Great Lessons from Great Teachers

When I was three years old, my mother enrolled me in piano lessons. At the time, I knew my alphabet, and was just learning to read. My teacher was wonderful - the kindest, warmest woman, who had a particular knack for teaching very young children. Here are some aspects of our lessons that truly benefited me, along with some related experiences I had as an older student and adult.

Carl Orff said, "Since the beginning of time, children have not liked to study. They would much rather play, and if you have their interests at heart, you will let them learn while they play; they will find that what they have mastered is child's play." My teacher was constantly incorporating games into my lessons, whether they were lightning-fast flashcard challenges, or things to hunt for and find in the score. She engaged my imagination, and made me love playing. It never occurred to me to think of it as a chore. She also went out of her way to ensure I had the tools I needed to succeed. As a small, wriggly child, I struggled to focus on small notes written on a page far away on the big piano's stand. My teacher would write out the simple pieces I was learning (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, etc.) on long pieces of paper with notes that were six inches tall. Once I could see and focus on these notes, I was able to learn to play them far more easily.

My first teacher was a master at time management. There was almost no "dead time" in my lessons. I'm sure my parents were grateful to get the most "bang for their buck". But I loved it, too, because my teacher was constantly giving me new tasks to do, constantly engaging me, constantly finding ways to keep me interested and zoned in on the task at hand. Later on in college, because of a scheduling conflict, I had to take a music theory class that I'd tested out of, and found utterly boring. I finished all the in-class assignments early, and would stare off into space, bored while my classmates continued to work. My professor took this opportunity to encourage me to work on advanced techniques on my own: composing, arranging, utilizing complex chord functions and counterpoint. He never ignored me, but treated my extra work in class with the same careful attention he gave to those struggling with the basic class material.

My childhood piano teacher also constantly gave me opportunities to prove myself. From little things (one sticker for my notebook if I did all my flashcards in under a certain amount of time, two if I beat my own record) to bigger opportunities (recitals and competitions where I could earn elegant certificates and shiny medals), there was always some new challenge to work towards. And perhaps, even more important than these opportunities, my teacher never shamed me for being unprepared. Instead, she inspired me to work harder and do better anytime I was found lacking. Later, as a high school student studying organ, my teachers always encouraged me to end each lesson with a piece I could play well, rather than something I struggled with. I would never leave my lessons feeling inadequate and overwhelmed, but confident that with a little more work, I could get the piece I struggled with into the same shape that my current "show-piece" was in.

I have been so blessed to study under such a great number of incredible teachers. Not only did they instill in me a life-long love of music, they helped me discover an equally strong passion for teaching. For the past five years, I have loved my experiences teaching, and the rich variety of students I've been privileged to work with. From an older couple that wanted to learn to play love songs together, to a group of vivacious high-school girls, to a Saudi graduate student in physics who paid me for lessons in henna tattoos, to a classroom of preschoolers with hearts bigger than their tiny, hyper frames, each student has his or her own particular needs that must be addressed, his or her own personality that has to be met with. Winker Music Studio is the next step on this journey to help as many students as possible not only learn the craft and art of music, but learn to interact with the world and grow to be the best they can be.

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