This is my third attempt at teaching someone music and I feel like I've finally met a student who "gets" my style and whom I can actually help.
K is our local missionary who works with AIDS orphans in S Africa. She's back for a few months before returning to SA to further her work with the kids she has come to adore. She also happens to be a gifted worship singer and lyricist. Her dream is to be able to accompany herself on the keyboard when she leads worship, and to write songs (not just words).
While she was still in SA, we corresponded by email and she asked if I could give her lessons when she came back.
And that's how we got started.
I was pretty apprehensive about saying yes because I feel as if I ought to have a teaching qualification or be a professional pianist to be good enough to teach someone else.
Plus, I've had a couple of teaching experiences that feel like failures.
A couple of years ago, I was referred to a lady at church who wanted some piano lessons and had a set budget. I went to her place once a week, 45 min each time, for ten sessions.
But I never felt like we communicated very well (my fault I'm sure), and from her responses, I could never tell if she was really enjoying herself or if she was just being polite while privately cursing this waste of her time and money. Even now when we pass the peace at church, I daren't ask how she's going with her practising.
Then another church friend asked me to give her two young sons lessons, and I did.
By then I had learned that the market practice was 30 min for a lesson, so I reduced my lesson time accordingly.
The boys had so much going on in their lives: schoolwork, sport, social activities, and probably didn't have much motivation or time for music practice.
So their progress was probably not as quick or visible as they would have liked.
After a while, their mum tactfully suggested that we take a break until her boys were willing to be serious about their music.
My current student is my third, and so far, most ideal match in terms of motivation, commitment and willingness to learn. She knows why she's here and what she wants to get out of it.
It also helps that I'm letting God lead rather than trying to find all the answers myself. I am more willing to let the serious info take a back seat to gentle nudges and unusual suggestions from above.
And perhaps that has made all the difference.
It's beautiful to see her get excited as she works out chords and scales and begins work this week on her very first Chord Song.
In fact, the phrase Chord Song came to me only hours before our lesson, and I didn't even know what it meant or what I was supposed to do with it.
Then at some point in the lesson, my student asked: "So what's my homework this week?"
And it grew from there. I suggested she play around with the primary chords (I, IV, V) with a root of C, and see what came out of it. I even improvised to show her what she might possibly achieve, and what she could do with her LH to get a fuller sound.
Next week, she'll show me what she's come up with.
And that's the story behind the FB post.
Thank you Jesus.
Definitely.
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