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At the high school I just started at a few weeks ago...
Me (to three french horn players): Since this is my first time working with advanced horn players, let me know if there's anything you need differently from me. Student: You need to bring us donuts. They know what's important. I love this school already. From one of my students who is notorious for not paying attention.
Student: I decided I was going to start focusing, and it turns out I actually learn stuff when I focus. Focusing can be fun! Hopefully he can stay focused long enough to remember to keep focusing. A student started back up with me today, and was playing one of his band pieces, when during a quarter rest...
Student (quickly, under his breath): I'm a super secret agent. It's good to be back? *student complaining about having to learn the notes apart from the keys*
Me: Once you start band you'll need to know the notes separate from the piano keys. If you play trumpet, you'll need to know that this note is an E, which is open. Or if you play percussion you normally need two years of piano first. Student: Why would I want to play drums? I'm not three years old, I don't want to just bang on everything in random rhythms and make noise all the time. I just realized that is almost *exactly* what he does on piano far too often... My student played something that didn't sound great.
Student: That sounded bad. Like music from the 80's...the pop...the new jazz...The Beatles... He clarified that The Beatles were not actually bad. I clarified they were not actually from the 80's. Student: We should put a video camera in the corner and live stream my lessons. It would be comedy gold; we would get 1 million views overnight.
Either he doesn't actually know what people want to see, or I don't have a clue... I'm starting teaching private lessons at a new high school next week, so I went and introduced myself to students today and yesterday trying to get them interested in taking lessons from me.
Student 1: [Student 2] wants to challenge you to a trombone battle. *I play a movement of a solo for the group* Student 2: Um...I forfeit. |
Author
I have been teaching music across the Twin Cities since 2011. Along with seeing students grow as musicians and people, one of the joys of teaching is the ridiculous things my students say. 
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October 2022
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