So, moving to a new country on the other side of the planet means that I'm rebuilding a teaching studio of violin and viola students. No problem... these things will take time and it will grow over time as long as I'm a committed and decent enough teacher. In the Netherlands, it was harder to build a studio... mainly due to the language problem (although, that was easy enough to overcome if I had more perseverance) which meant that I was limited to a smaller pool of potential students. However, seeing as I was travelling quite a bit for work, I didn't attempt to build a large studio as that would be not great for students if I was constantly missing lessons.
However, in Australia, I don't forsee that I will be travelling quite so much... and when I do, it is easy to return back and fit in a few days of solid teaching to make up the lost time. I hope... or not...
... in the course of building up a teaching group, I have had some really strange questions and requests... and some weird observations. Much of it comes from not having taught in Australia for quite some time, and the rest is due to the fact that I'm not a teacher first and foremost, but a performer.
... but some of the questions and observations leave me a touch horrified by what might some people might experience as violin teaching. After all, most people can't really tell if they are being taken for a ride or not... and I know for a fact that there are lots of people who are teaching music that have no ability to play themselves.
Will you have a violin at the lesson?
I'm sorry... what?!?!?!?! Why would this even be a question that a new student/parent would ask me? Of bloody course I will have a violin with me... and I will even play it! It is a violin lesson... which is a teaching of a practice/craft, and not an abstract lecture or something like that!
But apparently there are violin teachers out there who think that the presence of a violin in the teacher's hands is pretty optional and not really worth the effort of bringing along to a lesson! It boggles my mind as to why this might be the case... how else would you demonstrate ideas/concepts and inspire students? Like most things, it is better to show than to tell...
Will you play with me?
.... again... WTF?!?!?!!? Of course I will be playing the violin alongside the student! The violin is not a solitary instrument... and you need to be playing with other people. If it isn't playing different parts in a duo, then it is just playing to support. Again, the student learns better by not just doing an "audition" every week for the teacher. You are encouraging and inspiring the student by playing... and they imitate the things that you do!
If you aren't playing music with them... well, what is the point? It is like rehearsing a conversation... by only speaking one side of the conversation. It is mind-bogglingly stupid!
Touching...
Yeah... well, I think that one of these days... this is going to get me into unwanted trouble by accident. In Australia, the touching thing is a bit problematic. I find that the violin is something where you need to be able to take student's hands and arms into your own to demonstrate and guide motion. It is difficult to do with words... and again, there is much that can be done by showing and feeling... after all, much of playing music is feeling the instrument under your fingers and against your body.
Stupid sexual predators have ruined so many things for the rest of us... well, especially when you add in the litigation culture. Well... the only difference for teachers is that we have to ask permission... but I do keep forgetting. Something for me to be aware of and learn...
Dressing Properly
Sigh... I spend my time on stage dressed up. In real life, I dress pretty down... like a nerdy dag that has just taken everything off the top of the clothes pile regardless of how if looks together. Actually... that is how I choose my clothes in the morning.
I'm not keen to dress in shirt and tie and all of that crap. I'm fighting this one to the death!
Kneeling down?
So... I have some 5-7 year olds that have just started with me. So, I kneel down on the floor to be at the same height as them when I'm playing and talking to them. It is the same as when I'm playing around with my own kids. This isn't special... it is just supremely convenient!
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