Break the Mold and Students Will Stick Around
A few days ago, I ran into a colleague I’ll call Layla, who, after a quick catch-up, admitted that she was discouraged. Layla recently lost a few students due to a parent’s job loss. She’s grateful to have new-student interviews lined up, but they are beginners–again. Layla wishes to branch out and teach pianists playing at later levels. I asked about the retention of her current roster. Layla explained that her students work through a well-known method book series. Some make it through level 4, but many seem to “peter out” and pass on lessons around level 2.
I reminded her that she teaches human beings, not a method book and her ears perked up.
I asked her if she offers supplemental repertoire, if she encourages students to choose what they want to play, and if she includes activities to ignite creativity.
Layla looked puzzled and said she hadn’t considered trying most of these things before.
Why is Layla puzzled?
It’s not unusual for teachers like Layla to be surprised by these questions. Dr. Martha Beck says in her book Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity and Find Your Life’s Purpose (affiliated link) that today’s “thou-shalt-make-money” culture nudges humans into rigid socially prescribed roles.” The Harvard professor-turned-life-coach goes on to explain that “society likes to push people into a mold designed to make identical copies.” (p 214)
When Layla limits her instruction to method books (which, by the way, are fine, but not the ONLY way to teach) and later steers students into the canon of “dead-European-guy” repertoire, it may lead to burnout for her students AND even Layla?
→It’s time for Layla to consider her true intentions:
Turn out pianists raised on a method book conveyor belt?
OR
Nurture well-rounded musicians guided to develop skills for a lifetime of music making?
Could it be that it’s time for Layla to revisit her purpose as a piano teacher and rewrite her mission statement?
Advice for Layla
My advice to Layla as she considers her intentions for her studio is a paraphrase from Dr. Beck’s book on page 218:
→New ways of teaching and equipping our students as future LIFETIME musicians are available. Take advantage of these resources. To do this, start breaking the rules you’re keeping merely to stay aligned with socially approved and even expected methods. Approval-seeking is an anxiety-based behavior fueled by a left-hemisphere belief that there is only one way to teach.
Dr. Beck says that the way to reduce this anxiety-based behavior lies in our brain’s natural capacity for creativity–fueled by the right side of the brain. Her words validated the suspicions I’ve had for decades.
“Calm is not the opposite of anxiety; creativity is.”
(p 114)
“Allowing ourselves to follow the right hemisphere’s curiosity and creativity is delicious enough to be an end in itself.”
(p 231)
And wow…I was stunned to learn that “some Indian philosophies call the delicious energy of creating for the sheer joy of it” LILA, which is pronounced LEELA.
That’s how you pronounce my name, LEILA!
(p 231)
I’ve stood tall on my creativity soapbox, and now someone has given me specific reasons why I should stay standing!
We are the only creatures on earth created to create, so I encourage you to zoom out and see the big picture.
→As teachers, our mission is not only to help students play the right note at the right time. It’s bigger than that. We are giving human beings the opportunity to express themselves and their creativity through an art form–music!
Creativity has inspired my lesson plans on and off the bench for years. Passing along creativity to my students has given them the skills required to play in the school jazz band and the church worship band and, yes, even interpret European-dead-guy repertoire. Because of the variety, voice, and choice, students seem to stick around.
Layla needs to break the mold
Layla feels pressure to fill open slots and also wants more advanced students. Layla may be missing a core value in her curriculum: creativity.
How does Layla begin to integrate creativity into her lessons so that her students want to stick around for more than the first two years?
First, she needs to break the mold that has locked her into a rigid agenda and follow what Dr Beck recommends: build an armature. An armature is a stick figure made of wire. Instead of pressing clay into a mold, Beck says to pack the clay around the armature and flesh it out. With an armature, you have a strong vision, “but you’ll never make the exact same sculpture twice.” (p 214)
Next, Layla needs to determine the outcomes of that armature. What skills does she plan to imprint on her studio graduates? Then, she must write a mission statement that reflects her desires and holds her accountable.
→How does Layla stop pressing clay into a time-honored mold and replace it with a customized armature approach that matches her mission statement?
① Stick with the current method book, but once a piece is learned, permit students to change it up–move the right hand up an octave, extend the ending, add an intro…
② Alongside or instead of the method book, supplement with…
Rote Repertoire by Samantha Coates
Cool pieces by the prolific Chrissy Ricker
Excellent teaching pieces by Melody Bober
Chord charts
Lead sheets
Pieces with backing tracks by Will Bailey and Debra Perez
Arrangements in styles like Ragtime and jazz
Pop tunes requested by students
Legendary composers like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven…
New composers from various backgrounds and nationalities.
③ When adding a new piece to the practice rotation, provide at least three options that suit your agenda and let students choose a favorite. Give them voice and choice in what they play to keep them motivated to practice.
④ Master five-finger patterns around the circle of keys so they play their theory. Pentascales are the gateway to chords, melodies, and tons of theory.
⑤ Ask students for names of their favorite tunes and show them how to play by ear.
⑥ Equip students with practice skills so progress is made between lessons.
→ How to develop the “armature approach” with beginners?
The twins who began lessons with me last fall are arriving at the same time. We start the lesson with both sitting at a piano and playing a piece with a backing track. This week, they are huge fans of Will Bailey’s Garage Band.
Next? Major 5-finger patterns. Each week, they encounter a fresh pattern around the circle of keys. Before they look at the chart (shown below), they hunt and peck their way to the correct sound and unknowingly develop their ear skills. We often play Copy Cat. One twin comes up with a pattern, and the other must copy it–it’s a two-for-one activity–there’s creativity and ear skills!
From the Full Scoop on Chords— a digital course on chords that comes with Space to Create.
Around the half-hour mark, one moves OFF the bench while one sticks with me ON the bench.
The Off-Bench pianist reviews concepts using music apps and activities like stacking rhythm notation cups and knocking them down with snowballs.
The On-Bench pianist plays through old and new reading pieces, practices how to practice a new piece with a practice strategy, and learns a new portion of a choice piece. A choice piece is usually one above their reading and even playing level. One twin requested Linus and Lucy, and the other requested the theme from Harry Potter. Each week, we review the small section learned last week, and then another section is learned by rote. Their brains are sponges and remember everything from week to week because they are so eager to play their favorite tunes!
Are YOU Layla wanting to be Leela?
The freedom to play away from the page, choose repertoire, and play by ear is grooming the twins for more cultivation away from the page and keeps them returning to lessons for more.
→Now more than ever, I'm convinced that creativity beyond the page not only saves but also retains students, and with them comes a steady stream of new students through referrals.
To grow a full studio,
you need to attract students.
To develop a thriving studio,
you must retain students.
Ultimately,
a thriving studio
is a magnet for more students.
Layla’s students will stick around when challenged and content because she gives them ownership in the learning process. When she cultivates their innate desire to create, this gives them lifelong skills to master their favorite music, play in the school jazz band, accompany the choir, and jam in the church worship band.
BONUS! When Layla keeps a student for the long term, that student may bring in siblings, friends, and even parents for lessons!
→ Make 2025 a year of developing relevant skills in your current students.
As their skills grow deeper, your reach will grow wider.
I can help you do just that as your creative coach in Space to Create. Space to Create is an online community that empowers pianists and educators at every stage to master chords, explore improvisation and composition through innovative resources and supportive live training.
Want to check things out first without investing a penny? Check out my Cupcake Improv resource. It’s FREE, and it comes with live training later in April that will coax your creativity into action through improvising with a renewed mindset.
→ Are you Layla, Leela, or somewhere in between? I’d love to hear your story. Please share it in the comments!
