I was a bit of a hard ass today at Guitar Center.
By The Horse
@TheHorse (206231)
Walnut Creek, California
April 11, 2024 12:21am CST
Wednesday is "kid day" for The Horse at Guitar Center.. As a bit of a rebel, and a Dave Brubeck fan, I encourage my kid students to be "creative," and to generate their own "compositions," in addition to reading and playing the notes others have written.
But when my favorite young "rebel" students came in today, I had the whip out. Alee, my 7 1/2-year-old, had to play some scales, and to work on Fur Elise. I let her be creative, by playing "pretty thirds," but I demanded that she use the right fingers when she played her pretty thirds.
Zane, who is six, had gum in his mouth. I told him not to touch his mouth, and not to squirt gum out of his mouth when he played. I got him to focus, and wrote a song for him, which he read and played. But I told him "No gum next lesson" in front of his daddy.
Jonathan came through for me. He is eight, and can almost play the first part of Beethoven's Fur Elise all the way through.
So did Jeanette, my adult guitar student with whom I am working out many songs.
Can you believe I was a hard ass music teacher today?
10 people like this
6 responses
@changjiangzhibin89 (16541)
• China
11 Apr
All you have done is for their own good ! Good pupils are to be brought up by strict teachers
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206231)
• Walnut Creek, California
11 Apr
I do not totally agree. I believe in balance. The balance between reading others' notes (like a good boy) and being creative (like an artist). For me, one of the question is when to be relaxed, and let the kids "do what they want," versus when to rein them in and teach something specific. Like Beethoven's notes.
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16541)
• China
12 Apr
@TheHorse Alternating tension with relaxation is a good approach to teaching guitar !
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206231)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Apr
@changjiangzhibin89 Heh. My guitar strings would agree!
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (40890)
• Wapello, Iowa
11 Apr
You remind me of my 6th grade English teacher, Miss Grundy. She's the reason I never learned how to speak or write English.
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (40890)
• Wapello, Iowa
12 Apr
@TheHorse That was very unfair. You should have sued her.