Lessons in Teaching Piano Lessons and How They Apply to Writing: Part 3
When teaching piano lessons, I have a 30-minute timeframe to listen, critique, and teach. There isn’t a lot of time for chit-chat. This is a huge challenge because I love asking the students questions about their lives as part of building good relationships with them. Also, they love to gab, either because they are genuinely excited to share their stories or because they didn’t practice and are already masters at stalling.
However, sometimes the structure of the lessons is blown to pieces when students come through my door, sit on my piano bench, and fall apart. My dedicated piano room then becomes a sacred place where feelings come to spiral, crash, and burn. Sometimes the kids just need to talk, cry, and be heard. School, peers, parents, siblings, schoolteachers, activity overload, and/or lack of sleep are often the culprits of the emotional downturns.
Usually, I’ll just let the ailing students vent to get the anger or sadness out into the open. I’ll ask a few questions, validate their feelings, offer advice if it is warranted, and later contact parents if concerns about health or safety arise. This could take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes but it is not a waste of time. Within my sacred piano room, true beauty emerges when the students dry their eyes and rise like a phoenix from the ashes, ready to work for the remainder of our lesson. Making someone feel better about life and who they are is never a waste of time.
The principles here are essential for enhancing the creative process of any artist. Sometimes we become so focused on outcome and output that we forget to stop, look around, listen, and feel. When we take time out of our busy routines to learn about the experiences of others, we open up possibilities that have the potential to weigh heavily into the emotions fueling our craft and touching those who appreciate our finished products.
That’s the irony of sharing our time and listening ear with someone: it’s a service rendered that will pay back two-fold—or more—bringing deeper fulfillment and joy to our accomplishments.