Teaching

I have been teaching saxophone since this summer. As it was holidays at that time, my first students were adults. But since the beginning of September, I have been giving lessons to children too and I find it so different! I know that is obvious; children are no adults. Here are my simple observations and reflections.

My adult students have rather precise wishes and goals they give to themselves. They began short time ago because they loved a song, or a kind of music, or the sound of the instrument... As they want to progress, they really listen when I explain something to them. If I succeed in making them understand why an exercise is important, they are willing to try it.

With the children it is different. They don't really have a precise idea; they merely like learning music. They don't judge themselves and just enjoy the moment. But because of this, I find it harder to keep their minds focused on something. For example, in a recent lesson we played a tune in which all the F notes were sharp (you could say here that it's in the key of G if you want to). The student played the tune quite well, except all the Fs that he played were always F natural. I reminded him many and many times, without real success, and eventually I gave up for this week.

I wonder whether or not I should have been a bit more severe, but I think that is not the solution. He is not at school, so he can keep living happily without these sharp Fs. I want him to be happy when he plays. Besides, I know that he will get better at reading over time.

On the contrary, I have noticed that when he asks a question he understands the answer far faster than an adult would do.