Here's the main issues that I see replicated in some comments here: 1. Judgment hinders learning and many teachers judge some sounds as terrible, bad, or wrong

Here's the main issues that I see replicated in some comments here: 1. Judgment hinders learning and many teachers judge some sounds as terrible, bad, or wrong. Acceptance of all sounds is the key, which requires deep deprogramming for many, and doing it just in the context of music is harder than doing it in daily life. Unlearn judgment in both supports unleashing in both contexts. 2. Forcing material or a certain learning progression is a denial of autonomy. This also hinders learning. Much easier to joyfully engage with chosen material in the ways one wants. If someone wants to learn a specific song, I help them learn it. If they want to learn by watching a video of someone playing that song over and over, sometimes playing along, sometimes not, I'm right there with them. 3. Sticking to culturally familiar sounds. This is a way to teach music within a box of sorts. Diversity of exposure widens perspectives and allows for more creativity. Playing Sun Ra for students and saying "this is also music" is a way to widen their perspectives easily. 4.Shallow listening training. Learning to mindfully listen is an important skill, especially for learning music. Teaching mindfulness practices (not necessarily mindfulness meditation, unless ready to help them through trauma...get some EMDR buzzers and scripts and practice on yourself first) such as mindful walking, looking at trees and contemplating different ways to interpret "looking at the space between branches," and mindful breathing/eating/pooping can help students develop the ability to focus (helps with rhythm & keeping time), become more connected with their body, and allow for better recall of music. Deep listening is a form of practice. 5. Set ways of doing things, like how to hold and play the guitar. When the 2-year old we care for was asked one day to show how to hold the guitar that was as long as their body, they showed how they could play it in 5 or 6 different positions/postures, some of which involved it being upside down. Nobody taught them that and nobody told them "that's not how you hold a guitar!" They learned through free exploration. My first time watching Marshall Allen play saxophone was a few years ago. Watching him scrape the keys with the back of his hand made me realize how stuck I was in my ways of thinking about technique. 6. Insisting on keeping time. This is a notoriously difficult thing for many people with ADHD and the music teaching cultures I've encountered have always insisted on the ability. I've been told most of my life nobody would ever play with me if I couldn't keep time. I'm willing to play with people who can't keep time, so this is no longer true. Do not teach it any longer and recognize that people playing out of time in experiments will eventually sync up. If you stop the music before then, it keeps them from getting to practice resync'ing, which keeps them stuck. Acceptance is key here, too. The 4-year old I conceived and nurture plays every instrument ťhey find and sings their own tunes with their own lyrics. This is without pushing them toward any of it. They can jam on the drums with people who've been playing music for years and who are jamming around a fire. I've been teaching myself music for 6 years after 19 years of not playing because I was stuck in anxiety and automated judgment, shame, and frustration around playing music. I look forward to the way music is typically taught changing drastically in the coming years so we can start hearing much wilder stuff than what we're getting now.