Oclef Podcast

This is a great episode to share with a piano teacher friend. Push Back. It's simple, yet powerful. Don't avoid confrontation with a parent - especially if what you are pushing back on something that is in the best interest of their child. Parents want the best for their kids, but sometimes they don't realize how to think or behave - they are usually new to learning piano, just like their child. Be you, Be what that child needs. The tortoise always wins, Julian Follow us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/oclef/

Loved doing this interview with Jon! He's just a great guy and I enjoyed getting the chance, like with most guests on the podcast, to ask deep questions. Please share this with parents of piano students and other teachers or aspiring pianist. He has great insight in many areas and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Julian

Pain relievers like aspirin can be taken if you have a headache and usually within 15 minutes the headache is gone. But what if there were a product that made that headache go away and then come back in 7 days? Whenever I have new classes start I often get the question from parents…how long does it take to learn piano? And I used to think that was a really silly question. Simply because, well, I'm still learning piano. And I'll probably be learning piano for the rest of my life. But lately the more I think about that question, I realize that there should be an answer to that question. If you change the question slightly, the answer becomes something that FEELS achievable. I'd ask: "How long does the average child take to acquire all the necessary skills, knowledge, practice strategies and coordination to become an independent learner of piano music?" I think there is an answer to that question. The tortoise always wins, Julian Follow us on www.instagram.com/oclef

Yesterday I was working with a mother and her daughter and one simple piece of teaching advice left her speechless the second she tried it. This episode dives into the "Theory Theory" by Alison Gopnik and how it explains why the "Frozen Pencil" teaching technique works so well when teaching children to read piano. The tortoise always wins, Julian

Today's podcast goes into the challenging world of how we as teachers help our students navigate more than just their troubles and anxieties from learning. If you want your story or question on an upcoming episode - visit www.oclef.com/podcast and leave your story or question. The tortoise always wins, Julian

In the education world, teachers sometimes can be overly focused on the results and outcomes in competitions and tests. And the question I have is - "What mindset does that produce for students in the long run?" I leave you with an idea and three questions. The Japanese word Kaizen means "change for better". How do you create experiences for your students that help them change and acquire the values you believe in? How does extrinsic motivators and rewards like tests and competitions actually shape your students perspective - especially if they are their main focus? Do you instill Kaizen or continuous improvement experiences into your student's learning paths?

Talking about how small wins not only motivate students but can motivate their parent coaches as they make their way on the long journey of learning music. How do you motivate parents? The tortoise always wins, Julian

Trying a different format. Share it if you love it.  The Tortoise always wins, Julian

Sample. Observe. Record.    The child needs to sample a variety of activities and as their parent you need to be open and observant. Try to be as non-biased towards activities and you can. Watch them and record your observations about how they respond to these activities.   Once you find the right one or two activities it comes down to you being passionate as the parent. Be as involved and helpful as you can. Ask the instructor what else you can do to help. Be there for the events and stay to help out the community. Show your passion and self-drive as a parent and your child will be more likely to mimic that behavior. Nothing can be certain, but this will increase the likelihood of the outcome you imply from your question.   The tortoise always wins, Julian

Todays episode is a follow up on the concept talked about in yesterday's interview with Irina Gorin. She talked about "educating parents". What she really means is show parents the value of piano and why they need to be involved and committed in the right way.  Today's episode talks about a personal story on how one of my students has allowed lessons from piano (curiosity, patience, persistence, creativity) to get him accepted into Stanford University. Learning piano is so much more than just music. Julian