It’s a familiar scene… your student just did their Grade 3. You pick out some new music for them to play on their next lesson, but then they show up with their own… a brand new grade 4 book?
They’re keen to get started straight away, but your heart sinks. This could be a long year ahead if you immediately begin work on repertoire that’s a lot harder than what they were playing just last week. It might be just as difficult to convince your student that starting on the next grade’s work isn’t the best idea.
So here are three ways you can use research knowledge to advocate for another way:
“Let’s do something that isn’t related to exams for a while. You were so focused on that, so let’s choose something that’s a bit more relaxing to learn and play.”
If they have just finished a previous grade, it’s likely that they haven’t learnt anything new in a while. You may be surprised to find that they struggle with simpler music because they are out of practice learning something from scratch. Pop music or film themes are good here – something they know already that contains some more challenging rhythms gives the opportunity for a quick win, and you can use their prior knowledge of the tune to scaffold the reason of anything that might be more challenge. Also, the buzz of learning and completing something new is motivating, helping to build students’ growth mindset and musical self-efficacy. Remind the student of their progress to help them see how far they have come.
It is possible for musicians to achieve a ‘flow state’ when the music they are playing is well-matched to their ability level. According to Czikszentmihalyi, flow state is the feeling of being completely absorbed within an activity, and in some cases this absorption can lead us to carry on playing or practising for longer than usual. However, the difficulty of the task at hand is key: too easy, and boredom sets in, and too difficult, frustration reigns. So pick musical activities that challenge, but not to the point of frustration.
Harness the student’s enthusiasm for something new by setting some bitesize tasks that tackle specific areas of technique. Whether it’s just tackling scales in new keys, or doing some breathing or finger technique exercises, these can become the building blocks for future exam repertoire. The ABRSM recently found that participating in music is important to young people’s wellbeing, and feelings of accomplishment have been found to contribute to general flourishing in adults and young people (Seligman). It’s therefore possible that putting the exam book down and maximising chances for students to feel accomplished could positively impact their wellbeing.