This is the biggest new offering for September and I am super excited! Buddy Lessons!!!!
First, a quick explanation of what it is. When you sign up for a buddy lesson I match your child with another. The two students will share a 20-minute time slot between their regular private lesson times. During this together time we will play music theory-based games, explore duets and work together on compositional projects, just to name a few possibilities. It will be a time to share successes, collaborate and work out problems with a peer music learner.
Now to the reasons why this is so huge and will be so amazing for students!
Private lessons are isolating. This goes for all instruments, but piano especially. Its hard to bring it along to the campfire or play with friends. Practicing is a long solitary road because concentration is so important. Many students only see other music students on recital day or before exams. Just connecting with others who are working on the same things as you are is healthy and can be confidence boosting and motivating too!
Working with or playing for a peer motivates students to practice. Establishing a practice routine and sticking to it is by far the biggest challenge for music students (and their parents!). Referring back to point #1; who wants to spend a half hour alone with an instrument that can be very frustrating, when friends are playing outside? Just knowing that a piece will be shared in the buddy time next week can motivate students to give it a little time so that they are not like a deer in headlights on lesson day.
Students will learn by osmosis. Just watching another child's mistakes and successes, can make students more aware of these things in their own playing.
Students will have exposure to an expanded repertoire of music. Students are typically not listening to a lot of classical music outside of their own lesson pieces and this gives them a taste of the "more' that is out there! They may also want to play some of the pieces they hear from their buddy.
It provides the opportunity to enhance listening and performance skills. While playing for and listening to a buddy play, students develop their skills as a performer and member of the audience. Performance qualities like artistry, dynamics and tempo are sometimes lost to students when they are at the piano, but as a listener, these elements are heard with different ears!
Buddy lessons lead to friendships. Buddys are part of each student's support team on their musical journey. And besides, who'd want to quit lessons to spend more time with friends when there is a friend at the lesson!
It is a great opportunity for ensemble work. Duets and Trios are a lot of fun. They build confidence and rely on teamwork, cooperation and individual responsibility for a part. Those who have played in a school band or orchestra know the priceless feeling of belonging to a group and holding your own. These are experiences private students miss out on for the most part. (until now...yay Buddy Lessons!)
A buddy is a built-in mentor. Buddies do not have to be at the same level musically and one can mentor the other through difficulties they may have previously experienced.
Having a buddy makes music lesson time more fun! Though I do play games with individual students, playing with an adult isn't the same as playing with another student. Most of the theory-based games we play are fun cooperative games where learning is happening right alongside the giggles.
I hope I have convinced you to explore the possibility of "buddying up" to enhance your child's music experience! Music is all about self-expression and connecting with others. This is the best, most exciting way I have found to do it!
Musically Yours,
Shelley
