November 5, 2002

Table of Contents:

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

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1. MTIPS Theme

In essence, when you sand a piece of wood you are "teaching" it to be smooth… Many times, the rut occurs because of an inappropriate gradient in the curriculum for that individual student. An inappropriate "grit", if you will. 

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2. Welcome Notes

Welcome to Music Teachers Insightful Practices (MTIPS) Newsletter! 

Thanks to all MTIPS subscribers who shared MTIPS with friends by hitting the "Forward" button this month! It is with much gratitude that I send my thanks to you. That's how we grow, and having you hit the "Forward" button to share a copy with a friend (or two or three) is deeply appreciated. I consider it an honor that you find MTIPS valuable enough to pass it on. Thanks again!

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MTIPS is a FREE monthly newsletter that's goal is to provide piano teachers (hopefully you!) with insightful practices that will make the career of sharing music with soon-to-be-musicians a more rewarding and successful one. Please let me know how I can be of further service to you. You may contact me at:
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We have lots of information, and resources you can use. We're constantly adding and up-dating, so check it often!
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3. MTIPS Development

Recently, my wife and I reconstructed our home. Part of the construction project was to install a new stairway with oak wood railings. I confess to not being much of a handyman, so I consulted with a carpenter and wood-finishing expert to find out how to get the handrails of the stairs to a smooth finish. He instructed me to start my sanding with a course sandpaper and with each consecutive sanding, to make the grit of the sandpaper finer and finer until a got to a triple 0 steel wool that was to be used as a final sanding. As I was completing the project, I start to think how much sanding a piece of wood was like molding a student…

Now I know that many of my friends and MTIPS subscribers accuse me of being the analogy king, but analogies, for me, are the universe's way of allowing us to spring board from ideas with which we are comfortable to ideas that are new. So please permit me my analogy indulgences. 

In essence, when you sand a piece of wood you are "teaching" it to be smooth. Often, when working with a student, we hit a rut. The rut can lead to frustration both on the parts of the student and the teacher. (for more on how to handle frustration, see the MTIPS archives at www.musicsimplymusic.com/MTIPSarchives/mtips1001.htm). Many times, the rut occurs because of an inappropriate gradient in the curriculum for that individual student. An inappropriate "grit", if you will. 

You see, I learned that if you sand a piece of wood with too fine a grit number too early in the sanding process, three things occur. First, the process takes very long. Second, the sandpaper usually tears before the wood is smooth. And third, your hand, the sandpaper and the wood get very hot from the friction!

The same is true if we use an incorrect grit number with our student. The skill we are teaching him may be too specific, so specific that it causes bad "friction" (i.e. stress) on the learning environment. If this is occurring, it is time to back off on the grit number and use a coarser grit. Change the gradient of the curriculum to meet the learner's needs. When you do this, you will find that the friction disappears, the room stays cool and the learning occurs faster!
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4. Notable Quotable

In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult... I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking. 
- Og Mandino, Author
The Greatest Miracle in the World


Copyright © 2002 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:
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