December 2017
SOUNDTEACHING NEWSLETTER FOR LESSON TEACHERS @ MUSIC & ARTS
2
4
5
6
Every Student is Different
Teaching Philosophies
Slow Down!
Students Are People
For All Students
Patience is Key
First
Every Student is Different B Y M A G G I E B R I S T O L , V O I C E / G U I T A R / U K E I N S T R U C T O R I N S N E L LV I L L E , G A
something different from their lesson.
A typical guitar or ukulele lesson
If a student is struggling with a concept
consists of learning to read basic notes
I am teaching, I use another way to
on the guitar and studying chords in
explain it and I continue teaching other
each key. I try to find songs that the
concepts until the student understands.
student will enjoy playing and even
My goal is for the student to not
singing. Most students rotate between
only grasp the concept and improve
chords and notes. This gives them a
musically, but also to consider music
break from whichever is frustrating
as a fun outlet rather than a stressful
them that week. I also let students
experience.
choose “fun” songs to sing or play.
Snellville, GA. I have been teaching
Developing a personal relationship is
The key is to make learning as fun
music for 10 years, and I have been at
especially important to better assess
as possible, so the student learns the
Music & Arts for 4 years.
teaching and learning strategies. Voice
material and excels, often without
is especially unique and personal. There
evening realizing it because they are
Many past experiences and being open
needs to be a comfort level with the
having so much fun. To help keep
and willing to learn from each student
teacher before the student will open
the student fully engaged in their
who walks through my studio has
up completely. I remember struggling
development, I often allow my students
helped me become a successful private
as a young person singing in front of
to select one of their favorite songs
teacher, so when I was asked to describe
people. When I began voice lessons, I
which we work on together; I tell my
what makes me a successful private
was so nervous that I couldn’t even sing
students that I will select a song for us
teacher, I had to reflect upon my many
scales for my teacher. It took several
to work on, and in return, they get to
experiences.
weeks of developing a comfortability
select the song they wish to work on; I
with that teacher before I could open
want them to enjoy singing or playing,
I certainly have had some amazing
up completely. I have noticed that most
but the songs I choose are more geared
teachers over the years to measure up
students take 2-4 weeks to relax in their
toward working on technique.
to. I have been taught many different
lessons. I am grateful that I have been
ways by my own private teachers over
there myself and can relate to how
I love teaching at Music & Arts. My
the years. I value each experience
difficult it can be. A typical voice lesson
students are amazing, and I am so
individually, but I have also learned
with me consists of warm ups, breathing
grateful that I get to be part of their
what techniques work best for me. No
exercises, sight reading, and finally
lives. It’s both such a gift and honor
two students learn in the same way. I
working on a broadway or classical type
to share music with these bright and
have found that every person needs
songs.
wonderful people.
I’m Maggie Bristol, and I teach voice, guitar, and ukulele at Music & Arts in
M A G G I E B R I S T O L completed a Master of Arts degree (M.A.T) in Music Education with a Voice concentration at Piedmont College. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Music Ministry from Warner University with a focus on Voice, Guitar and Piano. She has been performing on stage for more than ten years, including the areas of worship ministry, opera theatre, choral, and solo performances. She recently won 3rd place in her category for the 2013 Georgia NATS voice competition. Maggie teaches private voice, guitar, and ukulele lessons at Music & Arts in Snellville. She also teaches chorus, class guitar, ukulele, and glee club at Dacula Classical Academy.
S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017
2
National Open House Weekend BY LAURA ZOLFO, M& A REGIONAL LESSON MANAGER
presentations. We want to make sure
loved this about us, and wanted
every customer knows about our lesson
even more! By involving yourself
program, and gets the red carpet
and your studio in this event, you
experience.
create a great opportunity to really see what you and your students do
We’re Creating Buzz. As customers
from week to week.
finish their holiday shopping, and begin making plans for their new year, we’re
2. Pointers 4 Players: Calling on our
messaging over 1 million households
guitar teachers! This is a one-
For over 10 years now, Music & Arts
to show why Music & Arts is their
hour beginner’s guitar clinic on
has recognized the New Year as the
destination for great private music
Saturday the 6th. It should come as
beginning of our Lesson Season.
education.
no surprise that we sell a LOT of
During the first 3 months of the year, we
guitars during the holidays. This
enjoy new enrollment numbers higher
To be fully ready for Lesson Season,
clinic is aimed at turning that gift
than the other 9 months of the year.
we need your involvement! Each
into an inspired musician. We need
School schedules have shifted to the
January, we host a national lesson event
guitar instructors to teach these
new semester. New Year’s resolutions
aimed at catering towards all these
classes, and show potential students
bring new and returning musicians.
first-time lesson customers. This year,
what it’s like to learn with a live
Customers who receive an instrument
we’re presenting the National Open
instructor.
over the holidays are excited to put their
House Weekend. On January 5-7, 2018,
new investment to good use. As a result,
customers will visit our stores to see
our student population grows during
what The Lesson Studio is all about. We
Sometimes, customers need an
this time, and many of our teachers’
use this event to feature the greatest
extra push to make the decision
schedules are busting at the seams.
attribute of our lesson program: YOU.
to go ahead and start lessons.
We believe our amazing teachers are our
All weekend, January 5th-7th, we
But we don’t just wait patiently for folks
greatest advantage, so we need YOU to
offer free appointments to meet
to walk through the door. After years of
showcase The Lesson Studio.
our instructors. It’s a chance for
experience, we’re much more proactive than that. We’re Refining the Schedule. You may
potential students to break the ice, The weekend consists of three different
get to know you, and understand
events, and here’s how you can get
better what private lessons could be
involved:
for them. These appointments just
have been recently hired or offered an additional day on the lesson schedule.
3. Appointments with Instructors:
fall within your regular teaching 1. Open Mic: On Friday the 5th,
schedule. And don’t worry, if you’re
We’re making sure we have open spaces
we’ll host an Open Mic open
not currently teaching on weekends,
for new student’s to sign up.
to potential students, current
talk to your Store Manager. We can
students and teachers. One of the
book some studio space for you
We’re Lesson Sales Ready. The
benefits of taking lessons with
over the event weekend, or offer
store teams have been honing their
M&A is our variety of performance
appointments within your existing
Lesson Sales skills the last month,
opportunities. When we surveyed
weekday schedule.
and practicing our lesson sales
customers, 100% of them said they
3
S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017
Teaching Philosophies For All Students BY J O H N U D I N S K Y J R , G U I TA R I N S T R U C T O R I N H O R S H A M , PA
fact and information that I really started
set clear goals and work towards them.
to excel.
Not everyone is going to become a professional musician. Not everyone is
This is where I discovered the second
going to continue to play for the rest of
philosophy I’d like to share with you
their lives, but they can all learn how to
which is that learning and teaching
be goal oriented people through guitar
are really one in the same. Once you
lessons and carry that skill with them
have deconstructed the teacher’s lesson
wherever they go.
and are face to face with the pure information, you teach it to yourself.
I get asked by a lot of parents, “How
My name is John Udinsky Jr and
The process of teaching is when the
long should my child practice?”. There
I have been teaching guitar at the
individual looks at the information and
is nothing more non-negotiable in
Horsham Music and Arts since the fall
interprets it in their own terms. When
my whole teaching philosophy than
of 2014. During my time here I have
comprehension is reached they have
the answer to this question. I strongly
developed some fundamental teaching
truly learned. I strongly believe that
believe that for any beginning student,
philosophies that I’d like to share with
a teacher’s job is to merely present a
the length of their practice is irrelevant.
you.
student with information and give them
I am all about consistency. I treat
the tools to go teach it to themselves. It
practicing like most people exercise
My first philosophy is that both the
is with this mentality that I have met the
their bodies. It is a daily ritual I do first
student and I are equals in the study
greatest success with my students.
thing in the morning and it is always goal oriented. I practice until I am done
of the guitar, just at different stages of our development. I think it’s important
While it may be more feasible
with whatever I set out to accomplish.
to establish an environment where I
to establish an environment and
Practicing without goals is like getting
admit that I do not have all the answers
understand that with an advanced or
in a car and driving, but not knowing
and rather than my assignments being
adult student, I think that laying down
where your destination is. Then you
perceived as commandments, they tend
the ground work with any student can be
assign a time requirement to it and the
to be welcomed as suggestions based on
achieved, but it does bring up the point
whole process is not a burden. What I
my personal successes.
that no two students are the same. I try
want for my students is for them to set
to teach each student as an individual
out what they need to accomplish prior
There is always another way of looking
and give them the information that they
to beginning a practice session, go do
at something and I encourage my
seek or need. I shape my lessons so that
it, and to not put down the guitar down
students that if the way I have presented
every student is goal oriented. I believe
until the goal is achieved. This may
the informant doesn’t connect with them
that without being able to clearly define
seem like a lofty goal, especially with
that they explore it and find the best
your goals, the lessons are useless.
students that are fussy about practicing,
way for them to make sense of it. I have
These goals can be as simple as just
but I believe that rather than telling a
had teachers with large egos in the past
wanting to have fun trying something
child to sit for 20 minutes and “practice”,
that present themselves as all-knowing
new, or as specific as wanting to be
it is better that they say that they are
figures, laying down the law which I was
able to use the Super Locrian mode
going to play this piece three times in
so ready to blindly follow. It wasn’t until
to improvise over dominant seventh
a row without a mistake and then they
I got older and realized how to separate
chords. It really doesn’t matter, as long
are done for the day. If it takes 3 minutes
their personalities and opinions from
as the student develops the ability to
then good for them. If it take 30, so be
S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017
4
it. Practicing is, in the beginning, more
suggestion of a more intensive daily
inquisitive? I sincerely believe that these
about a daily routine and goals then
routine by either a parent or teacher.
philosophies are the path to success for
it is about duration. Once a student
Consider the environment you provide
both the teacher and student. Give these
has developed a good and successful
your students. Is the information
students the lesson experience they
relationship with practicing they will
presented untainted by ego? Have
deserve!
either elect to practice longer and in
you instilled goal oriented practice
greater depth, or be more open to the
habits and encourage them to always be
J O H N U D I N S K Y J R is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and composer from Philadelphia, PA. From a humble beginning as a PMEA All-State Musician and an alumni of the Hatboro-Horsham School District, John went on to earn a B.M. in Jazz Guitar Performance from The University of the Arts. During his time there, he was a member of the school’s prestigious ‘Z Big Band’ ensemble. After graduating in the spring of 2014, Udinsky began to widen his network by freelancing in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York tri-state area professionally, lending his talents to various singer-songwriters and jazz groups. This led to his recruitment into the Philadelphia based jam band ‘Hambone Relay’ in 2015. In 2016 they released an LP entitled ‘Free Hugs’ and toured the east coast with their high energy live shows. As of 2017, John has shifted gears to recording and performing under his own name and is currently finishing the writing process for his first solo fingerstlye guitar album.
Slow Down! Patience is Key BY RICK REYNOLDS, PERCUSSION INSTRUCTOR IN THE FORUM, TX
needed to slow down, he got upset; “but
i.e., getting the fingers/hands used to
then, it doesn’t sound like the song!”
moving the right way. The great football
he wailed. Too often young students
coach Vince Lombardi said, “perfect
expect results right away. They are
practice makes perfect.” By learning
not accustomed to the notion that
to practice properly, and efficiently, by
proper practice, a process of patterned
slowing down, one may achieve faster
repetition, is necessary to achieve the
results in a shorter time. For most of the
results they want. Like any other musical
students I see, faster results are really
instrument, drums are not something
what they want; they just need help
Once I had a drum student who
one can play well just by sitting down
to understand that it takes patience,
repeatedly attempted to play the drum
and pounding away. Patience and
persistence, and practice, to get there.
pattern of Heathens by 21 Pilots, which,
persistence are key factors. One of
in itself, is not particularly difficult.
the techniques I try to stress with my
However, the drum fill that occurs about
students is the need to slow down, and
three quarters of the way through the
not go any faster than what speed they
song, often proved too difficult for the
can play the most difficult part – usually,
student to pull off. The student grew
the drum fill. I encourage them to go
increasingly frustrated! He would get
as slow as necessary – perhaps even
to that point, flub, then start over– only
35 beats per minute – which is difficult
to reach the same point and make the
for many students, as it often feels to
same mistake again –start over again,
them as if they are not really playing.
get to the same point, and make the
One of the benefits of repetition is
same mistake. When I insisted that he
the development of muscle “memory,”
5
R I C K R E Y N O L D S has been playing drums and singing professionally for more than 40 years. He is a 1982 graduate of the Musician’s Institute (MI) in Hollywood, California, and has played with numerous bands, including Gary P. Nunn. He is currently drummer for the Almost Patsy Cline band, a position that he has held for the last 17 years. He has been teaching drums for the last 15 years.
S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017
Students Are People First B Y TA N YA T H I E L K E , V I O L I N I N S T R U C T O R I N G E R M A N T O W N , M D
Each Sunday morning while my family
lessons: They aren’t really just learning
not to cooperate. As adults, they might
sleeps in, I get up to prepare for a day
an instrument or exploring their love
realize too late that their assessment of
of teaching. I’m fortunate to have a
of music. They are learning about
themselves is more important than that
quick commute and a group of students
themselves. That is, if we let them, by
of any authority. So I will show them
I genuinely enjoy spending time with.
showing them how.
they already know what their abilities
I leave that extra time in the morning
are. Tragically, as adults, they might
to clear my mind and think about each
Childhood experiences, even brief ones,
realize too late how much fear of failure
person that will come in, one after the
both positive and negative, have long
has shaped their choices in life. So I will
other in increments of 30 minutes that
lasting effects. Inevitably, the challenges
show them it’s ok to take chances, big
can feel impossibly short. A big part
of adult life find us referencing those
chances, and to embrace and learn from
of my job is to make that time work for
experiences. I have talked to many
any result. I will never let them leave my
both of us. That involves the necessary
professionals in a variety of fields who
lesson feeling like they failed.
structure of the lesson, leading them
can all too vividly remember the times
through the steps of warming up,
teachers said negative things purely to
As teachers, we can follow our instincts
playing, assessing, suggesting, repeating,
denigrate. It happens. I am not talking
and make the most out of small
explaining, demonstrating, and refining.
about tough love moments that cause a
moments of time, by choosing to see
These things are all expected of me. But
Hollywood movie style turning point. I
the person and letting them know we
I have come to expect something more
am talking about a cut down that feels
see them. One student less than two
from myself as a teacher.
just as fresh in the mind decades after
months ago seemed painfully shy
the fact. Thankfully, there are also the
and sometimes downright petrified
Maybe it is because I am a mother,
inspiring and positive teachers who
to even try something new. During a
the many years I’ve been teaching, or
are points of light that still shine in
the memories of particular students
an adult’s memories. As teachers, we
combined with my own experiences in
should take these stories very seriously
life. Whatever the reasons, I know I am
and deeply consider the legacy that we
not there just to teach them how to play
want to leave in the minds and hearts of
this instrument for those 30 minutes. I
our students.
am there to receive them as they are, and allow them to feel seen as well as heard.
I think of it this way: Fate has brought
On the forefront of my mind during
me together with this unique person for
every lesson is that students are people
this period of time. I know something
first.
about the inevitable curveballs of adolescence and being an adult; I’m
As private teachers, we have a unique
going to take this opportunity to build
relationship with today’s young people
this person up, in whatever way I can.
that is not duplicated elsewhere in their
As adults, they may discover too late
lives. One on one focused time with
that there is joy in learning things
anyone is in short supply, if it is there at
without striving for perfection. So I will
all. I feel I owe it to my students to let
show them how to have fun engaging
them in on the biggest secret of music
this instrument even when it seems
S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017
T A N Y A T H I E L K E is a composer and violin instructor with over 20 years of private teaching experience. Her approach is student-centered, built from a diverse set of experiences as a performer, composer and teacher. She has earned a BA Cum Laude in Violin performance and a Master of Music in composition from the University of MD, and an interdisciplinary Masters of Fine Arts in Composition from Bard College. Her performance experience ranges from freelance ensemble and studio work to composing and performing solo music scores for theatrical productions. Tanya’s goal as a teacher is to empower students to take ownership of their learning process, so that they can continue to develop their own lifelong connection to music, in whatever form they ultimately choose.
6
Inside the Lesson Studio with Hannah BY H A N N A H B E S T, M & A R E G I O N A L L E S S O N M A N A G E R
Q “I really want my store to have WiFi. Can we get this?”
A “The best answer for this frequently asked question is yes, but not yet. We are committed to adding this benefit to every store, but we aren’t in a position from a system standpoint yet to make this happen. The good news is that we’ve had a test happening in select stores and we’re working to make this addition at all locations.”
Q “My Store Manger recently asked me to participate in an upcoming store event. I’ve never really done this before and to be honest with you, I’m not sure where this will benefit me.”
A “Along with local store events, we’re hosting national lesson events at least two times a year now. We’ve learned along the way that lesson promotions are actually less effective than having store performance or recruitment events. In other words, we’ve found out that teachers and store locations in general have a better chance of growing the student count when we literally show students and their families the reason lessons are important and why they should choose us. That’s where you come in. As the teacher, we believe you’re one of the greatest benefits to the brand. We want you to have an
opportunity to interface with potential
So, let’s get to the heart of your question.
students. When they see who you are
You can increase retention by doing
and what you’re about, they’re more
some pretty basic things. First, ask your
likely to sign up. You may not see the
students and their families for feedback.
return of your participation right away,
Do they like what they’re learning? Are
but over time, your studio will grow.
they ready to come back each week?
The other side of this is that the team of
What don’t they like about their lesson?
people that are responsible for signing
Next, mix it up. If the student has been
up students in your studio will see you
playing out of the same book or on the
as a team player and that also goes a
same style for more than a few weeks,
long way.”
changing it up can make the lesson feel
Q “Recently, I learned that M&A
more productive. Even if you need to go back (review can be essential, especially
keeps a Student Turnover Report.
to show a student how far they’ve come),
When I taught in my home studio, I
changing up the music a bit can help a
kept track of this, but it wasn’t as well
student regain focus.
documented as what you guys have. I
What else can you do? Sit in on a
learned that 30% turnover in a ninety
colleague’s lesson. This can be in the
day period is the expectation. I’m just
store or otherwise. The best teachers
a little above that and didn’t realize. I
want to keep learning. I’d recommend
don’t want to lose students, even if it’s
this for everybody, even if your retention
expected during the summer or the
is off the charts. Learning more about
holidays. Can you help me?”
teaching is always a winning thing to
A “Definitely, I can help you with
do and will help you stay on top of your game.
this! Reviewing your turnover is a very
Have students perform and perform
positive thing to do, at least once a
with them too. When you’re encouraging
quarter or even once a month. You know,
students to perform and/or they see you
I think about this often. We set goals
performing, this is inspiring!
as a business and review performance
Finally, reach out to me and I’ll pair you
by employee and by store. As an
with one of our other M&A teachers. I
independent contractor, it’s a solid
can help you connect with many of our
business move for your studio to track
instructors from coast to coast and help
where you are and how to increase in
you expand your network and keep your
students and/or retention each year.
teaching fresh.”
ATTENTION ALL TEACHERS: The Teacher Best Practices Seminar is now available online! Use the following link to view the seminar: https://images.miretail.com/Content/AboutMA/index.html#/?_k=akyv0v 7
S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017