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PrintableNuPwr319 said: heartbeatocean said: Maybe that's why my violin teacher was such a hardass. If you didn't practice, she'd throw you out on your ear.  She actually turned students away.That's basically how I am with my students. I say, "You're paying me good money to teach you how to play--that requires practice to master the techniques. If you want to learn without a lot of practice, go buy a 'how-to' DVD and don't waste your money and yours and my time."  I turn students away, and I've "fired" students, too. Music is too important to me and I take it seriously and I want my students to take it seriously too. Especially since I don't require that students practice for hours and hours. If many of them would just do even 20 minutes a day, it makes a big difference. And the ones that do--we have a GREAT time!My teacher used to fire students.  When I didn't practice, she would close all the books and make me squirm uncomfortably for quite a while, then proceed to lecture me on the difference between me and her legally blind student who was WAY more committed than I was, yet half as talented -- and that half hour of humiliation lasted a loooong time.  | |
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heartbeatocean said: I'm not sure I understand this concept of transcribing. Is it writing down notes on a staff by ear? What's the point?  Well, for me, it's all about ear training. You don't really have to write the notes down--you can just copy on your instrument what you hear. It also helps you get ideas for solos and kind of puts you inside the "musical mind" of some great players. | |
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heartbeatocean said: My teacher used to fire students.
When I didn't practice, she would close all the books and make me squirm uncomfortably for quite a while, then proceed to lecture me on the difference between me and her legally blind student who was WAY more committed than I was, yet half as talented -- and that half hour of humiliation lasted a loooong time. I think a really good teacher should know when to pull out the really hard attitude and when not to. My students who unnecesarily whine, or who want a career in music but don't want to do the work--well, they get the hardass Michelle. I have some students, though, who really do have personal problems, like self-esteem, and I'm careful about how I choose my words. Helps that I have a master's degree in counseling! | |
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I play/practice whenever at least 8 of my 10 proverbial irons in the fire have cooled off a bit, but as you see, there's still two on fire so I don't have a whole lot of time to do anything. Sometimes, if I get a beat in my head, I mouth record it on a portable voice recorder that I carry around, then I record it and write lyrics to it at a later time. I usually write lyrics while I'm at my regular full time job (I carry lots of paper with me) and then I organize a rhythm in my head. So, by the time I go to record, it doesn't take me very long to put it together- maybe a total of 4 hours tops to record music and lyrics for a song. | |
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NuPwr319 said: heartbeatocean said: My teacher used to fire students.
When I didn't practice, she would close all the books and make me squirm uncomfortably for quite a while, then proceed to lecture me on the difference between me and her legally blind student who was WAY more committed than I was, yet half as talented -- and that half hour of humiliation lasted a loooong time. I think a really good teacher should know when to pull out the really hard attitude and when not to. My students who unnecesarily whine, or who want a career in music but don't want to do the work--well, they get the hardass Michelle. I have some students, though, who really do have personal problems, like self-esteem, and I'm careful about how I choose my words. Helps that I have a master's degree in counseling! You're awesome. I have mixed feelings about my training. Mrs. Wolfe did make me into a decent player with good technique. But from an early age, I approached practicing from the standpoint of fear and duress and rarely ever joy.  And it never occurred to me to express myself with the instrument or feel what I play until much later. | |
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NuPwr319 said: heartbeatocean said: I'm not sure I understand this concept of transcribing. Is it writing down notes on a staff by ear? What's the point? Well, for me, it's all about ear training. You don't really have to write the notes down--you can just copy on your instrument what you hear. It also helps you get ideas for solos and kind of puts you inside the "musical mind" of some great players.  Very interesting. | |
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I am the most expensive teacher in town...that way if they won't practice at least I get paid, my time is valuable.  "Study and show yourself approved"
© 2011 Frank Axtell ® All Rights Reserved. http://www.soundclick.com...tent=music www.frankaxtell.com www.myspace.com/frankaxtell | |
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