Comments on: 6 advantages of adult students http://bretpimentel.com/6-advantages-of-adult-students/ Saxophone, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, folk and ethnic woodwinds Tue, 15 May 2012 15:55:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Geoff Allenhttp://bretpimentel.com/6-advantages-of-adult-students/#comment-288 Geoff Allen Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:16:27 +0000 http://www.bretpimentel.com/?p=1878#comment-288 Ahh... Yes. Good point.I don't teach (formally) but have 4 kids who've all done music. I've endured the "I stink, I don't care, and in fact, I don't even notice" phase four times. :-) I guess it's double-edged both ways. Adults have to realize that it's ok to be bad, and in fact, everyone is bad when they start, and kids need to realize that you have to move beyond honking on a fun toy and start making music. Ahh… Yes. Good point.

I don’t teach (formally) but have 4 kids who’ve all done music. I’ve endured the “I stink, I don’t care, and in fact, I don’t even notice” phase four times. :-) I guess it’s double-edged both ways. Adults have to realize that it’s ok to be bad, and in fact, everyone is bad when they start, and kids need to realize that you have to move beyond honking on a fun toy and start making music.

]]> By: Brethttp://bretpimentel.com/6-advantages-of-adult-students/#comment-287 Bret Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:27:40 +0000 http://www.bretpimentel.com/?p=1878#comment-287 Geoff, I think I'd be inclined to see un-self-conciousness as a double-edged sword. While it might reduce discouragement in those early stages, it also fails to provide much motivation to improve. This is my point about self-evaluation in #5. Students who can hear what's wrong in their playing tend to fix it <i>tout suite</i>, and my adults are far better at this than my kids. Geoff, I think I’d be inclined to see un-self-conciousness as a double-edged sword. While it might reduce discouragement in those early stages, it also fails to provide much motivation to improve. This is my point about self-evaluation in #5. Students who can hear what’s wrong in their playing tend to fix it tout suite, and my adults are far better at this than my kids.

]]> By: Geoff Allenhttp://bretpimentel.com/6-advantages-of-adult-students/#comment-286 Geoff Allen Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:49:23 +0000 http://www.bretpimentel.com/?p=1878#comment-286 Turning it around, I think (by far) the greatest advantage of children, and perhaps a large part of why people think they learn more easily, is that children are far less self-conscious about sucking!Kid gets new instrument, starts blowing, makes the most hideous noises ever heard on a saxophone, and says, "Mom! Look at me! I'm playing saxophone!"Adult gets new instrument, starts blowing, makes the most hideous noises ever heard on a saxophone, and says, "I knew I had no musical talent! Whatever made me think I could learn this, anyway?" Turning it around, I think (by far) the greatest advantage of children, and perhaps a large part of why people think they learn more easily, is that children are far less self-conscious about sucking!

Kid gets new instrument, starts blowing, makes the most hideous noises ever heard on a saxophone, and says, “Mom! Look at me! I’m playing saxophone!”

Adult gets new instrument, starts blowing, makes the most hideous noises ever heard on a saxophone, and says, “I knew I had no musical talent! Whatever made me think I could learn this, anyway?”

]]> By: Brethttp://bretpimentel.com/6-advantages-of-adult-students/#comment-283 Bret Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:26:17 +0000 http://www.bretpimentel.com/?p=1878#comment-283 Thanks for your comment, Geoff. Your example is a good one, and perhaps "abstraction" would be a better title for point #4. I've had the cut-time thing on my mind because I've had a number of my own young students struggle with it--they learn quickly that a quarter note gets one beat, and are then reluctant to buy into a system where they have to think in ratios instead of simple values. My adult students have grasped the idea immediately (though they may need some practice before they can execute it with confidence). Thanks for your comment, Geoff. Your example is a good one, and perhaps “abstraction” would be a better title for point #4. I’ve had the cut-time thing on my mind because I’ve had a number of my own young students struggle with it—they learn quickly that a quarter note gets one beat, and are then reluctant to buy into a system where they have to think in ratios instead of simple values. My adult students have grasped the idea immediately (though they may need some practice before they can execute it with confidence).

]]> By: Geoff Allenhttp://bretpimentel.com/6-advantages-of-adult-students/#comment-282 Geoff Allen Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:10:53 +0000 http://www.bretpimentel.com/?p=1878#comment-282 Amen!When you said "nuance," I expected you to say adults can appreciate, say, the differences between tonguing styles, and when different ones would be appropriate. I would think of cut time changing note durations as more of an issue with abstraction. And adults will certainly be better able to grasp that the printed music is merely an abstraction of the desired sound. Amen!

When you said “nuance,” I expected you to say adults can appreciate, say, the differences between tonguing styles, and when different ones would be appropriate. I would think of cut time changing note durations as more of an issue with abstraction. And adults will certainly be better able to grasp that the printed music is merely an abstraction of the desired sound.

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