WHO, or WHAT, is a life coach?
Let me briefly outline the 3 dictinct roles in piano lessons, the most obvious being the STUDENT. The student has 1 job - learn - and that is done through practice. The student is the one who will benefit the most from piano lessons, benefits that will carry through their entire life. To succeed, though, that practice must be done effectively. It’s important, then, to recognize that making sure the practice gets done, and done well, is not really the role of the student. That may sound odd, but it’s true. It’s the job of the coaches — the method coach and, especially, the life coach.
The teacher is the METHOD COACH. 1x a week, most weeks of the year, the method coach dispenses the raw music materials. Because of the short amount of lesson time available each week, the method coach can only instruct on how to process the raw materials at home, helping to make sure that both student and parents are clear about what to do between lessons.
The LIFE COACH, if you are an adult student, is yourself. In most cases, the life coach is the parent or guardian. The life coach is not only important, but necessary, and very distinct from the student role. Any students who cannot yet be their own life coach need someone else available to support them in maintaining their relationship with music — and to teach them, over time, how to self-coach.
It is between lessons that the magic, the learning, really happens. And it is the life coach who is there for the student during those other 6 days, 23 hours and however many extra minutes that are left in the week. The life coach is therefore in a position to make sure that the magic happens — and so the student’s success relies to a great extent on the participation and contributions of the life coach.
A few ways for the life coach/parent to accelerate student progress:
- Twice a month, sit down with your child during practice time and help grade at least half of the playlist in one sitting, and if the student has already graded the songs on their playlist, go through and confirm the grades, discussing their thoughts about pieces where you don't agree with the grade they've given themselves. You may be right, and you may be wrong, so the discussion is to give the student a chance to verbalize what they're thinking - and legitimize their choice.
- Make sure that BOTH parents understand the Simply Music approach, and are united in their support of the program at home, and in their approval of the method.
- Take advantage of every learning opportunity that comes along. Their long term relationship skills, their attention to necessary detail (marking the playlist comes to mind at the moment), performing in public to gain poise and confidence, diligence, patience - the list is endless!
- If your child is very young, ie younger than 8, your involvement during the practice time at home is even more crucial - and the more attention you pay to making sure your child develops the habits necessary to excel at piano when they're beginning, insures that you will be able to be hands off in later levels. As tempting as it is to relax your vigilance - I promise you'll pay for it later, when the student hasn't the habits necessary to keep up with the requirements of the more difficult levels.
There are a lot of ways for a student to encounter difficulties, and both the life and method coaches arethe ones who, with diligence, can prevent those difficulties. Read through the following questions and ask yourself, is this something that I've paid attention to? Have I made the time to make sure these things are happening for my child, at home through the week?
If there is a recurring problem in the piano experience, it can usually be traced to something that ISN'T happening at home, that SHOULD be. The following questions help to focus on what's going on, and what may be the cause of troubles.
Questions for Practice
- Do I practice at the same time each day, at least 6 days a week?
- Where do I practice and is it set up to minimize distraction?
- Do I practice new assignments the same day they are assigned?
- Do I watch the DVD within 24 hours of my lesson?
- Do I practice with all of the learning strategies my teacher used during the lesson?
- Do I manage my practice routine daily by referring to the written assignment and marking my Playlist?
- Am I “working the piano” most days of the week?
- Do I take time with my repertoire songs to “play the piano” for pure enjoyment?
- Do I keep my repertoire alive?
- Does my life coach monitor and support my practice?
- Do I play for others?
- Do I sing when I play?
- Do others sing or play when I play?
- Do I improvise and compose my own songs regularly?
Questions for Lessons
- Do I have all my materials ready for lesson?
- Is my Playlist updated and opened to the current page, ready to be reviewed?
- Am I ready to learn?
- Am I supportive to my fellow classmate(s)?
- Am I focused and actively observing when I am not at the piano?
- Is my life coach actively observing and supporting my learning process at lesson time?
Questions for Life
- What are the benefits of playing the piano?
- How has playing the piano affected me?
- How can I use my piano skills in the future?
- How has being an active Simply Music student helped me in other areas of my life?
- Am I learning mastery and self-discipline in general?
- Do I enjoy playing the piano?
- Do others enjoy my playing?
- What’s the best part of learning Simply Music as a student?
- What is my role as a student?
- Do I understand the “long-term relationship”? Can I explain it?
- What pays more, working at McDonald’s or teaching piano lessons?
- Do I realize how many people want the opportunity I have?
- Am I willing to put in the hours on the piano bench to be an accomplished pianist?
