tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post6540839120333979333..comments2024-03-27T23:06:03.736-05:00Comments on The Music Salon: Learning Music as an AdultBryan Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-78844466547009237882018-04-10T06:18:08.051-05:002018-04-10T06:18:08.051-05:00Thanks for sharing your experiences, Elisa! I know...Thanks for sharing your experiences, Elisa! I know exactly what you mean about the right teacher. I'm afraid that there are too many mediocre teachers out there. Sorry if you have experienced snobbism in the classical realm. My mother was a fiddler, so I know first hand about the spontaneous energy and enjoyment in that kind of music.Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-71065992702836316012018-04-09T22:35:08.988-05:002018-04-09T22:35:08.988-05:00I , kind of, feel that finding the right teacher i...I , kind of, feel that finding the right teacher is important. I began cello studies about a dozen years ago. Unfortunately, I had a teacher who could not give suggestions to strengthen all my weaknesses. She was actually a violinist who played in the symphony and she had taught for many years. When I asked how can I make smooth bowing and all she said was,"Well, the professionals can do it so well." That certainly did not help me at all. All I did was to go through the Suzuki program page by page. I stuck it out for a year, and quit. Now, a dozen years later, at age 63, I had decided to either bury the cello or try again. I am so glad I tried again. I have a fabulous teacher who is able to pinpoint every need and I am now playing famous pieces which I thought I would never get to. <br />What you said about making excitement out of music is probably the best approach. Giving students a chance to play together ( or for each other ) without judgements is important. Unfortunately, in the classical environment, most people are so snooty that they only want to listen to the best and the most talented. Only the advanced students can play in orchestras. Well, not every student who takes music lessons will turn out to be YoYo Ma or Perlman. But, they will still enjoy the chance to play in some kind of ensembles. <br />I love the fiddle scene. So different form classical scene. They have a completely opposite approach. They feel everyone can play. Everyone can join the group play. Come socialize. Play together. Have fun. That's why fiddlers have so much energy in their music.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10105476449317760947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-86495330420890106472017-10-05T11:23:54.179-05:002017-10-05T11:23:54.179-05:00That thought had crossed my mind. Hmm. I suppose i...That thought had crossed my mind. Hmm. I suppose if I'm taking seriously the importance of the choice of teacher that ought to be done before buying an instrument. There are, almost literally, a hundred acoustic guitars hanging from the ceiling of the one store downtown.Marc in Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04331547981498637474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-18443485580716609192017-10-05T10:47:56.668-05:002017-10-05T10:47:56.668-05:00You might employ a teacher first and get him to he...You might employ a teacher first and get him to help you select a guitar...Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-19110341009030292362017-10-05T10:18:20.292-05:002017-10-05T10:18:20.292-05:00Thanks for the heads up about this post! It's ...Thanks for the heads up about this post! It's very encouraging. Am still shopping for a guitar but since am going for basic functionality that process should be simple enough compared to the choosing a teacher business. There are not literally a thousand guitar teachers who will instruct adults here but a score or more, certainly. A book called 'The Guitarist's Complete Technique Kit' has, at this early stage, served well the purpose of making clear to me the completeness of my ignorance, ha. <br />Marc in Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04331547981498637474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-57280652209469920912015-08-23T11:45:04.302-05:002015-08-23T11:45:04.302-05:00Thanks, Christine! I taught guitar for far too man...Thanks, Christine! I taught guitar for far too many years, but I did figure out some of the important things about teaching.<br /><br />Re motivation: you betcha! And that's why it is frequently rewarding to teach music: because all your students are motivated, or should be.Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-1513114854573170842015-08-23T09:16:01.313-05:002015-08-23T09:16:01.313-05:00Hi Bryan
Thanks for a very interesting post. As a ...Hi Bryan<br />Thanks for a very interesting post. As a teacher myself (not music obviously) I agree with you when you say :<br /><br />"No, it is not crucial to find a teacher who understands how you learn; it is crucial to find a teacher who understands how music works and what helps people--in general--learn. Yes, students are all different, in the sense that they have different sensitivities and capacities and obstacles, but how you handle this doesn't vary greatly from student to student. It really doesn't."<br /><br />My nephew started piano at the age of 50 and progressed quickly enough to amaze his teacher. He takes great pleasure in playing. Generalizations about learning can be so deceptive maybe because motivation plays as important a role as individual differences in talent and ability.<br /><br /><br /><br />Christine Lacroixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02006109075551438090noreply@blogger.com