#1 - A child should have fun with their instrument. It can be hard to fall in love with an instrument when you first start playing it. You don't sound as good as you want to. You begin to realize that this is going to be a lot of work. As a teacher, it is important to encourage each student and make sure that they are having successes on their instruments, however small they may be. In the first year it is important to teach technique, but not at the expense of enjoying the playing experience. Each instrument has qualities that can be highlighted by a great teacher. You could also have the kids listen to professional musicians that play 'cool' stuff on their instrument. More importantly than loving the instrument that they choose (they may switch multiple times anyway) they should learn to love music. This will keep them with you through thick and thin!
#2 - Recruiting is a difficult thing. The kids need to know that they will have fun and be 'cool' if they are involved in music. They can't see it as 'dorky' or 'nerdy'. Their parents need to know this as well. Parents also need to know that their child will be a part of a group that strives for excellence. There is a long term commitment when it comes to music and the skills and abilities that they acquire in your classroom will continue to be of great use to them throughout their lifetime. Getting this message to parents and convincing them of your resolve and sincerity is essential in creating and maintaining a strong music program. Good luck!
You have an interesting take on the student experience in music. You are quite right that image has a lot to do with it. Being a pretty nerdy guy to begin with, I never really concerned myself too much with making making instrumental music seem particularly cool. Maybe I was recruiting nerdy bands and didn't realize it :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this is a very good point, and something we should discuss in class sometime.
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