Planting Mental Imagery

Planting Mental Imagery

Here is a tip we all can use at some point in our lives. 

Watch others perform on the instrument or in the sport we love.

What if, on occasion, you showed your student a short video clip of some great performer, or exceptional young performer, playing piano?  Can you imagine the impact this might have from a motivational standpoint?  Taking him/her to some awesome live performances works equally as well.

This experience will take their piano playing out of the student/teacher realm into actual, real life.  Suddenly he/she gets a glimpse of a real time experience and can, with some nurturing, see new possibilities.

If this works for you, it will become a cherished activity that could last a lifetime. 

What you are doing is putting quality role models in front of your child for them to emulate.  Plant those seeds by using great role models.  Sometimes these seeds are slow to take root, and when they do, you will stand in amazement at the results.

Carolyn Biggs

Steps and Skips

Tips for the Developing Student

Courage to Stumble

This week’s thought is more for the parent than for the child.  

In a society that seems more and more bent on turning out perfect kids, it is imperative that we let our children know that the world does not end if they stumble and fall. 

Allow your child to be a child.  We learn from stumbles, bumbles and falls.

I want Michael to share a story from his past.

Hi,

When I was the music director for a church here in Seattle in the early 80’s I invited kids to perform every Sunday night.

One of my kids was a girl named Cheryl.  When she was 9 she was going through an awkward stage and for several months, every time I scheduled Cheryl to perform she would mess up. 

Time passed.

When I came back to Seattle in 2002 for a 95^th anniversary of that church   Cheryl was there, now a lovely young woman, and profusely thanked me for not giving up on her during those days. 

Had I cut her off from performing it could have done a gross injustice to her self-esteem and her musical growth.

Stumbles are okay.  It is how we learn.

And remember, your child is not his/her mistakes. 

Carolyn Biggs

Steps and Skips

Tips for the Developing Student

Upgrade Your Genius

Genius is often a misapplied and mislabeled attribute.  We consider a genius as some kind of special gifting at birth and once a person is born a genius he or she remains a genius. 

Absolutely not true. 

Genius is nothing more than sheer grit and determination to become great and remain great in one’s chosen profession. 

It is important that your child understands talent, genius, ability and all other associative synonyms as it relates to their musical development, and all other activities he/she wishes to engage in.

My favorite story is of Michael Jordan, basketball great.  Remember, he was cut from his high school basketball team.  It was said of him that he lacked the talent for basketball. 

Here is an excerpt from a great book.

“Once, after his team lost the last game of the season, Jordan went and practiced his shots for hours.  He was preparing for the next year.  Even at the height of his success and fame – after he had made himself into an athletic genius – his dogged practice remained legendary.  Former Bulls assistant coach John Bach called him ‘a genius who constantly wants to upgrade his genius.’”

Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

Mindset

Bottom line – Michael Jordan wasn’t a born genius at basketball.  He became a genius through sheer hard work and putting in the time on the practice court to hone his skills. 

Translation – if you can instill these kinds of stories into your child and help him/her understand this one ingredient, you just might ignite a flame that leads your young man or woman to stellar heights in any field they choose to pursue.

Carolyn Biggs

Steps and Skips

Tips for the Developing Student

Set Your Own Goals

We have discussed some critical practice tips in this weekly letter and they are all good and necessary.  This week, we are reinforcing a concept that further enhances the possibilities of success for your child. 

This principle is taken from the classic Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz.

“We adopt the goals we set for ourselves, not set by others.”

Your child must be the one who chooses performance and practice goals, with your overseeing eye, of course.

If you can encourage your child to set a weekly musical improvement goal, that is the best motivation you can ever hope for.

Perhaps it is to practice a tough few bars and perform them ten times perfectly.  Each week you will help select a different passage of music.

Maybe the goal chosen is to practice every day at 3:45 for fifteen minutes. 

When we include our child in the goal setting process we will see more positive results. 

Have fun with this one.

  

Carolyn Biggs

Steps and Skips

Tips for the Developing Student

I Can See it from Here

This week I've been reminded of how excitingly close we are to the end of another school year.

My thoughts have turned to you, the parents.  I realize it can be an epic task to manage all the activities that will occur during these final eight weeks of school.  Know this:

~1.  I appreciate your steadfastness in encouraging your kids to find time to be at the piano.

~2.  Managing expectations when life gets insanely busy is critical.  I’m with you – and will do everything possible to help students steadily progress.

~3.  Thank you for your support.

Carolyn Biggs

Steps and Skips

Tips for the Developing Student

End Well

Have you heard the phrase “All’s well that ends well”?

That is a great axiom for you to instill into your child as well. 

After a period of intensive practice consider inviting your child to play a favorite piece of music that they know well, then perhaps a reward – you know what your child loves – maybe it’s one on one time with you, or to have that special treat (something they will desire most.).

It will provide positive reinforcement in anticipation of their next practice session.

Carolyn Biggs

Steps and Skips

Tips for the Developing Student

Practice after Performance

Review is a good thing, especially after a performance or test.  Just imagine the extra reinforcement you’ll gain while the material and weak spots are fresh on your mind. 

Last week we talked about being fresh and ready to learn.  This is a different kind of freshness.  This is the freshness that comes moments after a performance, game or competition.

Golfer Jack Nicklaus said:  “I always achieve my most productive practice after an actual round.  Then, the mistakes are fresh in my mind and I can go to the practice tee and work specifically on those mistakes.”

This makes all kinds of good sense.

Carolyn Biggs

Steps and Skips

Tips for the Developing Student

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