I have written many times over the years about the advantages of group piano lessons for children-in particular, younger beginner students. I recently read an article from the Music Factory School of Music in California about group lessons. Their thoughts align with ours:
CONFIDENCE - When learning to play the piano in a group, students get comfortable playing in front of other people (in addition to their teacher). Doing so helps them to build self-confidence and makes it easier to transition into playing in front of an audience outside of the group.
LESS PRESSURE - When learning a new skill one-on-one, students often feel nervous which can hinder their learning process. The group dynamic helps to alleviate that stress. By having the teachers’ focus divided amongst students, it creates a more relaxed environment with less direct pressure.
COMPETITION - Instead of just the direct pressure from the teacher, the spirit of positive competition helps to motivate students. Often they will see others in their group play and will want to be as good, or better, than them. This helps continuously push everyone in the group to be the best they can be.
SOCIALIZING - Learning in a group creates the opportunity for students to meet new friends who share a common interest.
TEAMWORK - In a group lesson, the teacher can facilitate team activities that require all participants to work together. These can include each group member playing a piece of one song, playing games*, critiquing each other, and more. As a result, the group members reinforce and support each other’s learning.
*PLAY AND PLAY - playing games is what we do in piano class!
Comments