Created by Shelly Davis, ETMTA Membership Chair
Parents are not the enemy! In fact, they have the greatest influence on our students, and rightly so!
I believe it is a teacher’s responsibility to train the parents of their students in studio matters. Unless we tell them otherwise, parents will likely equate piano practice to dance or sports, where the practicing happens with the team, piano practice happens with the teacher, and not at home. Unless we encourage them to set up a regular practicing time, parents are likely to become frustrated that their piano kid goes days without touching the piano. Since their child isn’t motivated to practice on their own, parents draw the conclusion that they aren’t interested and often give up and stop lessons. As teachers, we need to remind parents that they are the ones to establish and enforce the practicing routine.
It seems to me that a lot of problems could be solved if teachers and parents would communicate with each other better. Many parents have good intentions but lack the musical knowledge to help their child with home practice. My hope is that this podcast will help parents become more engaged with home practice.
Having my lessons available for any student to listen to at any time extends my teaching and aids the student in the time between lessons. Parents trying to help their children can listen to the episode and learn how I have presented the information to them.
Another thing I’m trying to do through the podcast is help motivate students to practice…at home…. regularly. As I mentioned earlier, this is part of the parent’s responsibility but many parents either don’t realize that or lack their own self-discipline to make sure they keep their children on a schedule.
Here in ETMTA, we enjoy a lovely community of teachers. You all are not only exceptional in the way you teach and operate your studios, you are also generous and welcoming to new teachers. We are the exception; not the rule.
Many teachers across the country and around the world either have no other teachers near them to collaborate with and learn from or the teachers in their community see themselves as competitors who choose not to share information or teaching strategies. While we do have the online communities through Facebook and other social media platforms, many younger teachers lack confidence or just haven’t gained enough experience yet when dealing with piano parents.
Though my podcast is designed and tailored for piano parents, most of my listeners so far are piano teachers. They listen to hear a different perspective through the teacher interviews. They listen to learn how parents view lessons through the parent interviews. They listen to share.
MY MISSION
As I researched online and contemplated creating a podcast, I noticed there are very few dedicated and reliable resources out there specifically for piano parents; there are many things available for teachers. I hope this podcast meets my intention of informing and engaging parents, encouraging students, and empowering teachers.
Some of my most popular episodes:
037 Teacher Interview, Becki Laurent
046 Our Favorite Apps, Becki Laurent
040 10 YouTube Videos to Watch with Your Piano Kids