Scarlett Sullivan

I’ve learned a lot about myself while starting to teach students this semester​.

Each student presented me with different challenges to grow myself and find new ways

to communicate expectations and pedagogical information​.​ Overall the experience was

positive but generally taught me what to focus my attention on and learning how a

teacher needs to get into the mind of a student​.​ Luckily, we had a goal to teach them a

trio piece but besides that we got to create the rest of what we wanted to teach in the

lesson​.

Starting with Student #1 was very informative for my learning how to be a

teacher​.​ He hadn’t played horn in a very long time so I had to deal with someone who

had the knowledge of the technique but physically did not yet have the strength, ear,

and flexibility to play at the level he was used to​.​ So obviously in these situations as

teachers we can’t treat them like they are unaware​.​ I used lots of phrases like “just

remember” because he already knew, we just had to jump into all these subjects again​.

I started him off on a lot of basic exercises that I already had at my disposal from my

own lessons​.​ It helped him start to use his ear again and get comfortable with opening

up his flexibility and range again​.​ I also gave him a copy of ​Morceau de Concert​ to have

because he seemed like his previous experiences learning horn repertoire in high

school​.​ It was difficult gauging what I should give him to work on and what he would

want to work on​. ​Looking back I wish I had asked him more of his goals with playing
horn and what he wanted to get out of lessons. He obviously had motivation and liked

the horn but I wished I could have helped translate that passion into actually practicing

more​.

With Student #2 think is where I learned the most​.​ The tough part was trying to

teach someone who is such a good friend of mine, obviously it’s hard to teach any of

your peers, but especially your friends​.​ So through that I learned that there needs to be

a different demeanor in teaching, still friendly but obviously I’m there to be the teacher​.

Although it was definitely fun to learn what he liked to play and what he liked about band

music​.​ I gave him a whole packet of horn excerpts for band pieces that he could use to

look over and play whenever he practices over the summer​.​ Hopefully that way he can

feel confident for concert band, which he really enjoys​.

And then from Student #3 I learned more about people who really do love music

but don’t want to make it their career​. ​It was really helpful for me to see that perspective

because that’s what most of my future students will probably be like​.​ As teachers we

have to learn that students will have different schedules and different priorities and I

believe that is something that I will continue learning throughout my career​.​ And also

with all the lessons I have opened myself to career possibilities​.​ I don’t know what ages

I want to teach or where I want to be in a few years but I know either way it will still be a

chance for me to learn more​.

 In observing two different lessons from two different professors I got to learn a lot

about how adaptable teachers have to be to their students​.​ In watching the Horn lesson

I saw lots of talk about how specific moments in a solo can create impact and what they

mean on a higher level​. ​Even in such a short solo in On the Waterfront there was still a

way to get meaning and intent behind it, really using every single note as an opportunity

to make more music​. ​One thing I’m curious about in teaching still is when to transition

from the small things, like notes and rhythms, to a bigger picture​.​ Is it possible to start

creating this sense of impact in music on young children just getting started or should

they just be learning notes and rhythms first?

A thing that I observe in teachers that I wish I could do more of is creative

metaphors​.​ When my brain is engaged in music teaching I tend to be more logical and

more precise in how I speak but I feel like giving students metaphors can make a

difference​.​ Helping students who have different ways of thinking and learning will

increase success in teaching​.​ Hopefully in the future I can get my brain to start thinking

more creatively while I teach​.

Then while I observed the percussion professor’s lesson he had it set up as a

group lesson​. ​Since he’s still a very active performer he travels a lot so he creates a

schedule for his travelling weeks to see multiple students in one lesson and try to teach

everyone using one person's piece​. ​Watching this I really got to see how he can apply

bigger themes of technique and musicality so that everyone can be learning. He was
constantly asking the other students of their opinions on someone’s piece which helps

the students to really be aware of proper technique and how phrases should go. I also

got to see them work on a snare drum piece with recording and he was able to teach

the students about the tricks to performing such pieces. So he’s not teaching the

rhythms or the piece, but also how to be a good performer and is knowledgeable about

the craft. I also got to be apart of their Percussion Pedagogy class where I was taught

Tambourine by another student and then the professor reviewed it and did some more

tambourine exercises with everyone in the class. Through that experience I learned at

the beginning teaching slowly and reminding a student of the basics is actually really

helpful. I had thought before that repetitiveness would get boring for the student but at

the beginning is where that information is most important.