In the past couple of years, my boss has instituted a thing called “Coffee Lessons”. These have been for times when a student can’t cope with their lives, when they may have been sick for awhile and still can’t sing, or at the end of the semester to wrap up and go through jury comments and make plans for the next semester.
Needless to say, the kids love this! We head over to the coffee shop on campus and enjoy our times together. It gives them time to talk through some things, it takes the pressure off for a minute or two, and allows them to get to know the two of us on a different level. This is not only encouraging to them, but it is a great way to build community within a vocal studio. It is also a great way to teach necessary things that we might not have time to cover in lessons or coaching sessions.
As I have been pondering how to impart some of my new thoughts on fundamentals, musicianship and artistry, I’m thinking some coffee lessons might be in order. I imagine the first one will be all about scheduling, because this is a huge area of weakness for most of my students.
Every semester the students have to perform for two studio classes, one general recital and the departmental recital at the end of the semester. One of the big problems for me as their coach/accompanist is their lack of scheduling…..I’m sure you can relate. I ask repeatedly, ” Did you sign up for studio class or a general recital ?” The response is always….” Oh I forgot. I’ll do that today.” Or, “How much did you practice this week?” Response: “ I didn’t really have time, I had so many things to do and I never got around to it.” Then next week rolls around and the questions and answers are always the same. Exhausting!
We always get down to the last studio class and the last general recital and then massive panic sets in. “Can you please play for me next Friday? What should I sing? Oh wait, I forgot to sing for studio class, can you play for me today?” Needless to say this makes MY life very stressful…..not because I don’t already know all of their pieces, but because of the constant panic that they come to me with. If only they would think ahead.
Now I’m under no delusions here, I raised three kids, I have 15 grandkids……it’s the same with them. Learning to plan ahead is a skill that must be taught and developed over time. It is also a skill that no musician can be without and ever hope to succeed in this field. It is a fundamental!
My boss and I have already agreed. At our first studio class this next semester we will have them sign up for studio classes and general recitals. Done and on the calendar! Then I will have a coffee lesson with them and go over planning for the semester. Obviously, we are going to have to talk about time budgets….you know, so they actually sleep and don’t forget to eat! It’s amazing the things they don’t consider having to put into their weekly routine.
We will also make a music learning plan…..”You must have the Italian piece learned by such and such a date in order to be prepared for that recital.” I have found lately that students continually procrastinate learning all of their pieces. They hold on to one or two of their favorites and only do those, then the end of the semester comes and they’re cramming French…..it’s always the French!
If I only teach them one thing this year, it will be this. I cannot stand the thought that I will have had these students for four years and when they are ready to graduate they still can’t show up for things on time, they can’t come prepared, and they don’t understand why. Not on my watch!