3 ms·

"Some teachers find it’s their job to make students get better," Pappas says. "But what a teacher really needs to do is give their students the tools to make th

"Some teachers find it’s their job to make students get better," Pappas says. "But what a teacher really needs to do is give their students the tools to make themselves better." In my opinion, both approaches are wrong. The job of a good teacher is to make learning fun. Once you enjoy practicing, skill follows automatically.

8note 4y ago
I wouldn't even say that the point of music teachers is to do anything about music. It's life mentoring, with adults who have different experiences and ideas than your parents do. Practicing an instrument is a way to learn how to get into a flow state
Enginerrrd 4y ago
I think this is deeply wrong, and it externalizes the impetus for practice. I'm good at math not because some teacher in my youth made it fun. I'm good at math because I found the pedagogy and practice of it fun in and of itself. In fact, I've almost always found every attempt to "make math fun" to invariably be devoid of any real math content. If you don't enjoy the practice and struggle and discovery, and get motivation only from those rare, occasional breakthroughs in understanding or skill, you're not going to be good at it. Full stop. Sorry, that's not how the world works.
- bluGill 4y ago
  Math can pay the bills, or at least is. A prerequisite for most great jobs. Most people will never make money with music, but they can enjoy playing it. As such music should be taught as fun first, and then the rest follows if and when needed.
  - washadjeffmad 4y ago
    Looking through roughly 100 of the same comment in this thread, I think the singlemindedness of the concept of "music" was a problem for many. Theory and composition don't require performance ability. Transcription or mixing are other choices for people who have great ears and technical ability but perhaps poor biomechanics or dexterity. The playing of music by oneself is only one pillar of many in the vast field of music, and yet the way we do it is such an unappealing gauntlet of private "use it or lose it" that what child wouldn't rather be elsewhere with friends? Put another way, I think capable, broad-minded teachers are the greatest barrier to producing capable musicians.
obscurette 4y ago
No. It's completely possible to have fun, practice and damage you. Practice has to meaningful, safe and hundred more things beginners and kids have no idea about. It's exactly about giving students (safe) tools they need. PS. I have played music since I was 5, had even some professional career and stopped when I was 30.

8note 4y ago

I wouldn't even say that the point of music teachers is to do anything about music. It's life mentoring, with adults who have different experiences and ideas than your parents do. Practicing an instrument is a way to learn how to get into a flow state

Enginerrrd 4y ago

I think this is deeply wrong, and it externalizes the impetus for practice. I'm good at math not because some teacher in my youth made it fun. I'm good at math because I found the pedagogy and practice of it fun in and of itself. In fact, I've almost always found every attempt to "make math fun" to invariably be devoid of any real math content. If you don't enjoy the practice and struggle and discovery, and get motivation only from those rare, occasional breakthroughs in understanding or skill, you're not going to be good at it. Full stop. Sorry, that's not how the world works.

bluGill 4y ago
Math can pay the bills, or at least is. A prerequisite for most great jobs. Most people will never make money with music, but they can enjoy playing it. As such music should be taught as fun first, and then the rest follows if and when needed.
- washadjeffmad 4y ago
  Looking through roughly 100 of the same comment in this thread, I think the singlemindedness of the concept of "music" was a problem for many. Theory and composition don't require performance ability. Transcription or mixing are other choices for people who have great ears and technical ability but perhaps poor biomechanics or dexterity. The playing of music by oneself is only one pillar of many in the vast field of music, and yet the way we do it is such an unappealing gauntlet of private "use it or lose it" that what child wouldn't rather be elsewhere with friends? Put another way, I think capable, broad-minded teachers are the greatest barrier to producing capable musicians.

obscurette 4y ago

No. It's completely possible to have fun, practice and damage you. Practice has to meaningful, safe and hundred more things beginners and kids have no idea about. It's exactly about giving students (safe) tools they need. PS. I have played music since I was 5, had even some professional career and stopped when I was 30.