Importance of Group Lessons for All Students

WHY ARE GROUP LESSONS IMPORTANT FOR KEYBOARD STUDENTS?

• PERFORMING - Group lessons provide an informal, relaxed and supportive atmosphere for practicing performances of pieces.
• REINFORCEMENT OF CONCEPTS - Groups are an opportunity for students to review and reinforce their understanding of musical concepts learned in private lessons.
• COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS - Students can invent and collaborate on interesting and challenging musical projects.
• LEARNING FROM OTHER STUDENTS - Group lessons give students a chance to learn a lot from each other as well. When students give each other feedback in lessons, they often bring up the same points I would, as the teacher, but it’s more effective if it’s not always just me saying it.
• SETTING REASONABLE GOALS - Students enjoy playing for fellow students in the group, and often use the class as a goal. Often, students ask if I think they’ll be ready to perform a piece they’re learning in time for a group lesson.
• BUILDING FAMILIARITY WITH REPERTOIRE - The piano repertoire is vast, and groups give students more exposure to more pieces. Because there are many performances, students can hear many more repertoire pieces than the teacher would ever have time to play for them in their private lessons. Frequently, students hear pieces they’ve heard for the first time, and decide they’d like to learn them.
• BUILDING CONFIDENCE - Students give each other valuable and positive feedback during the class, which is helpful and continually builds confidence.
• SOCIAL INTERACTION - Classes also alleviate the tedium sometimes associated with the solitary activity of piano practicing.
• MOTIVATION - In addition, group lessons are very motivating. In my studio, when students return to their private lessons, after they’ve had a group lesson the week before, it’s always a lot of fun. It’s as though they become energized by the group.
• ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE - Students have the opportunity to be coached on and perform two piano works, as well as other ensemble pieces performed with others.