We will be having two summer recitals!
The first recital will be Saturday, June 29th at the Lincoln Library at in room Carnegie North. Students may arrive as early as 10:30 am to practice and get adjusted with the piano/space. At the moment, it may take an hour. The second recital will be Friday, July 26th at the same location. Students may also arrive at 10:30 am to get adjusted to the piano/space. This recital currently only has 3-5 participants. It will take less than 30 minutes. If any students would like to do both of the recitals, please let me know!
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Recital etiquetteFor students
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"I asked the piano student to practice and now they refuse to?"We are all aware that practicing is very important to learning music. What is the difference between not wanting to practice because "practicing is boring" versus "practicing is impossible"? There is a very fine difference between these two mindsets. Sometimes, they can appear as the same at first glance.
What is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)? "Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is taking extremes to avoid or resist anything they perceive as a demand. Avoidance can take many forms, including making excuses, creating a distraction, intense focus on something else, withdrawing, escaping, or having a meltdown orpanic attack." (Miller, 2023) PDA is still being studied in North America, but is widely accepted in the UK. It is mostly associated with people with autism. However, some doctors and professionals deem it as a "sensory processing" issue. Sensory processing can be a challenge for both autistic individuals and individuals with ADHD. Example 1: You sit down at the piano and prepare to practice your assignment. Before the you are able to play, your mom pops in to say "Wow, look who finally decided to practice!" You feel like you don't want to practice anymore because she said that. You get up and refuse to practice for the day. The moment is "ruined." Example 2: A child is feeling productive and in the mood to practice the piano. The mother asks if they're going to practice right now. The child suddenly does not want to practice. Everyone is slightly different. Here is a list of general behaviors associated with PDA. https://pdanorthamerica.org/what-is-pda/ PDA and Music Instead of forcing someone to practice as a task, try to make it a fun challenge instead. Practicing can be seen as "homework" much like schoolwork. It can be fun if there is less pressure on making everything perfect. The moment someone with PDA associates practicing as a chore, then their desire to practice disappears. Practicing should be something they have a desire to do. Music can be a huge trigger for PDA. The expectation to be perfect can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety almost instantly. Performing is often a fun experience while practicing is not. Some people do not practice if someone else is in the room because they are afraid of that person critiquing them or telling them "that doesn't sound right" when the person is still learning the music. There is no "perfect solution". I do have a few suggestions that might be helpful though. Suggestions 1. Do not ask the person with PDA to practice. Let the person decide if they want to practice. If they find something they enjoy about the instrument, then let them explore it. If they do end up practicing, do not comment anything to them. Even if it's positive: do not comment. There is a likely chance that any comment will cause anxiety, shame, or embarrassment. If possible, try to give them privacy to practice so they do not feel shame for making mistakes. Sometimes practicing in front of someone else unconsciously turns the "practice" into a "performance." 2. Take breaks. Practice does not need to be an entire hour long without any breaks. It is completely acceptable to practice for five minutes, do something else for ten, and go back to practicing for another ten minutes. As long as you're learning the instrument, then there is no reason to force yourself to sit and do one thing for as long as possible. 3. Do not conform to the practicing "standard". Everyone is different. If Marie can practice for 30 minutes straight, then good for her. If Claire can practice for 10 minutes at a time, then good for her. Practice as much as you think you need to. I recommend at least 10-15 minutes per day for beginner students. I never said it has to be 10-15 continuous minutes. It can be separated during the day if needed. Whatever works! 4. Have a space specifically for practicing. Part of PDA is having anxiety over something you can't control. Designate a specific area of the house to practice in. If someone is practicing there, have an unspoken rule of not bothering them until they are complete. Any interruption may cause termination to practicing. 5. Encourage the behavior when the behavior is not happening that moment. Try not to put too much attention on the behavior either. A simple passing comment of, "When I was passing by, you sounded really nice on the flute." and then continuing on with a different topic is great. It shows you were not hovering or listening too closely for mistakes. The less pressure and attention put on the behavior may lead to a positive outcome. 6. Make it a game. A mother of some of my students had a brilliant idea for the summer. She has a whiteboard with her children's names written on it in a space everyone can see in their home. They each get a point for practicing the piano, exercising, and other tasks. If you transform the chore of practicing into a game, some children may respond positively. This may not work for all children, but it may work well for some who are competitive. In the end... Do whatever works well for you, your child, or someone you know. Practice can be extremely boring sometimes and that is okay. If it's boring, there are ways to go about doing it. In comparison, PDA can be a struggle. I hope these small tips can make it easier to practice and want to practice. Sources Miller, Caroline. “Pathological Demand Avoidance in Kids.” Child Mind Institute, 22 May 2023, childmind.org/article/pathological-demand-avoidance-in-kids/. “What Is PDA? - PDA North America.” PDA North America -, 10 May 2023, pdanorthamerica.org/what-is-pda/. |
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