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The Lockdown Piano Lessons Challenge was a goal setting exercise that we discussed in piano class in August 2021. Click here if you’d like to view it.
It helped me talk on student specific challenges that either get in the way of online lessons, or daily piano practise. I used the topics in the challenge as a starting point and students who participated in the challenge selected what they felt was relevant to them.
A general discussion on the challenge and it’s purpose reached all students who attend student meet-ups regularly. And students who didn’t use the challenge format did give thought to the ideas behind the challenge and apply them to their piano learning.
Here’s how it went
- Set-up problems have eased – students have sorted them out enough that online lessons go smoothly.
- Better scheduling – those who tackled online life in fire-fighting mode have now brought some level of organization into their daily routine as regards work/study, piano practise as well as their relaxed time.
- Movement – more acceptance of the idea of putting movement into daily routines eases the stress of being locked in at home.
The Effect On Piano Playing
- Better scheduling of piano practise brought consistency, and a higher ability to grasp musical concepts.
- Students now spend less time at piano practise and yet, get more pieces done.
- The physical aspect of piano playing – playing technique – is more relaxed with improvements in hand shape that bring ease to difficult sections of work. So what used to be struggle is now a challenge that’s exciting.
The most important outcome of The Lockdown Piano Lessons Challenge and the discussions it brought has been a general reduction in the over-busy associated with online living, with students taking more interest workflow in general.
Organization with Dr Sonali Gharat
A few adult students who had an interest in the field of education and learning, were very interested in organization in life to promote effective learning. A big THANK YOU to Dr Sonali Gharat for giving us her time and conducting an online session on Organization at Anitaelise Piano Studio.
Dr Sonali Gharat is a psychologist and remedial educator with many years of experience. Her wonderful session on organized living and thinking reinforced many ideas students learn in piano class. It also gave my students a lot of other ideas to think on during the weeks that followed.
One student actually completed all of the goals she had set using The Lockdown Piano Lessons Challenge PDF and will soon receive a certificate for her efforts. Some students completed some of the tasks they had set for themselves.
For the most part, the challenge was a way to introduce much needed discussions on easing online learning, and the anxiety a few students faced with online life in general.
Online piano lessons now run smoothly with better set-up. I see students practising more efficiently, with many students taking on pieces that they once struggled with. And finding them so easy that it relaxes them.
All I can say is YAAAAAYYYYY!!
anitaelise piano studio 