TEACHER QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1

I have students who are alert, listen and watch as we work. They ask questions and makesuggestions. I also have students who are very passive. How can I help them become more involved? (Sometimes these students don't get enough sleep).

MARY GAE GEORGE answers:

One of the best ways to involve students in their music study is to start their lesson or class(or their practice session at home) with physical activities that get them breathing and moving energetically. Try some of the musical games and activities outlined in The Art of Movement *. This book contains musically instructive activities that not only delight students but engage them in learning on a sensory level.

Once you have stimulated and refreshed their attention, move to an activity that expects themto make rapid decisions. Improvising questions and answers at the piano, doing a letter plan for a new piece (to find out how little there is to learn!), writing in the counting for a rhythm exercise, planning the fingering for a passage in a new piece -- anything that puts the student in the driver's seat by requiring rapid musical decisions.

Then, as the lesson or class progresses, alternate between activities you direct and thosethe student directs. Because music teachers have so much to cover in a short time, we can inadvertently do most of the students' thinking for them, just to save time! The net result can be toencourage passivity on the part of the student, even though that is the last thing the teacher wants. Remember to keep asking questions -- and never accept the standard answers, such as "I don'tknow" or "I don't remember." Keep asking more questions until they do figure out an answer.

In my teaching, I find that students don't expect adults to ask them questions. My lessons are based on an lively exchange between myself and my student. At first, some students may seem uncomfortable, but they soon find it exciting to come up with answers and to move ahead in our investigations. This takes a little time to instigate, but it saves countless hours in the long run.

There are many reasons why some people are passive, and we do not have space to explore themhere. But remember that one of the many advantages of music education is that it encourages the individual to think and to implement personal decisions. The imaginative teacher finds many ways tocoax each individual into this lifelong habit of thinking for oneself.

Incidentally, if a student is regularly tired or sleepy at lessons, call the parents. Reschedule the lessons, if necessary, to a time when the student can be alert and productive. Find out if the student is over-committed or having a health problem. Don't be passive about problems -- address them promptly.

* The Art of Movement by Mary Gae George and Ewa Mekwinsky; book, audio tape, and video recording published by Warner Bros. Publications. Click here for information on ordering this publication from Burt & Company.