Do Students Work on the Same Song in Group Lesson?
Do my students all work on the same song in a group lesson?
Nope, we all learn, practice and progress at different rates, so I cannot imagine keeping students all on the same song. It would not be effective teaching. (Well, maybe if they were doing an ensemble, then learning the same piece would be expected. )
We do use the same method books though, which means they are familiar with each other’s pieces. This provides so much encouragement from classmates. One student was assigned an old piece from the 1890’s called Ta-R- Ra Boom-Der-ee. I introduce it to the class as a favorite, popular enough to be used in Disney’s Aristocats.
Knowing you’re playing a song that is in a famous movie is intriguing.
Having your classmates comment, “Oh I loved that song” or “There’s that one hard spot and the rest is easy” or “You’re gonna love this” sets them up for success from the get go.
When someone masters the piece, they often get a round of applause from their class. You cannot orchestrate or buy that kind of magic.
Can you see the value of sharing curriculum but not being on the same page at the same time?
Students learning the same songs together would end up comparing their work to their neighbor and get discouraged or maybe they could see they are faster learners and be boastful. I don’t see either scenario contributes to an overall healthy learning environment.
Within one class I see some students are great at decoding, easily reading the notes on their page. Some are really good at rhythm. Others can get 2 hands together fast. And I’m always impressed by the 10-year-old who touches the keys tenderly making beginning pieces sound beautiful.
I use these strengths to the advantage of everyone. I say, “Lets listen up here, Emma is really good at finding all her new notes.” “Eli is a boss at putting 2 hands together.” “Let’s see how well Ethan’s rhythm is today because he always pays such close attention to his counting.” It points out all the strengths of individuals while also inspiring reading, getting both hands down in the section, and rhythm.
