How to restore enthusiasm to a music school student?

Any teacher is pleased to work with a student who is interested in his success and strives to improve the results achieved. However, almost every child comes to a time when he wants to quit playing music.

In the vast majority of cases, this occurs in 4-5 years of study. Often the situation is worsened by the position of parents, who will gladly shift the blame from their child to the “incompetent” teacher.

Understand the child

Sometimes it’s worth reminding yourself that a student is not a miniature adult. He cannot yet fully understand and appreciate what is happening to him. And there is a gradual infusion into adult life, which inevitably entails certain responsibilities.

By and large, until this moment everyone played with the child, adapting to his desires and not particularly burdening him. Now the demands began. The workload and volume of homework in secondary schools has increased. Additional lessons have been added at the music school. And the program itself becomes more difficult. You need to spend more time at the instrument. The student is expected to improve his playing technique, and the repertoire of works also becomes more complex.

All this is new for the child and falls on him as an unexpected burden. And this load seems too heavy for him to bear. So the internal rebellion gradually grows. Depending on the student’s temperament, it can take different forms. From negligence in doing homework to direct conflict with the teacher.

Contact with parents

In order to prevent conflict situations with students’ parents in the future, it would be wise to talk from the very beginning about the fact that one day the young musician will declare that he does not want to study further, he is bored with everything, and he does not want to see the instrument. Also reassure them that this period is short-lived.

And in general, try to maintain live contact with them throughout your studies. Seeing your interest, they will be more calm about their child and will not rush to question your professionalism in the event of an acute problematic period.

Praise inspires

What specific practical steps can help rekindle a student’s waning enthusiasm?

1. Don’t ignore the incipient apathy. In fact, parents should do more of this, but the reality is that they will gladly leave it to you to find out the mood and condition of the child.
2. Reassure your child that others have gone through the same thing. If appropriate, share your own experiences or give examples of other students or even musicians he admires.
3. If possible, allow the student to participate in the selection of the repertoire. After all, learning works that he liked is much more exciting.
4. Emphasize what he has already achieved and encourage him that with a little effort, he will achieve even greater heights.
5. And don’t forget to note not only the points that need to be corrected, but also those that worked well.

These simple actions will save your nerves and support your student.