I have them! My students constantly amaze me with their dedication and progress. I know how lucky I am that I look forward to each and every student. They ALL practice and come to their lessons prepared and ready to work. A teacher’s dream! Still not sure why I deserve this (just ask some of MY former teachers!), but it makes me extremely proud to see what they are able to accomplish.
Just last night, one of my adult students bowled me over with a song she has been working on from Bernstein’s “Candide.” Normally rather reserved, she truly became the Old Woman in my studio. My piano accompaniment, although never stellar, became even worse because I was having such a good time listening to her!
So what makes a good student? Obviously, you need to spend time outside of lessons practicing. There is only so much that can be accomplished in a short meeting once a week. It is the student’s responsibility to take what the teacher has shown you, and keep working to apply it throughout your personal practice time. Consistency and repetition is key.
You need to make a commitment to your study. That not only includes regular practice time, but also making lessons a priority in your daily schedule. It won’t always be fun and games, but the rewards are worth the time and energy invested in your study. Be accountable to yourself. Set goals, and reward yourself once you have achieved them.
In my voice studio, I have a ten-level system in place. Each level requires the student to meet certain requirements to advance to the next level. Once each level has been completed, I give a music-related reward to the student. It is just a small token of my appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
Not only have they learned songs, but they have also studied music theory, music history, practiced their sightreading, developed their aural skills, and learned the rules of diction for a foreign language. Quite an accomplishment! Each level gets progressively more difficult, and the rewards get larger and more desirable. I am working on setting up a similar system for my harp students – I get to see them today!