Tuesday 25 September 2018

4 Reasons why having Multiple Teachers (for Music) is GREAT!


There has always been an open debate about whether there is some real benefit from the different ideas brought in by multiple teachers. We have found that having multiple teachers assigned to one instrument has multiple benefits. And learning from more than one teacher pushes you to get the best out of your instrument. Let us understand how you can benefit from the teachings of more than one teacher.

1.       Different Musical Influences
One of the biggest challenges learning from multiple teachers are the different influences they are exposed to. Suppose one teacher maybe more into Rock & Roll music whereas the other teacher maybe into jazz or blues and so on. But, then again you should be exposed to all the different styles of music when you are learning so that you can discover variety in music and then have numerous options to decide which one you love the best or if you want to experiment some fusion between those two styles in your later stage of playing your instrument. The best part of learning music is that there are variety of styles and genres, and without trying out a few different flavors, you won’t know which you love the best.

2.       Perspective, Approach & Ideas
Different teachers will have different approach to the lessons and varying perspective, however the goal of the lesson remains the same, that the student understands how to apply the lesson in his/her playing. These helps the student to approach their playing in variety of manners, and they follow what helps them the best in making progress. While, they may understand one topic better from the explanation of a concept from one teacher, they can re-apply that knowledge with the concept from another teacher and understand the actual use of that topic with regard to their instrument.



3.       Better Retention of Information
In learning an instrument from multiple teachers , there are lot of common topics that one will come across, even in different instruments. The repetition of the common information, be it in a different approach helps retaining that lesson in student’s learning. Lessons are usually taught and then never pondered upon for a long time after that lesson has served its purpose, and although students are familiar with the topic, they never get a clear grasp of the information taught. Coming from different teachers at different times will help the students revise and retain the important information of the lesson and guide them to a better progress.

4.       No Disruption of Class
Students will rarely face Class cancellation or disruption when one of their teachers are on leave as another qualified teacher will be available to take their class. Teachers share reports about students after every session and therefore students are well attended to, classes pick up right where they left off.

More information can never hurt your learning as long as the egos of teachers and favoritism of the student doesn’t exist. Everyone starts learning from someone, so why not learning from different individuals who bring different characteristics to their approach which will give you the platform to see Music in all the different perspective and lets you take the best of all worlds.

At BlueTimbre we have found this method to not only work but work well! Students are often excited and look forward to which teacher may be coming into class that day. While our class structure, techniques, methodology remains the same across all subjects, a different teacher’s personality or new perspective on the same topic inspires students. We would go as far as to say that you must have multiple teachers for a subject so that you get the complete experience. Multiple teachers give you multiple experience, insight and more!


BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in Whitefield, Bangalore, India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.

Tuesday 11 September 2018

5 Ways Parents Can Encourage Music Practice at Home



Has Music Become just another subject for your child where you have to keep reminding them about their practice time and lessons to be completed? If such interactions are creating some unnecessary tension between you and the child, then it is a solid reminder that the child has lost interest in the learning. However, if they are monitored and guided in a certain way, the child begins to pick up the interest and understands the benefit of the instrument they are learning to play. If you are pulling your hair out imagining ways to get your child to practice which will bring progressive improvement in them, here are some of the very helpful tips collected from the experiences of teachers, researchers and parents.


Practice should be a shared activity

Music is not one of those subjects where you imply forced discipline and tell your children to spend time in the room with their instrument and practice. That forces the child to perceive the instrument as just another subject he needs to learn to meet certain parameters. Learning Music should always be a fun activity. In fact, it should be an activity that you should do with your child. Once you sit down with them and try to tackle the lessons to be learnt and finally reach the conclusion of the lesson, the child sees that achievement as enjoyment that encourages an environment where music is a vital part of household. It gives them joy to play alongside you and to perform in family meetings where the child is applauded just for their willingness which encourages to spend their time more with their instrument.



Time Restraint

“30 Minutes” Practice every day!! Is that what you’ve been telling your child? Well, the problem with this is when the child is been told to do that every day, he/she is been asked to endure those 30 minutes to play something or the other in their instrument which the child may find very frustrating, thus creating a negative environment to learn. Instead, let your child decide when do they want to give time to their instrument. When they are the decision makers, they feel responsible and often follow up on the promised time they decided to practice their instrument. Also, A practice session should be goal based rather than time based. Give them small goals to complete, for example, 2 - 4 measures of a lesson with minimal mistake. It doesn’t matter if it took them 15 minutes or an hour, but they keep on achieving small achievements along the way with the view of the larger goal of playing the whole piece in about two weeks. This helps them understand the value of practicing their instrument.

Rewards

A reward for achieving something has the capability to uplift anyone, be it child or an adult. It gives them a sense of pride and happiness for the hard work they have done. A child should be rewarded appropriately for their effort and willingness to practice their instrument which encourages them to learn more about music. However, you should not compromise on their playing time and other fun activities for their practice. If they are rewarded those playtimes only after they finish practicing their instrument, it encourages a notion that Music is not a fun activity and they may lead to disinterest in child about their instrument.

Inform the long-term benefits

The child should be given the knowledge and information about how learning the instrument can go a long way in their life, and also how can they benefit from it. This helps them to develop an internal motivation once they understand that the instrument can play a vital role in his adulthood.

Engage Them with Music

More than rewards, the best way to encourage and motivate your child about music is by getting them curious about music. Once they develop the desire to learn, listen and engage with music, they tend to simultaneously engage more with their instrument. In their weekly routine, let them play the music they truly enjoy which helps maintaining their interest in music and also encourage them to listen to more songs, so that they can play in their routine. You can also share your favorite song with them, while also giving some of your time to the type of music they love. An environment where there is always some kind of music can help stimulate much needed curiosity towards music.

It could be a daunting and challenging task to always monitor your child but with a little help and your positive involvement in their routine can bring a whole lot of difference in their progress. We all know the benefits of learning music and how it helps build essential skills in life, but in the end, it is under your guidance and care, that they truly reap the benefits of engaging with music.  

References




BlueTimbre is a Music Company with Music Education spaces, Jam Room and Recording studio located in Whitefield, Bangalore, India. BlueTimbre provides complete end-to-end Music Education solutions for schools. The BlueTimbre team comes with decades of cumulative experience in running structured businesses, music curriculum development, music education and performance.