Music & Arts | Sound Teaching | December 2017

December 2017

SOUNDTEACHING NEWSLETTER FOR LESSON TEACHERS @ MUSIC & ARTS

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Every Student is Different

Teaching Philosophies

Slow Down!

Students Are People

For All Students

Patience is Key

First

Every Student is Different B Y M A G G I E B R I S T O L , V O I C E / G U I T A R / U K E I N S T R U C T O R I N S N E L LV I L L E , G A

something different from their lesson.

A typical guitar or ukulele lesson

If a student is struggling with a concept

consists of learning to read basic notes

I am teaching, I use another way to

on the guitar and studying chords in

explain it and I continue teaching other

each key. I try to find songs that the

concepts until the student understands.

student will enjoy playing and even

My goal is for the student to not

singing. Most students rotate between

only grasp the concept and improve

chords and notes. This gives them a

musically, but also to consider music

break from whichever is frustrating

as a fun outlet rather than a stressful

them that week. I also let students

experience.

choose “fun” songs to sing or play.

Snellville, GA. I have been teaching

Developing a personal relationship is

The key is to make learning as fun

music for 10 years, and I have been at

especially important to better assess

as possible, so the student learns the

Music & Arts for 4 years.

teaching and learning strategies. Voice

material and excels, often without

is especially unique and personal. There

evening realizing it because they are

Many past experiences and being open

needs to be a comfort level with the

having so much fun. To help keep

and willing to learn from each student

teacher before the student will open

the student fully engaged in their

who walks through my studio has

up completely. I remember struggling

development, I often allow my students

helped me become a successful private

as a young person singing in front of

to select one of their favorite songs

teacher, so when I was asked to describe

people. When I began voice lessons, I

which we work on together; I tell my

what makes me a successful private

was so nervous that I couldn’t even sing

students that I will select a song for us

teacher, I had to reflect upon my many

scales for my teacher. It took several

to work on, and in return, they get to

experiences.

weeks of developing a comfortability

select the song they wish to work on; I

with that teacher before I could open

want them to enjoy singing or playing,

I certainly have had some amazing

up completely. I have noticed that most

but the songs I choose are more geared

teachers over the years to measure up

students take 2-4 weeks to relax in their

toward working on technique.

to. I have been taught many different

lessons. I am grateful that I have been

ways by my own private teachers over

there myself and can relate to how

I love teaching at Music & Arts. My

the years. I value each experience

difficult it can be. A typical voice lesson

students are amazing, and I am so

individually, but I have also learned

with me consists of warm ups, breathing

grateful that I get to be part of their

what techniques work best for me. No

exercises, sight reading, and finally

lives. It’s both such a gift and honor

two students learn in the same way. I

working on a broadway or classical type

to share music with these bright and

have found that every person needs

songs.

wonderful people.

I’m Maggie Bristol, and I teach voice, guitar, and ukulele at Music & Arts in

M A G G I E B R I S T O L completed a Master of Arts degree (M.A.T) in Music Education with a Voice concentration at Piedmont College. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Music Ministry from Warner University with a focus on Voice, Guitar and Piano. She has been performing on stage for more than ten years, including the areas of worship ministry, opera theatre, choral, and solo performances. She recently won 3rd place in her category for the 2013 Georgia NATS voice competition.

Maggie teaches private voice, guitar, and ukulele lessons at Music & Arts in Snellville. She also teaches chorus, class guitar, ukulele, and glee club at Dacula Classical Academy.

S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017

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National Open House Weekend

BY LAURA ZOLFO, M& A REGIONAL LESSON MANAGER

presentations. We want to make sure

loved this about us, and wanted

every customer knows about our lesson

even more! By involving yourself

program, and gets the red carpet

and your studio in this event, you

experience.

create a great opportunity to really see what you and your students do

We’re Creating Buzz. As customers

from week to week.

finish their holiday shopping, and begin making plans for their new year, we’re

2. Pointers 4 Players: Calling on our

messaging over 1 million households

guitar teachers! This is a one-

For over 10 years now, Music & Arts

to show why Music & Arts is their

hour beginner’s guitar clinic on

has recognized the New Year as the

destination for great private music

Saturday the 6th. It should come as

beginning of our Lesson Season.

education.

no surprise that we sell a LOT of

During the first 3 months of the year, we

guitars during the holidays. This

enjoy new enrollment numbers higher

To be fully ready for Lesson Season,

clinic is aimed at turning that gift

than the other 9 months of the year.

we need your involvement! Each

into an inspired musician. We need

School schedules have shifted to the

January, we host a national lesson event

guitar instructors to teach these

new semester. New Year’s resolutions

aimed at catering towards all these

classes, and show potential students

bring new and returning musicians.

first-time lesson customers. This year,

what it’s like to learn with a live

Customers who receive an instrument

we’re presenting the National Open

instructor.

over the holidays are excited to put their

House Weekend. On January 5-7, 2018,

new investment to good use. As a result,

customers will visit our stores to see

our student population grows during

what The Lesson Studio is all about. We

Sometimes, customers need an

this time, and many of our teachers’

use this event to feature the greatest

extra push to make the decision

schedules are busting at the seams.

attribute of our lesson program: YOU.

to go ahead and start lessons.

We believe our amazing teachers are our

All weekend, January 5th-7th, we

But we don’t just wait patiently for folks

greatest advantage, so we need YOU to

offer free appointments to meet

to walk through the door. After years of

showcase The Lesson Studio.

our instructors. It’s a chance for

experience, we’re much more proactive than that.

We’re Refining the Schedule. You may

potential students to break the ice, The weekend consists of three different

get to know you, and understand

events, and here’s how you can get

better what private lessons could be

involved:

for them. These appointments just

have been recently hired or offered an additional day on the lesson schedule.

3. Appointments with Instructors:

fall within your regular teaching 1. Open Mic: On Friday the 5th,

schedule. And don’t worry, if you’re

We’re making sure we have open spaces

we’ll host an Open Mic open

not currently teaching on weekends,

for new student’s to sign up.

to potential students, current

talk to your Store Manager. We can

students and teachers. One of the

book some studio space for you

We’re Lesson Sales Ready. The

benefits of taking lessons with

over the event weekend, or offer

store teams have been honing their

M&A is our variety of performance

appointments within your existing

Lesson Sales skills the last month,

opportunities. When we surveyed

weekday schedule.

and practicing our lesson sales

customers, 100% of them said they

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S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017

Teaching Philosophies For All Students

BY J O H N U D I N S K Y J R , G U I TA R I N S T R U C T O R I N H O R S H A M , PA

fact and information that I really started

set clear goals and work towards them.

to excel.

Not everyone is going to become a professional musician. Not everyone is

This is where I discovered the second

going to continue to play for the rest of

philosophy I’d like to share with you

their lives, but they can all learn how to

which is that learning and teaching

be goal oriented people through guitar

are really one in the same. Once you

lessons and carry that skill with them

have deconstructed the teacher’s lesson

wherever they go.

and are face to face with the pure information, you teach it to yourself.

I get asked by a lot of parents, “How

My name is John Udinsky Jr and

The process of teaching is when the

long should my child practice?”. There

I have been teaching guitar at the

individual looks at the information and

is nothing more non-negotiable in

Horsham Music and Arts since the fall

interprets it in their own terms. When

my whole teaching philosophy than

of 2014. During my time here I have

comprehension is reached they have

the answer to this question. I strongly

developed some fundamental teaching

truly learned. I strongly believe that

believe that for any beginning student,

philosophies that I’d like to share with

a teacher’s job is to merely present a

the length of their practice is irrelevant.

you.

student with information and give them

I am all about consistency. I treat

the tools to go teach it to themselves. It

practicing like most people exercise

My first philosophy is that both the

is with this mentality that I have met the

their bodies. It is a daily ritual I do first

student and I are equals in the study

greatest success with my students.

thing in the morning and it is always goal oriented. I practice until I am done

of the guitar, just at different stages of our development. I think it’s important

While it may be more feasible

with whatever I set out to accomplish.

to establish an environment where I

to establish an environment and

Practicing without goals is like getting

admit that I do not have all the answers

understand that with an advanced or

in a car and driving, but not knowing

and rather than my assignments being

adult student, I think that laying down

where your destination is. Then you

perceived as commandments, they tend

the ground work with any student can be

assign a time requirement to it and the

to be welcomed as suggestions based on

achieved, but it does bring up the point

whole process is not a burden. What I

my personal successes.

that no two students are the same. I try

want for my students is for them to set

to teach each student as an individual

out what they need to accomplish prior

There is always another way of looking

and give them the information that they

to beginning a practice session, go do

at something and I encourage my

seek or need. I shape my lessons so that

it, and to not put down the guitar down

students that if the way I have presented

every student is goal oriented. I believe

until the goal is achieved. This may

the informant doesn’t connect with them

that without being able to clearly define

seem like a lofty goal, especially with

that they explore it and find the best

your goals, the lessons are useless.

students that are fussy about practicing,

way for them to make sense of it. I have

These goals can be as simple as just

but I believe that rather than telling a

had teachers with large egos in the past

wanting to have fun trying something

child to sit for 20 minutes and “practice”,

that present themselves as all-knowing

new, or as specific as wanting to be

it is better that they say that they are

figures, laying down the law which I was

able to use the Super Locrian mode

going to play this piece three times in

so ready to blindly follow. It wasn’t until

to improvise over dominant seventh

a row without a mistake and then they

I got older and realized how to separate

chords. It really doesn’t matter, as long

are done for the day. If it takes 3 minutes

their personalities and opinions from

as the student develops the ability to

then good for them. If it take 30, so be

S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017

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it. Practicing is, in the beginning, more

suggestion of a more intensive daily

inquisitive? I sincerely believe that these

about a daily routine and goals then

routine by either a parent or teacher.

philosophies are the path to success for

it is about duration. Once a student

Consider the environment you provide

both the teacher and student. Give these

has developed a good and successful

your students. Is the information

students the lesson experience they

relationship with practicing they will

presented untainted by ego? Have

deserve!

either elect to practice longer and in

you instilled goal oriented practice

greater depth, or be more open to the

habits and encourage them to always be

J O H N U D I N S K Y J R is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and composer from Philadelphia, PA. From a humble beginning as a PMEA All-State Musician and an alumni of the Hatboro-Horsham School District, John went on to earn a B.M. in Jazz Guitar Performance from The University of the Arts. During his time there, he was a member of the school’s prestigious ‘Z Big Band’ ensemble. After graduating in the spring of 2014, Udinsky began to widen his network by freelancing in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York tri-state area professionally, lending his talents to various singer-songwriters and jazz groups. This led to his recruitment into the Philadelphia based jam band ‘Hambone Relay’ in 2015. In 2016 they released an LP entitled ‘Free Hugs’ and toured the east coast with their high energy live shows. As of 2017, John has shifted gears to recording and performing under his own name and is currently finishing the writing process for his first solo fingerstlye guitar album.

Slow Down! Patience is Key

BY RICK REYNOLDS, PERCUSSION INSTRUCTOR IN THE FORUM, TX

needed to slow down, he got upset; “but

i.e., getting the fingers/hands used to

then, it doesn’t sound like the song!”

moving the right way. The great football

he wailed. Too often young students

coach Vince Lombardi said, “perfect

expect results right away. They are

practice makes perfect.” By learning

not accustomed to the notion that

to practice properly, and efficiently, by

proper practice, a process of patterned

slowing down, one may achieve faster

repetition, is necessary to achieve the

results in a shorter time. For most of the

results they want. Like any other musical

students I see, faster results are really

instrument, drums are not something

what they want; they just need help

Once I had a drum student who

one can play well just by sitting down

to understand that it takes patience,

repeatedly attempted to play the drum

and pounding away. Patience and

persistence, and practice, to get there.

pattern of Heathens by 21 Pilots, which,

persistence are key factors. One of

in itself, is not particularly difficult.

the techniques I try to stress with my

However, the drum fill that occurs about

students is the need to slow down, and

three quarters of the way through the

not go any faster than what speed they

song, often proved too difficult for the

can play the most difficult part – usually,

student to pull off. The student grew

the drum fill. I encourage them to go

increasingly frustrated! He would get

as slow as necessary – perhaps even

to that point, flub, then start over– only

35 beats per minute – which is difficult

to reach the same point and make the

for many students, as it often feels to

same mistake again –start over again,

them as if they are not really playing.

get to the same point, and make the

One of the benefits of repetition is

same mistake. When I insisted that he

the development of muscle “memory,”

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R I C K R E Y N O L D S has been playing drums and singing professionally for more than 40 years. He is a 1982 graduate of the Musician’s Institute (MI) in Hollywood, California, and has played with numerous bands, including Gary P. Nunn. He is currently drummer for the Almost Patsy Cline band, a position that he has held for the last 17 years. He has been teaching drums for the last 15 years.

S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017

Students Are People First B Y TA N YA T H I E L K E , V I O L I N I N S T R U C T O R I N G E R M A N T O W N , M D

Each Sunday morning while my family

lessons: They aren’t really just learning

not to cooperate. As adults, they might

sleeps in, I get up to prepare for a day

an instrument or exploring their love

realize too late that their assessment of

of teaching. I’m fortunate to have a

of music. They are learning about

themselves is more important than that

quick commute and a group of students

themselves. That is, if we let them, by

of any authority. So I will show them

I genuinely enjoy spending time with.

showing them how.

they already know what their abilities

I leave that extra time in the morning

are. Tragically, as adults, they might

to clear my mind and think about each

Childhood experiences, even brief ones,

realize too late how much fear of failure

person that will come in, one after the

both positive and negative, have long

has shaped their choices in life. So I will

other in increments of 30 minutes that

lasting effects. Inevitably, the challenges

show them it’s ok to take chances, big

can feel impossibly short. A big part

of adult life find us referencing those

chances, and to embrace and learn from

of my job is to make that time work for

experiences. I have talked to many

any result. I will never let them leave my

both of us. That involves the necessary

professionals in a variety of fields who

lesson feeling like they failed.

structure of the lesson, leading them

can all too vividly remember the times

through the steps of warming up,

teachers said negative things purely to

As teachers, we can follow our instincts

playing, assessing, suggesting, repeating,

denigrate. It happens. I am not talking

and make the most out of small

explaining, demonstrating, and refining.

about tough love moments that cause a

moments of time, by choosing to see

These things are all expected of me. But

Hollywood movie style turning point. I

the person and letting them know we

I have come to expect something more

am talking about a cut down that feels

see them. One student less than two

from myself as a teacher.

just as fresh in the mind decades after

months ago seemed painfully shy

the fact. Thankfully, there are also the

and sometimes downright petrified

Maybe it is because I am a mother,

inspiring and positive teachers who

to even try something new. During a

the many years I’ve been teaching, or

are points of light that still shine in

the memories of particular students

an adult’s memories. As teachers, we

combined with my own experiences in

should take these stories very seriously

life. Whatever the reasons, I know I am

and deeply consider the legacy that we

not there just to teach them how to play

want to leave in the minds and hearts of

this instrument for those 30 minutes. I

our students.

am there to receive them as they are, and allow them to feel seen as well as heard.

I think of it this way: Fate has brought

On the forefront of my mind during

me together with this unique person for

every lesson is that students are people

this period of time. I know something

first.

about the inevitable curveballs of adolescence and being an adult; I’m

As private teachers, we have a unique

going to take this opportunity to build

relationship with today’s young people

this person up, in whatever way I can.

that is not duplicated elsewhere in their

As adults, they may discover too late

lives. One on one focused time with

that there is joy in learning things

anyone is in short supply, if it is there at

without striving for perfection. So I will

all. I feel I owe it to my students to let

show them how to have fun engaging

them in on the biggest secret of music

this instrument even when it seems

S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017

T A N Y A T H I E L K E is a composer and violin instructor with over 20 years of private teaching experience. Her approach is student-centered, built from a diverse set of experiences as a performer, composer and teacher. She has earned a BA Cum Laude in Violin performance and a Master of Music in composition from the University of MD, and an interdisciplinary Masters of Fine Arts in Composition from Bard College. Her performance experience ranges from freelance ensemble and studio work to composing and performing solo music scores for theatrical productions. Tanya’s goal as a teacher is to empower students to take ownership of their learning process, so that they can continue to develop their own lifelong connection to music, in whatever form they ultimately choose.

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Inside the Lesson Studio with Hannah

BY H A N N A H B E S T, M & A R E G I O N A L L E S S O N M A N A G E R

Q “I really want my store to have WiFi. Can we get this?”

A “The best answer for this frequently asked question is yes, but not yet. We are committed to adding this benefit to every store, but we aren’t in a position from a system standpoint yet to make this happen. The good news is that we’ve had a test happening in select stores and we’re working to make this addition at all locations.”

Q “My Store Manger recently asked me to participate in an upcoming store event. I’ve never really done this before and to be honest with you, I’m not sure where this will benefit me.”

A “Along with local store events, we’re hosting national lesson events at least two times a year now. We’ve learned along the way that lesson promotions are actually less effective than having store performance or recruitment events.

In other words, we’ve found out that teachers and store locations in general have a better chance of growing the student count when we literally show students and their families the reason lessons are important and why they should choose us. That’s where you come in. As the teacher, we believe you’re one of the greatest benefits to the brand. We want you to have an

opportunity to interface with potential

So, let’s get to the heart of your question.

students. When they see who you are

You can increase retention by doing

and what you’re about, they’re more

some pretty basic things. First, ask your

likely to sign up. You may not see the

students and their families for feedback.

return of your participation right away,

Do they like what they’re learning? Are

but over time, your studio will grow.

they ready to come back each week?

The other side of this is that the team of

What don’t they like about their lesson?

people that are responsible for signing

Next, mix it up. If the student has been

up students in your studio will see you

playing out of the same book or on the

as a team player and that also goes a

same style for more than a few weeks,

long way.”

changing it up can make the lesson feel

Q “Recently, I learned that M&A

more productive. Even if you need to go back (review can be essential, especially

keeps a Student Turnover Report.

to show a student how far they’ve come),

When I taught in my home studio, I

changing up the music a bit can help a

kept track of this, but it wasn’t as well

student regain focus.

documented as what you guys have. I

What else can you do? Sit in on a

learned that 30% turnover in a ninety

colleague’s lesson. This can be in the

day period is the expectation. I’m just

store or otherwise. The best teachers

a little above that and didn’t realize. I

want to keep learning. I’d recommend

don’t want to lose students, even if it’s

this for everybody, even if your retention

expected during the summer or the

is off the charts. Learning more about

holidays. Can you help me?”

teaching is always a winning thing to

A “Definitely, I can help you with

do and will help you stay on top of your game.

this! Reviewing your turnover is a very

Have students perform and perform

positive thing to do, at least once a

with them too. When you’re encouraging

quarter or even once a month. You know,

students to perform and/or they see you

I think about this often. We set goals

performing, this is inspiring!

as a business and review performance

Finally, reach out to me and I’ll pair you

by employee and by store. As an

with one of our other M&A teachers. I

independent contractor, it’s a solid

can help you connect with many of our

business move for your studio to track

instructors from coast to coast and help

where you are and how to increase in

you expand your network and keep your

students and/or retention each year.

teaching fresh.”

ATTENTION ALL TEACHERS: The Teacher Best Practices Seminar is now available online! Use the following link to view the seminar: https://images.miretail.com/Content/AboutMA/index.html#/?_k=akyv0v 7

S O U N D T E A C H I N G | December 2017