As a student who has regularly taken lessons privately, I, too, have had the impression that I was being taught in isolation. I, too, felt the different pressures of being taught in isolation, such as that of imitating my teacher when playing. Over the years, I grew to be able to differentiate my style of music from that of my teacher while still maintaining musicality, however it is easy to see that other students who may be beginning to learn music would face such issues. I found the article to be quite illuminating, as it brought up many points that I had not consciously processed while learning music: I was not aware, for example, of how closely I attempted to take after my teacher’s style of playing, or that my teacher’s style of teaching varied between teaching me and teaching my sister, for example. When first approaching the article, I had conflicting thoughts; as a student who has almost exclusively received private instruction in an environment with only myself and the teacher, I thought that teaching in isolation was completely effective. I did, however, have my doubts. When thinking back at my lessons in music, I rarely had other students that I interacted with, though we all took lessons with the same teacher and were around the same age group. The article did an excellent job on stating the advantages and disadvantages of isolated practicing, and it made me realize that there was both good and bad in the way that I was taught music. In my opinion, the concept of a private teacher is best suited to those who wish for fast results, as it is much easier for a teacher to correct the mistake of an individual so as not to take time away from other potential students. In regards to the one-on-one style of teaching, it can also help a student build a more trusting relationship with their teacher, due to the one-one-on nature of the teaching. However, a larger classroom would be better for those who wish to take a slower pace with learning music, but want to view how other students deal with their own potential issues with their pieces, and what different types of advice the teacher can give to fit with what the student needs.
Burwell, K., Carey, G., & Bennett, D. (2017). Isolation in studio music teaching: The secret garden. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 147402221773658. doi:10.1177/1474022217736581
Hi James,
Thank you for your thoughtful reflection. I appreciate how you reflected on your own experiences throughout this response. You mention that the concept of a private teacher is best suited for those who wish for fast results as it is quicker to correct a mistake of an individual, rather than taking time away from other potential students. It’s interesting that you mention this because everyone’s idea of “fast results” may be different. Our idea of fast results is likely tied to our Western classical idea of technical proficiency, or perhaps, achieving a particular grade level through the Royal Conservatory of Music. Yet for some parents, this may not be why they are enrolling their children in private music lessons. This may especially be true for individuals from other cultures, for example, who do not focus necessarily on technical proficiency as an “end goal”. You also later mention the classroom as a place for those who want to take a “slower pace” in learning music. But could there be benefits to collaborative music learning with different types of “results”? Should we even be looking at music learning primarily in terms of “results”? What are some other ways we could look at music learning?
Thanks again,
Laura
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