So, with a music studio, I run into a lot of people with a lot of different ideas about life.  This doesn't just include philosophies on how to live, but also how to raise kids.  As someone who doesn't have any kids of my own, I never felt in the position to have my own philosophies about who or what should be said or done, and I still don't.  

But, there is one thing I have been learning from what other parents tell me about having kids.  No one knows what to do with the kids that don't have an attention span.

I don't know how many people I have show up at my door that walk in and start telling me that their kid is good, but they just have ADD.  That is combined with the parent not telling them what they need to be doing, and letting them run around my house, getting into everything and causing havoc.  Usually, I don't say anything with parents and kids, as I feel like it is not my place, but really... After some broken things and some misplaced things of my own, it has to stop.

I don't care if your child is taking music lessons or walking to school, there needs to be something shown to them about discipline and respect.  Simple things like when an adult is speaking to you, you listen to them.  When you are in someone else's home, you leave their things in the place where you found them.  When someone is speaking, you don't interrupt them.  When you are going to music lessons, you focus on music lessons.  Not the penny on the floor.

Of course, we can't do or say these things, because it would be abuse and the kids just have ADD or need to be kids.  

The truth is, what these kids need is to be yelled at.  They need to get in trouble and they need to be told what is wrong and right with basic things.  They need to have boundaries and structure.  It doesn't mean an iron fist, it means putting something in their lives that they can lean onto so that they feel comfortable and don't feel like they have to be in ten places at once.  

So, my conclusion is this.  ADD is a bullshit excuse for parent's who won't take the time to be honest with their kids about what is wrong and right.  I know parenting is hard, but you chose the path.  You can't bring a kid to a teacher and tell them that you want them in lessons to discipline them or to put them in shape because they have ADD.  The kids don't need music class, they need to be grounded in the basic concepts of life.

The reason why I'm mentioning all of this is because I've decided to close my studio off to students under the age of 12.  Because of the mis-behaviors and the inability for the kids to control themselves, I'm not going to offer anymore lessons to kids that don't have basic respect for others.  I'm really sad about it, because I love it when a kid gains confidence in themselves when they are learning music.  But, I see that all of the up and coming generations are going to have to be cut off from things like this because they don't have enough discipline to pay attention and to focus on their goals.  I wonder what will happen to them when they are older?

Have your own thoughts about kids with "ADD?"  Feel free to let me know!  Visit my website at www.apollomusicstudios.com. 

There are parts of music that are a lot like cookies and sweets and other parts that are a lot like vitamins. As a teacher, I believe that kids need both.

In a lot of my past blogs, I've focused a lot on both sides. You've heard the positive reinforcement, encouragement and exploration with low pressure side. And, you have heard the keep the discipline side. Or, if you haven't read those, you are hearing it with this blog.

That's exactly what kids need. That's the huge balance of teaching, learning and even parenting. Knowing what to give the kids and when to give it to them.

Here's what I've noticed. Children typically approach me for lessons in one of three ways. The first is that they are timid, afraid and not quite sure what to do with lessons. At other times, they are divas. I actually have had a couple of four year old kids walk up to me and tell me they wouldn't take lessons because they believed that they already knew everything.  The third is that they start by testing the boundaries to see exactly how much they can get away with.

Yes, it's all intuitive from the kids. So, it boils down to this. At times, they need cookies. They need to be egged on and given a push to build up their confidence. At other times, they need to know that they need to learn and not be divas. And, at others, they just need to get whipped into shape so that they know how to be respectful and disciplined.  It's a very fine line balance, and all kids come needing a little bit of all of it.

That comes before the music. It shows in the music, but it's not just a musical thing. It's a principle that is important across all disciplines and ideas and that every good teacher probably already knows.

Want to give your kid some sweets or vitamins? Contact me at info@apollomusicstudios.com or at 303-657-2717 or check out my websites at www.apollomusicstudios.com or www.coachingmusician.com.  

I think I mentioned this in the performance section of “Oops! I Missed a Note.” But, I'm not talking about this idea in performance anymore, I'm talking about it with my teaching methods.

I remember when I was young and I would miss a note. Most of the time because I was frightened to death of my teacher. The mechanics of the piano were the most important and carried the most weight.

I believe that it is important, but as a teacher, I don't focus on it all the time. Sometimes, parents are astounded that I let my students pass a song when they miss something mechanical.

Here's why. A lot of times, they will understand the song, but they will miss the notes because they get excited, get too far ahead of themselves and forget. They'll have to start over, then they will get it. Other times, they will not understand the mechanics at the right level, even though it is being explained to them. It's their hibernation spot.

It's almost like a really good magic trick. If, instead of holding them back because they miss something mechanical, I highlight what they do right and how they are progressing. I build their confidence in the areas that are working for them. The magic is this. I'll come back the next week and the mechanics that they missed before are simply gone.

Then, guess what? I get to send more positive reinforcement to the mechanics that they got that time around and they didn't even realize they were doing it.

It's not about pointing out the faults. It's the strengths. Then, the mechanics and the little things aren't a big deal anymore and they go away.

Inside each child is an intuitive understanding of what to do and how to do it. All you have to do is encourage them to bring it out. That's the spirit of teaching and that is how to get beyond the mechanics.

Want to set your child up with lessons or discuss this with me? Shout at me! E-mail is: info@apollomusicstudios.com and number is 303-657-2717.  If you want to know more about my teaching style, you can also check out www.apollomusicstudios.com or www.coachingmusician.com.  

Here's to your song!

This is one of my favorite topics – let's talk about the traditional methods of teaching and how dry they are, and how ineffective. I'm just kidding. Well, kind of. What I really want to talk about is the traditional methods and the good, bad and ugly that is in them.

Let me start you off with this. I believe that teaching is a spiritual concept, not just a physical and mental one. It is one that takes levels of understanding of children and people. It also takes ways of developing spiritual concepts into the children that they can use for the rest of their lives.

So, back to the traditions. First – the good. Traditional methods have a good way of including discipline and persistence in the method. It means that you go to a lesson only after you have practiced, chop up and dissect songs to bits and pieces and work like crazy to learn something. I think that is something every student should know and that is a good set of things to learn.

The bad. Traditional methods don't leave a lot of room for exploration and discovery of music outside of what the teacher knows or has been taught to teach. There's not a lot of space to be creative or to explore beyond the intended level. Mostly because of the method books and levels that are being used. You don't want to go outside of it. Most method books that I have seen miss out on some important things – simple things – like songs.

The ugly. I'm not talking about traditional methods now. I'm talking about traditional teachers. There's a lot of discipline, but not a lot of love. I've actually had a lot of students show up at my door because they are disgusted with the teaching methods of others who ignore their needs.

That means this. Kids need more than the ability to learn the music. They need nurturing and love. They need to have a warm place to share their music so they can move to sharing it with the world. They need to have a place that is safe for them to explore the way they want to. It's not teaching, it's discovering.

As teachers, we're not just developing musicians and it's not a product factory. We're producing life long lessons and ideals that will help children to face their battles, overcome their fears and conquer their goals. It goes beyond the methods and the discipline and into paying attention to what students need spiritually.

Want to know more or sign up for an evaluation for your child? The name is Brooke, the e-mail is info@apollomusicstudios.com and the number is 303-657-2717.

All right, so of course I need to introduce my teaching method to you, right? I call it the Artist Playground method, some call it the Grasshoppa' method. (I won't explain now). Of course, there's a ton of stuff behind this, but I'll let you know some basic concepts behind it and how I got here.

In a set of ideas, here's what the Artist Playground method includes;

• using instruction as an exploratory space

• allowing children to learn at their own pace, without the push

• creating a way to discover music instead of just learn it
  

• building strong foundations for musical ideas and principles

• introducing music in a way that isn't threatening or difficult

Yes, I've actually found a way for this to work. It's a combination of positive reinforcement, games, continuous encouragement and low pressure lessons. Once the kids start to open up, it's a completely different world.

Here's how this started. Believe it or not, when I was growing up and when I went to college, I had absolutely no desire to teach. In fact, I let everyone know that I would in no way, shape or form be a teacher. During my pedagogy classes, I continuously questioned and rebelled against the learning, saying it was because I didn't want to teach.  I know I've probably mentioned that before.

What I finally came to terms with was that I loved seeing kids progress and that I loved to teach. What it really was – I didn't want to teach in the same way that I had learned. My growing into music was very strict. My father was a musician, and he saw that I could play. So, it was extra lessons, extra hours and dropped extra-curricular activities to practice. My teachers all were very strict to – the ruler type, with the exception of one that I found towards the end of my high school years and one of my college teachers.

I hated the pressure, the discipline and the inability to really do what I wanted with the piano.

I stopped fighting the idea of teaching when I had no money and was living on someone's couch. Slowly, I learned to reach out to the children in a way that I had never been reached, where it was fun, non-threatening and exploratory.

What's great is that my kids have bought into it. I'll show up sometimes and they'll have the games for me. Other times, I'll walk into them composing, thinking that it's a game. We get away with laughing and playing during games, and the progress is three times as fast as I have seen it with traditional methods.

In fact, the method is working so well, that I'm now working on patenting my games. Keep a look out for them! If you are a teacher or have a student that is taking music lessons, they can probably help you to.

There you have it – the Artist Playground method. Want to know more, sign up for lessons or exchange ideas? I'd love to hear from you. The e-mail is info@apollomusicstudios.com the number is 720-277-2652.