The future of music education requires us to make changes to our studios. Not big, scary changes. Little tweaks here and there that’ll ensure our students want to carry on learning with us. The students of 2030 won’t take lessons just for exam results, certificates, or competition credentials. They’ll turn to music to express themselves.
The future of music education requires us to make changes to our studios.
Not big, scary changes.
Little tweaks here and there that’ll ensure our students want to carry on learning with us.
The students of 2030 won’t take lessons just for exam results, certificates, or competition credentials.
They’ll turn to music to express themselves.
Build connections.
Create new things.
If you don’t adapt your teaching mindset, you’ll risk losing their interest.
Here are three ways you can keep yourself ahead of the curve.
Table of Contents:
For centuries, musical progression has been marked by technical precision.
Exams and competitions have been a clear indication of how good a student is.
But students are becoming less and less motivated by the pursuit of perfection.
Certificates and results are not as important to them.
Instead, they want to write their own songs, experiment with styles, and play music that sounds like THEM.
Encourage your students to compose.
Take an active role in supporting them to create their own music, from short melodies to complete pieces and songs.
You don’t always have to play music from a written sheet.
If composing is a step out of your comfort zone, this 4-Chord Composing Course is your answer.
Let them bring in music from TikTok, YouTube, or video games.
Psst! Want help teaching pop songs? Tim’s video on teaching ‘Stick Season’ by ear is a great place to start!
Don’t shy away from what they’re interested in because you don’t think they’ll play it “properly” or because it’s not “proper” music.
The main aim is to capture their enthusiasm for playing.
Let them express themselves through their choices.
Sometimes you won’t find sheet music for everything they want to play. That’s okay! Now is the time to teach them (and maybe learn for yourself) how to play by ear
Prioritise musical expression and risk-taking.
This is especially key in their early stages.
They’re discovering the world of music and how they can incorporate it into their own lives.
Telling them they’re not playing things “correctly” isn’t the way to win them over.
Love the idea of composing but don’t know where to start? This 4-Chord Composing Course will show you how to take your students from the basics of chords, right through to writing their very own complex chord-based compositions.
Motivation used to come from long-term goals like grade exams and festivals.
But today’s students are used to instant feedback.
If they don’t feel like they’re improving week to week, they’ll feel discouraged.
And discouraged students turn to disengaged students
And, as you know, disengaged students don’t stick around for long.
Keep them motivated by:
Take inspiration from education platforms like Duolingo.
Can you do something similar in your studio to encourage and reward milestones?
Lessons have typically been a one-to-one journey between teacher and student.
Students would see each other at formal events like recitals and festivals.
But their progress would be private.
The growing popularity of group lessons is helping students feel part of a musical community.
Related: Group Lessons: A Piano Teacher’s Guide
But if group lessons aren’t your thing – or you don’t have the space – there are ways you can encourage students to learn from and support each other.
To keep up with the changing times, you need to move from
For a deeper dive, download the free TopMusicMag: The Future of Music Education.
We cover
Sequenta Logix says:
Very informative post!!