Why you don't need to take music lessons to achieve your dreams - part 1

When a person decides to take music lessons, whatever the choice of instrument may be, she will knock on the door of the studio of her future instructor with excitement and full of expectations. To her, the moment will be the beginning of one of the most magical, intoxicating moments in her life. She is imagining learning beautiful songs, fingering difficult passages effortlessly at the piano, mesmerizing people around her, wooing them with her violin. Imagine the reaction of her family and friends who might have always thought that she was ordinary. She will now have something special, a talent that separates her from the status quo.

I validate all that. Yes, all of these dreams should happen. Would I surprise readers if i told them that they don’t have to take music lessons to achieve their dreams? Whaaaaat?


A wise teacher once asked his class what the school was for. Students laughed at this easy question. One answered that it was a place to learn subjects such as literature, math, or history. Another said that going to school would give him an advantage in this competitive society. Yet another said that she was to meet many interesting people to acquire social skills. To the students' dismay, the teacher kept shaking his head to their answers.

One more student, after the classroom went indignantly silent, because none of those seemingly appropriate answers satisfied the teacher, snuck a timid glance, and whispered, “Um...the school is a place to learn?” Finally a corner of the teacher's mouth rose slightly in the form of a smile. He then said, “Yes...but to learn what?” Nobody raised their hands anymore since it would be repeating their previous answers all over again. Then teacher looked them in the eye, one by one, and said, “School is the place to learn how to learn.”

I think that the teacher wanted to emphasize the importance of methodology. "Arm yourself with powerful weapons before a battle," he was saying. I wholeheartedly agree. I often struggle with my students who lack learning skills such as grasping key concepts, constructing logical steps, or prioritizing. Because they lack those skills, they stop taking music lessons less than one year.

I wish I were the Rockstar of music lessons. I wish I were an Indian goddess who could bestow magic power with grace through music.


Unfortunately, it is entirely up to students who come to me. And this is a fact regardless of their age, gender, or their family background.

A helpful site like howtostudy.org lists important elements of effective learning. I will list them in bullet points here:

• Organization
• Environment
• Will and Motivation
• Learning styles and personalities
• Time management
• Procrastination 
• Listening
• Note taking
• Reading
• Writing
• Analysis
• Creativity
• Communication
• Research
• Concentration
• Stress management
• Distractions
• Subject-specific study skills

I could write a hundred blogs using these key concepts! Today, let me just start with "organization."

I suggest that you keep your materials and thoughts well organized. If your music teacher hasn't asked, volunteer to bring an assignment notebook. Don't just let your teacher scribble tips and do's and don'ts on the pages of the pieces you are supposed to play (I for one, am to guilty of that. I do that out of laziness or convenience. It should change from now on!). The reason why it is important is that the teacher can list the assignment in a chronological order and in the order of importance. By reading from top to bottom, by following and tailoring your practice accordingly, you can get the most benefit out of your lesson. For example, repetitive, simple finger warm-ups and technical exercises should be number one on the assignment agenda. Then, a few pieces from the core lesson book, then supplemental pieces for whatever you need to improve. Practice them in order. Ask the teacher how many time you should repeat each section, then write the number down on the same page of the notebook. 

Practice at the same time, on the same day. If you decided to practice three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, stick to the routine. Use your smartphone or tablet to put a reminder of your scheduled lesson time. Don't deviate unless you are sick or have an emergency. Also, use the same device to time your practice. If you set it for 30 minutes, stick to it. The key is to set the time goal a low enough that it will be easy for you to accomplish. Remember that the steady, short, and effective study is better than a sporadic three-hour marathon once a week. If you are a parent, you must do this for your small child. Yes, parents must acquire learning skills if they don't have them already.  You can use a cute product such as PractizPal to keep your kids' practice time and to monitor weekly.

Put music lesson books, an assignment notebook, and pencils or pens in a music bag. Don't let them scatter all over your room. Find a designated space in your house for these materials. After you practice, always put them back in the bag and separate them from sheet music which you play for pleasure. 

Speaking of pleasure, please don't waste your practice time by playing pieces randomly. Do the assignment first. The teacher is nurturing your progress by giving each student specific materials. If a student jumps to his favorite songs because they appeal to his sensual and emotional part of the brain, he might get a moment of satisfaction, however, in a long run, he will accomplish very little. If you feel that the teacher is overburdening you or not challenging you enough, bring up the topic. (This has to do with yet another element of learning skill called "figuring out one's learning style/personality," but it will be yet another topic for my future blog.) Don't be afraid of offending your teacher. Music teachers love their pupils (well, except for super mean teachers AND teachers with super mean students!). 

Lastly, get enough sleep and nutrition. Exercise. When the blood circulates well and you are well-rested, the task of organizing will become easy. Think of professional performers who travel and work every day. Think of their challenges! Although the reputations of traveling musician have been not so stellar, I often hear that the most successful people are very stoic and skilled at maintaining their health. Physical well-being leads to mental wellness. If you are healthy, you can plan, act, and fulfill many dreams. If your dream is to become a professional musician in the future, find a mentor who is skilled at sticking to a wholesome lifestyle regimen and learn from her. Read this interesting article called "How Rock Stars Stay Healthy" for a starter.

In my next blog, I will talk about having the right environment for studying music. Thank you very much for reading!