practice goals they can start tackling more challenging goals. And once they get a taste of success, it’s easier for me to hold them to their goals rigorously, since they are motivated by their own experience. This approach borrows from the video games that children play. Level 1 is easy, level 2 is slightly harder, and so on (anticipating a key signature change in the 13th bar isn’t that different from anticipating a zombie attack when you turn the corner in some game!) There will be plenty of rewards along the way, in the form of stickers (for the little ones), praise, and the sheer joy of being able to play a beautiful piece of music. The process yields benefits that extend far beyond music lessons, such as increased confidence, ability to focus, and powers of imagery.
Also, the student-teacher relationship is important. It should be respectful yet friendly. If the student and teacher both work for and celebrate the breakthroughs that occur, the student will be more likely to hang in there when tackling larger obstacles in music and in life.