"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." — Helen Keller

I unintentionally found myself a practice buddy a few weeks ago, and it's been THE MOST FUN.

The backstory:

I teach many adult students, but I have one who is quite exceptional.

...And I mean, she truly IS the exception to many adult musicians.

She came to me 11+ years ago, telling me she had recently taught herself how to play, and was ready to find a teacher. When she came for her initial assessment, she told me she was playing a few Bach Inventions and the smaller Beethoven sonatas. 😶

...I took a deep breath and braced myself for what was to come. I was already plotting how to "sell" her on the need to lighten up her repertoire selections and start from the beginning.

But, my friends, SHE WAS REALLY PLAYING THIS STUFF. Like, really well...

To test the waters, I assigned her a Clementi Sonatina, just to see what she could do with it in a single week.

To this day, I have never enjoyed a Clementi Sonatina more than in her first "official" lesson. She looked at me and said, "This was just SO MUCH FUN!"

You could actually feel the joy radiating from her as she played.
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I learned quickly, this student absolutely delights in Baroque and Classical repertoire. She pouts when she even has to TOUCH the damper pedal. She gives more independent thought to phrase shape, balance, articulation, and ornamentation than any student I've ever had.

...I told you she was exceptional!

Needless to say, we've done some pretty incredible work over the past decade+. I could talk about her brilliance all day, but let's get on to the practice buddy situation:

This student recently began working on the Haydn F minor variations. Her first lesson on the piece left me SO inspired, I declared it *my* next project, too.

I don't know if you've ever learned a piece alongside a student, but it's QUITE enjoyable!

Not only does this arrangement help keep me accountable to making progress; it's enhancing the lesson experience because we are BOTH in the throes of interpretive decisions.

Plus, it allows us to have humorous text exchanges like this one:

SO, friends... I'm curious! Have you ever actively learned a piece alongside a student? Or, have you ever enlisted a practice buddy from your own personal network?

I'd encourage you to explore the possibilities!

As you're thinking on this, you may also want to consider how you can utilize the concept of Practice Buddies with your own students.
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Everything is more motivating when you feel like someone is "in it" with you, right?

Studying the same repertoire is certainly not a requirement for a Practice Buddy (though, I will say, it has been a fun twist!).

HIT THAT REPLY BUTTON and tell me your experiences with Practice Buddies! What has worked for you? What ideas are stirring up inside your brain? I'd love to know.

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🥂Cheers to finding opportunities to build relationships through common goals and interests!🥂

Other Ways I Can Help You:

On the Podcast This week, in Episode 156, I'm sharing three Teacher Takeaways from Counseling Sessions with my (then) Pre-Teen. Trust me when I say, there's something there for everyone. My third takeaway, especially, is something that impacts ALL of us on a regular basis. Links and Transcript Here

Share Your Traditions Here! Inspired by last week's episode, I'm collecting Studio Traditions from my teacher friends (that's YOU!). For a limited time, I'm leaving this Google Doc open to anyone for editing. If YOU have a favorite studio tradition, click here and share it! I'm going to leave it open for another week, then I will give it a final edit to organize by topic, etc. Of course, I'll share the final product with you. Click Here to Add YOURS

Can't-Live-Without Repertoire We all know a piece steeped in chromatics is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser... and this is one of my favorites. Students love the impressive sounds they achieve, and *I* love the emphasis on technique this piece provides. Jeanne Costello is a favorite composer of mine, and you'll know why after teaching this piece. BONUS: It comes in digital download form, so you can start teaching it TODAY! Check it out!

Patreon Community DID YOU KNOW: For $6, you get access to the archives of Teachers Teaching Teachers? That's currently 12 hours of enlightening teacher conversation related to repertoire, problem-solving, and more. Plus - you'll have access to join the fun of future meetings live! (and Monday Morning Power hours... and the Gifts of Imperfection book study chat recordings... and more!) This group has solidified itself as the ULTIMATE symbiotic relationship. It benefits everyone involved. If you're looking for more Teacher Community in your life, this might be your next right step. Explore the Patreon

A Favorite Thing Originally purchased as a way to reinforce proper flexing of the nail joint, "The Hand" is easily one of my students' favorite things in my studio. This sits on my mantle, and students love to torment me by collapsing all the knuckles, awkwardly flexing the fingers, or any number of hilarious configurations. It's a silly-something that makes coming to lessons fun and memorable. Find it on my Favorites List

Free Stuff! I've recently updated my page of FREE downloads. ​ Spend a few minutes perusing these offerings! I'm confident you'll find something useful there. Get Your Free Stuff!

NOW: Hit that REPLY button and tell me about YOUR experiences (or ideas!) related to Practice Buddies. 🥂

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