Cheetahs are quitters. They have to be. Their survival depends on it. But cheetahs don’t take quitting lightly. Their hunting actions are very calculated. Once they commit to a kill, they give themselves no longer than a minute to make it happen. If they can’t beat the clock, they give up.
They have to give up.
If cheetahs don’t give up they die… literally! During a pursuit, their body temperature rises to such dangerous levels that continuing a hunt beyond one minute can be fatal.
So they quit.
Smart Piano Teachers Are Also Smart Quitters
Being a quitter has such negative connotations. We grow up surrounded by people telling us to never give up. And then we pass this mindset on to our children… and our piano students.
But sometimes we need to let our students quit. But NOT piano lessons! Instead, we need to let them quit piano pieces. Too many teachers spend weeks, and then months forcing a student to play a piece until it is most definitely dead. And soon after, the student’s passion for piano is also… dead.
Like a Cheetah, Learn To Quit
Adopting the mindset of a smart quitter is not an easy task. I grew up with a “never say die” attitude. So, learning to quit was very uncomfortable for me. That is, until I realized that sometimes quitting can bring you closer to success.
Which can happen for your piano students as well. All of your piano students should be moving towards a goal. On that journey they will undoubtedly encounter pieces that are “less than appealing to their tastes”. As the teacher, you must decide if the educational benefits of the piece are worth temporarily deflating your students’ passion.
And sometimes the answer to this question is “Yes”. Sometimes pieces must be played. But often the answer is no, and there are better pieces to help move your students towards their goals.
So don’t be too quick to jump on the “never give up” band wagon. I give up all the time. And then I try something new that moves me closer to my goal.
So don’t fear quitting. I’m a quitter. But so are cheetahs… and cheetahs are awesome.
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Anna Fagan says
October 3, 2012 at 4:22 amI will often ask a student to rate, on a scale of 1-4, how “sick” of a piece they are!
1= “are you kidding? I LOVE this piece!” 2= “it’s getting a little stale…” 3= “I can hear what you want with this … and I think I can stand it one more week” 4= “PLEASE!! NO MORE!!”
I also love your cheetah analogy as a recommendation of how LONG to work on a tricky spot … not that continuing past a minute of intense work would kill them, or that they should give up FOREVER, but that there is value in stepping away, taking a break, and coming back refreshed and with a renewed sense of purpose.
Andrea says
October 3, 2012 at 11:10 pmHi Anna – you are right – there is value in taking a break too rather than quitting all together. Often, after a break, a once-hated piece can become a true favorite!
Diane says
October 3, 2012 at 5:51 amSo true…and a great reminder for us all!
Linda Fox says
October 3, 2012 at 7:09 amBest post I’ve read in a long, long time! I’m going to read it to one little girl this afternoon, who has been told to either do something to improve a piece which I suspect she doeasn’t like, or drop it. This explains why it’s all right to drpo it. I’m also, slightly mischievously, going to give a copy to a couple of parents who take the line with their child that “once you’ve started something you are going to see it through whether ou like it or not” – just to get their views on it.
Thank you!
Tara Johnson says
October 4, 2012 at 10:40 pmAnother hit out of the park! I JUST had this conversation yesterday! 🙂 Without having read the article. 🙂 SCORE one for the piano teacher. I often allow a student to move on from a song that isn’t mastered with the knowledge that we will return to it in a few weeks…. I write it ahead a few pages in their assignment book and then!!!! What do you know, when it comes up they often pass it beautifully the first week…what happened? I don’t always know but often, it has EVERYTHING to do with their mindset! They are of course, SUPER PROUD of themselves for passing SUCH a hard piece in one week. I am SUPER PROUD because ‘they did it’ period! 🙂 Thanks again so much for encouraging us!
Sue says
January 25, 2014 at 11:47 amMy students and I call them “Mercy Passes” (that’s mercy on both of us) and students are only allowed a few a year. We also discuss if they want to use it on a piece that seems to be going nowhere before it’s granted.