Vahl Piano Studio // Passion, Excellence, Artistry

Today I've talked to a few parents who are asking what to do when their child begins to utter those awful 5 words "I want to quit piano." If you're a student who thinks you want to quit, or a parent who is hear these words, or a teacher dealing with this in your studio, I hope you take a look at this before the decision is made:

http://musicmemos.com/2011/08/19/the-6-stages-of-piano-students-why-and-when-piano-students-quit-lessons/

The author, Theresa Chen, makes some great observations and includes this picture in her blog on the subject

I love this, especially the part on the R in the chart that says if you can get past the growing pain hurdles, "No More Kid Stuff!" As a teacher who has students of all ages from 6 to 18, plus adults, I've seen the whole gamut for the past 30+ years. You may recognize your child in these descriptions, and hopefully you'll encourage your student to stick it out through the tough stuff, because great rewards await those who get past the doldrums that can occur in the early teens. I wish all parents would determine not to let their child (by definition, not an adult) make the decision on whether to stop lessons. I hope you'll consider that you, not your child, are the best person to make the decision and let your child know what you expect.

One wise parent in my studio told her child, when they wanted to quit, that she expected the child to give it their best until the end of the year. If that happened, they would discuss it. Things turned around through the great efforts the student made, and that "quitting" discussion never happened. What a great result! The parent, the student, and the teacher were all winners in this equation!