Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales
As a child, I developed a number of fleeting interests, including the history of art (a major scrapbook project, winning a prize at the school hobbies exhibition), counting the spots on ladybirds (for which I received fewer accolades), exploring Bedfordshire by bicycle, and Russian literature,
That’s right – I was a bit of a nerd! But at a fairly young age, I had discovered an important truth:
Anything can be interesting
If we approach it with enough interest.
But none of the aforementioned topics could ultimately compete with the profound interest I developed in music from the age of eight. That was when I first heard an LP of Mozart’s Horn Concerti, which changed my life forever…
Fostering enthusiasm
It was only once my enthusiasm for classical music had started to bloom that I began piano lessons, aged nine.
Young players starting lessons rarely have quite the same eagerness that I had, if any exposure to classical music at all. The impetus for lessons more often comes from parents keen to give their kids a rounded education and a fulsome childhood. So how can we as teachers and family members cultivate their growing enthusiasm?
Here are eight simple suggestions for helping today’s learners develop their interest into a more lasting one:
LISTENING ADVENTURES
My enthusiasm for music began with active listening, and there is no doubt in my mind that this is paramount in the development of an interest in music. We can foster this by setting weekly listening suggestions in the learner’s notebook or piano journal.
HUNGRY FOR THE FACTS
Most learners are sponges for information, so let’s prompt them to look into the lives of great musicians, different genres, or developments in musical style. Feeding curiosity and fostering broader knowledge adds colour and enjoyment to piano playing.
CONCEPTS ARE FUN TOO
Technique, theory, and ideas about music all benefit from being introduced in an enjoyable way, and within their musical context. Alongside learning great pieces, children particularly enjoy games that nurture their musical understanding, and there’s no shortage of suitable resources available online.
CREATIVE EXPLORATION
Encouraging learners to create their own pieces, arrangements and interpretations is a sure way to engage their interest. Check out Garreth Brooke’s excellent site, which is a great source of ideas, resources and inspiration for bringing more creativity into lessons.
GETTING MUSICAL
The language of music itself is entirely captivating! Teacher demonstration should always elevate and inspire engagement, and working on the expressive qualities of our playing should be a foremost priority, even in the very first lessons.
FAMILIAR FRIENDS
Encouraging learners to continue enjoying pieces they can play well gives space for their confidence and love of the piano to grow. The Active Repertoire Project is founded on this vision, and aims to nurture intrinsic motivation.
PIANO COMMUNITY
Interests often grow best when they are shared. I have found that children enjoy playing to one another, attending group music sessions and informal concerts, while adult learners often benefit from joining a positive online community and where possible meet up with others in a local piano club.
POSITIVE PERFORMING
Good teachers will want performances to be a positive experience for their students, but this can be more difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of competition, public ‘adjudication’, or judgment. When performers more positively collaborate and support one another, healthy interest will more likely develop and flourish.
It is the responsibility of teachers to track learner engagement and foster their enthusiasm, discussing this with them (and parents where appropriate).
By providing a rich and enjoyable learning experience that stimulates their curiosity, positively celebrates their development, and fosters their ability to express themselves through their piano playing, we can offer learners the best opportunity to develop a lifelong love of music.
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