Emily F. ER 5: We, as students, and as teachers, must realize that everyone has different ways of learning. So many people try to learn a skill, such as piano, and feel that it's just not "right" for them because of the difficulty they encounter, or the wrong student/teacher combination. Everyone comes with different approaches and interests--it's up to the teacher and student to work together to figure out what might be the best way for the student to learn.
Key Concept: The ability to learn a skill is as varied as the people who learn it.
Making Connections: In a lot of ways, I guess I'm lucky. I always felt bad that my parents didn't allow me to have voice or piano lessons. But that made me have to figure some things out on my own, without fear of failure. I learned how to read music by listening to and copying my mom sing the alto line in hymns at church. That led me to figure out more complex music in choirs, by paying close attention and listening. I have had a variety of interesting piano experiences lately. Several years ago, I decided I needed and wanted to learn how to play the piano. My first teacher said things like, "Don't you feel silly?" and talked about my laziness in practice. Since it was my money and I was an adult, I just quit. The most recent teacher I had really inspired me. It was for just a short time, but I made improvements that I didn't think were even possible. His approach was inspiring, he drew on my experience and skill as a singer to make connections with piano, and I was excited to go to lessons. He respected what I knew and worked with that, teaching what I needed in addition.
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