Oclef Daily: EP79 - Be weird. Be awkward. Be quirky. Be you.

I've always thought this.


Weird, awkward and quirky things about people are the best
things. The best.


But for whatever reason, I've only recently applied it throughout
my teaching and consulting. 


I used to work with students and use archetypes to be more
efficient in my teaching. 


Big mistake.


Nowadays, it's all about finding the weirdest thing I can find
about students and using that as their strength. Playing their
unique traits and views as their strengths allows them to have a
better outcome almost every time. 


It's the better bet.


But, it means that you won't have a studio full of competition
pianists. It means you'll have a studio or school full of all
different types of pianists. 


If you teach students this way. Questioning them. Learning their
views. And then help them be themselves. They will forever love
you. Simply because you're helping them be themselves. You're
giving them permission to be the person they are and not asking
them to conform to someone or something they're not. 


And that! That's the art of teaching to me.


Learning the student, their parents, and understanding their
"wacky world". So that you can help them build it with them at
every lesson, practice, and experience together.