Welcome to Music Teachers Insightful Practices (MTIPS) Newsletter!
Written and Published by Nicholas Ambrosino
www.musicsimplymusic.com
director@musicsimplymusic.com

March 5, 2005
 
Table of Contents:

1. MTIPS Theme
2. Welcome Notes
3. MTIPS Development
4. Notable Quotables

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1. MTIPS Theme

Distance yourself from your student. Do not sit in eye’s view, do not allow them to see you when they are working through a challenge. Situate your chair so that is behind and off to the side. Students need to learn how to work without a “spotter”. 

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2. Welcome Notes

Welcome to Music Teachers Insightful Practices (MTIPS) Newsletter!

Thank you to all who submitted your favorite songs list! The list is very large and I am in the process of compiling it. As soon as it is complete, I will alert all MTIPS subscribers!

My goal for MTIPS is to provide you with practical 
tips and insights that will make your career or education in music, more fulfilling, rewarding and enjoyable. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to see a certain topic covered in an upcoming issue of MTIPS. My email address is editor@musicsimplymusic.com


FREE REPORTS! 
http://www.musicsimplymusic.com and follow the links to the FREE report page. This page is only accessible if you are a registered MTIPS subscriber. We have lots of information, and resources you can use. 

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3. MTIPS Development

Over the past several years you may have noticed an increase in what is called “distance learning.” This is learning that occurs outside of a college classroom and may happen over the Internet or through mailed materials. I believe, that distance learning is an important, necessary step for all music students. But, not in the way you may think.

When I was in eighth grade, I took gymnastic lessons. One of the most important moves for someone learning to tumble is the backhand spring. I had been working on my back-hand spring with my spotter (someone who helps you through the move and makes sure that you don’t get injured) for several weeks. My spotter started by first supporting my back and pushing me through the backhand spring. Once I became more proficient, my spotter simply stayed on the mat with me, lending his confidence. I had no problems completing the backhand spring without assistance, but with him on the mat.

Finally, it was my time to do my first “solo” run. I was going to do the backhand spring without my spotter even being on the mat! Can you guess what happened? If you guessed that I completed a beautiful backhand spring and then we celebrated my wonderful accomplishment…you would be wrong. As a matter of fact, I actually slipped half-way through the back-hand spring, making it a back-HEAD spring, thus called because I slammed the back of my head on the mat and had a mild case of amnesia when I awoke from the fall! Ouch! 

My challenge in completing the backhand spring was not a physical one. I knew how to do the technique and had done it many times on my own, but with my spotter simply standing on the mat. The problem I had was a mental one, more specifically, a collapse in confidence. Music students have the same challenge.

It is very easy, when teaching a lesson, to sit right on top of your students, assisting them through the challenges of learning a new piece of music or mastering an old one. Correcting wrong notes, fixing fingerings, writing in their music. Yet, at the next week’s lesson, the student comes back without correcting the very items you pointed out in the lesson. 

Why? My experience is that they lack the confidence to learn on their own. Yet, that is the very thing they need to do to be successful at music and in life. What can we do about that in our lessons?

Distance yourself from your student. Do not sit in eye’s view; do not allow them to see you when they are working through a challenge. Situate your chair so that is behind and off to the side. Students need to learn how to work without a “spotter”. Yes, you might have to get out of the chair to help them when they need assistance, but the exercise will be good for you and the distance will be good for your students to gain confidence in themselves!


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4. Notable Quotable

To be eager learner, kids also have to know they’re competent and believe they will become competent when they try something new.

From Motivated Minds by Deborah Stipek, PhD. and Kathy Seal


Copyright © 2005 Nicholas Ambrosino. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute MTIPS so long as this copyright notice and full contact information about the author is attached. The author of this issue is Nicholas Ambrosino and he may be contacted at director@musicsimplymusic.com or reached by telephone at 631-863-2069

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