“Time to get creative!”

You probably have a plan for each lesson. You know the piece your student is working on, their next page in the method book, and the steps to take to help them progress.

But what do you do when something doesn’t go to plan?

Panic. Get creative!

There are many different situations where things can go awry. To keep this article short and to give you inspiration, we’re going to give you suggestions for times when a student

1. Forgets their music
2. Turns up with a broken arm
3. Makes a mistake

Get Creative When A Music Student Forgets Their Music

Yasmin was so excited to carry on with her piece. Then, her dad accidentally drove her music folder halfway across the country.

For times when students don’t have their music, rather than get annoyed at their lack of organisation, get creative!

Creativity Kickstarters

These are six activities that can turn a potentially frustrating lesson into a joyful and creative time!

From exploring epic-sounding sus chords to learning an Elton-esque filler, you and your student will love this opportunity to be creative.

I won’t go into too much detail here – instead, head to topmusic.co/kickstarter and download them (for free) and have a go!

A Broken Arm? No Problem! Let’s Get Creative!

Charlie was an adventurous 13-year-old student. One year in January, he broke his left arm. The same year, in April, he sprained three fingers on his right hand. Then, in September, he fractured his right wrist. And in October, his mum banned him from riding his mountain bike for the rest of the year!

For students like Charlie, who turn up in bandages or slings, it’s helpful to have a collection of one-hand music. You can then use these pieces as a starting point to get creative. Create an accompaniment they could record to play over the top.

5 Recommendations for One-Hand Piano Music:

1. Melody Boba’s Grand One-Hand Solos
   Melody Boba is a well-known composer who’s created a series of collections for one-hand piano music.
   
   Each book is leveled, with a range of pieces for both left and right hands.
   
   Personal favourites:
   “Climbing the Cascades” for left hand
   “Left Hand Boogie Stomp” which encourages movement across the piano
   
2. John Thompson’s Music for Left Hand Alone
   While John Thompson’s methods are often debated among teachers, his collections for left-hand alone offer beautiful arrangements.
   
   A personal favourite is his arrangement of “The Blue Danube.”
   
3. Raymond Lewenthall’s Collection
   Raymond Lewenthall has published a comprehensive book full of studies, exercises, and pieces specifically for one hand.
   
   This collection is particularly beneficial for interemediate and advanced students.
   
   A personal favourite is “Solfeggcetto” for one hand, which requires careful fingering and technique.
   
4. Schom’s Left Hand Solos
   This collection features early intermediate pieces that incorporate more complex arrangements for one hand. The clever use of melody and accompaniment within the same hand allows students to experience a fuller sound, even while playing solo.
   
5. Modern Composers Contributions
   Many contemporary composers are also creating excellent one-hand pieces. For example:
   “Peaceful Hearts” by Dennis Alexander (suitable for right hand alone)
   “Left’s Turn Only” by Robert Vandoll

See these pieces in action:

Why Mistakes Are Opportunities to Get Creative

Renowned educator Sir Ken Robinson, in his seminal TED talk “Do schools kill creativity,” says, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”

He then says that by the time most kids are adults, they’ve lost the capacity to be wrong.

Think about your last lesson. How much of the time did you spend correcting your student’s mistakes?

It’s easy to view a mistake as something going wrong. That’s why I’ve included it in this article.

BUT I want to change your (and your students’) perspective on this.

Now, I know there are times in teaching when you definitely need to correct mistakes.

What I propose is that we find a balance in lessons between activities that require mistake-fixing, correction and perfection, with activities that encourage and develop what I call great mistakes.

Through teaching improvising and composing, students learn pretty quickly that it’s through ‘mistakes’ that the best sounds emerge.

For example, let’s say a student is working on a four-chord progression (from the 4 Chord Composing framework)

They play a G chord in their right hand but accidentally play a B in their left hand instead of a G.

They think they’ve done something wrong and give you a panicked look.

Rather than telling them they’ve made a mistake and tell them how to fix it, tell them they made a Great Mistake.

They’ve just played something really cool. They’ve been creative.

In fact, they’ve just uncovered a fantastic new sound: a slash chord.

Tell them:
That was a GREAT mistake! Can you play it again?

You can then unpack the theory behind their great mistake.

You can then open the creative floodgates.

All you have to do is call it out for what it was: a mistake. An interesting mistake. A great mistake!

In fact, it wasn’t really a mistake at all – it was your teaching allowing and supporting creativity.

Don’t Get Annoyed…Get Frustrated

When a student is unorganised or they have a tendency to turn up with an arm out of action, it’s easy to get annoyed.

But take a breath, take out your Creativity Kickstarters or one-hand piano music, and get creative!