Before I taught my first adult piano lesson I thought I might pass out. I was so nervous. She was old enough to be my mom. I was young enough to think that it mattered.
What if she didn’t like what I had planned for her? What if her expectations were different? What if she didn’t like me?
After the first five minutes of her lesson my adult student took a huge breath and said “I just have to tell you how nervous I am! I’ve been fretting all morning thinking ‘what if she expects too much from me? What if I remember nothing? What if she doesn’t like me?'”
We became fast friends.
Teaching Piano to Adult Students
I soon discovered that teaching piano to adult students is not all that different than teaching piano to children. In fact, I quickly learned that if I forgot this fact, I was actually missing out on some great opportunities for building a whole lot of “wow” into my lessons.
The most striking example of this happened to me just a few days ago. A former adult student of mine who had taken some time off to deal with ill parents, home renos, a new job, a new grand baby… you name it!…was coming back for a “brush-up” lesson. It felt like eons since I had last seen her and the progress she had made on her own was fabulous.
So I told her so; and I did so with all the exuberance and praise and smiles and perkiness I would have used with any 6 year old. I gushed about her dynamics, her posture, how she made it thorough “the tricky part”. I marvelled out loud at her ability to work ahead, at her hand balance and her sense of rubato. I showed her the goosebumps on my arm that arrived as soon as she played the most beautiful pianissimo section. I told her she was wonderful and how excited I was at what she had accomplished.
And she reacted in the same way as would any 6 year old; she blushed, she grinned, she was was instantly inspired.
Release That Inner Child!
Sure some adult piano students are there for serious business; they have goals, they have deadlines and they have expectations. And on the flip side, some adults are there for reasons that extend well beyond the piano.
But in either case, everyone benefits from a good dose of “wow” when it really counts. Resist the urge to change the way you relate to your piano students simply because of age. Adult students appreciate enthusiastic praise, humor and fun as much as children do… maybe even more so!
The Books You Need To Inspire…
Our classical pop cross over books have been an instant hit with adult students everywhere who love the modern takes on Fur Elise, The Raindrop Prelude, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and more! Find the books on Amazon and inspire your adult students instantly!
Elaine fredendall says
Great post and I totally agree! I think adults soak it up even more than kids because the adult world doesn’t give out exuberant praise very often.
Jeannie says
Love teaching adults!
Jennifer Foxx says
Great post and can’t wait to hear about the big project!!! 🙂
Michelle says
I recently went back to taking lessons even though I am a teacher. I felt like I needed to brush up on my technique especially for classical music. It was so hard to make that first phone call.
It has been a humbling and interesting experience but I love it. I truly know how my students feel. Yes, even as an adult, I like to be told when I’ve done a good job. It’s definitely a motivator to keep practicing even with all of life’s distractions. I constantly hear myself say. “It sounded better at home” and the like.
It has also been “my therapy” as I call it. Because as a teacher, I can toss out ideas and get some professional feedback. Both my teacher/coach/ colleague/ and I get a good laugh when I say I know what she’s thinking… about that same darn Ab that I keep missing!
I look forward to hearing about your next “venture”.
anna says
Oh, it’s nice to read this because I JUST took the step to take lessons again, even though I’ve been teaching piano for about 5 or 6 years now. I’ve put it off too long because I am nervous. But reading this reply, and the article on teaching adult students, I now feel a little less nervous and a bit excited. Just a bit. haha. Thank you for sharing everyone.
Karron Lee says
yes, we are never too old to learn. it amazes people when i tell them that most of my life i have taken some kind of piano lessons. i love the feedback and various techniques of teachers. if i don’t continue to learn something new, i feel stagnant, which reflects my teaching techniques.
Kathy G says
I agree as well — adults are just grownup kids (aren’t we all?) — and as someone said, we/they don’t get exuberant praise for our work very often in the grownup world. It is considered a sign of wisdom and maturity to be content to observe and enjoy’s one’s successes for their own sake. But when someone else notices and comments, we go right back to the inner child in an instant.
Particularly for hard-working adults, praise for the kinds subtle things you mention — dynamics, articulation, effective practice — tells students not only that they heard and worked, but also that you are listening and noticing.
I have to admit, some of my biggest ‘wow’ moments in the teacher role, have been hearing the words, “oh, I need to play that slower” come out of an adult student’s mouth. They usually grasp the need to slow down at an intellectual level after hearing me say it, the first 1000 times. But two years later, hearing them say it gives me a big thrill!
Great topic, and I am very curious about The Next Big Thing, coming next week!
Shirley says
The inner child should always be a part of piano lessons, and, in fact, all of life!
Drema says
I’ve been back to take lessons as well and it’s humbling being the student. I make similar mistakes my students did and I struggle with practising too. However, being a teacher at the same time as being a student this time round, I find that I pay attention more and am more aware of picking up on the areas I struggle with and knowing better how to fix them. It’s such a neat process and place to be in. It reminds me how important it is to train students who can think for themselves (and not just have the teacher tell them every note or exactly what to do), or have the opportunity to be the “teacher” sometimes during the lesson or group lessons because they internalize the concepts much more and have to think of ways to help themselves figure out how to play better or explain to another student.
Yes, I feel nervous a lot of times too, being the student, when I make mistakes or haven’t practised as much. All I can say is, there’s still so much to learn as a teacher and a student. Being a teacher is helping me become a better student, just as being a student is helping me become a better teacher! =)
Nancy says
Thanks for addressing adult students – I think it’s a market that’s going to grow as baby-boomers retire.
Sylvia says
Thanks for reinvigorating adult teaching.
Karron Lee says
thank you for this post, i am beginning to teach adults and this is a super way to approach them. i had one older lady tell me that she wanted to learn scales and arpeggios, more that just the chords she knows and then she proceeded to tell me she thought i would be bored teaching something like that. my reply to her was, “absolutely not! i wish every adult student would have this desire and that without the fundamentals, you can only go so far with your piano playing.” so thank you again for this wonderful post!
Leah Coutts says
Great article! I love adult students. And I totally agree, they love enthusiasm and praise as long as it’s genuine. As you point out, praising specific things that they do well really lights up their faces.
I always enjoy moments when there’s a problem area and after showing how to break it down and working to solve it together, they can play a passage beautifully and without errors or pauses. They are always so shocked and delighted that strategies work. (And I’m always secretly relieved that the strategies we use together work without fail.)
Alli says
I may have my first adult student (and only student lesson in a year or two) in the near future. Do you have any free, printable beginner lessons for adults?
Andrea says
Hi Alli – we don’t have free printable lessons but there is a lot of great ideas in this podcast that you might want to check out with Dr. Pete Jutras as a guest. He’s an expert on adult students and there’s lots to learn from him in terms of how to plan lessons for adults https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2014/07/11/how-to-teach-piano-to-adult-students-with-pete-jutras/
Alli says
Okay. Thank you.
Alice says
What I hear most often from my adult students is “Thank you for being patient with me!”, as though it is hard to do so. They think that it must be difficult for me to “put up with” what they see as their slow pace. I assure them that I love working with them and all adults, that it takes no particular effort to be patient with them, and that they are more than meeting my expectations. They just need a bit of reassurance.
.
Stephanie says
I love teaching adults! I’ve found it always helps to point out things that they’re doing well on, or things they’ve improved on since they started lessons (not unlike kids, in those respects), especially if they have physical problems that may slow their progress.