More than Music Lessons: A Studio Teacher's Guide to Parents, Practicing, Projects, and Character

by Merlin B. Thompson

Overview

Award-winning music educator Merlin B. Thompson invites today's teachers to link their teaching with notions of humanity and create success by building on what students naturally bring to their own musical journey.

Filled with over fifty practical and inspirational teaching tips, More than Music Lessons is a must-read for every genre of music studio teacher: vocal/instrumental, academic, traditional, individual/group, Suzuki, exam-based, and online. A four-part framework gets right to the heart of the matter:

Parents - understanding the complexity of parental involvement and students' home life Practicing - an adventure in autonomy, fluency, purpose, relatedness, reflection, and listeningProjects - amplifying students' musical persona with non-performance projects.Character - engaging students' inborn authentic character to ensure meaningful musical participation
Grounded in research yet enriched with real-life experiences and frequently asked questions, More than Music Lessons offers a comprehensive view of student-centered teaching, where teachers share rather than direct students' musical explorations. This book provides resources for teachers who work with diverse student demographics and sheds light on how teachers may thoughtfully incorporate students' sense of self, personal and world views, culture, individuality, and spirituality as anchors for their unfolding and unique musical journeys. More than Music Lessons will help studio teachers support and inspire their students for a lifetime of genuine and joyful music making.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538164051
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	02/21/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	228
File size:	832 KB

About the Author

Merlin B. Thompson is an award-winning music educator, scholar, and pianist with over forty years teaching experience in private studio, music conservatory, and university settings. He has worked with hundreds of music teachers, students, and parents throughout Canada, USA, Australia, Japan, Spain, Great Britain, Brazil, and New Zealand. He is creator of the podcast series The Music Educator's Crucible.
Merlin B. Thompson is an award-winning music educator, scholar, and pianist with over forty years teaching experience in private studio, music conservatory, and university settings. He has worked with hundreds of music teachers, students, and parents throughout Canada, USA, Australia, Japan, Spain, Great Britain, Brazil, and New Zealand. He is creator of the podcast series The Music Educator’s Crucible.

Table of Contents

Introduction - Build On and Exercise

Chapter 1. Sharing the Journey
Student-Centered Teaching
Curriculum Models
Teaching for Inclusion and Diversity

Part One – Parents

Chapter 2. Parents Make A Difference
Family Home Life
Music&Family Home Life
Teachers&Family Home Life
Independence&Ownership

Chapter 3. In the Lesson
Step In, Step Back, Let Go
Diverse Family Needs
Taking Homework Notes

Chapter 4. Meaningful Conversations
Parents&Questions
Acceptable Tension
Parents' Most Practical Resource
Teachers Letting Go
Opening Doors
FAQs

Part Two – Practicing

Chapter 5. Framework of Basic Human Needs

Chapter 6. Practicing&Autonomy
Assumptions About Autonomy
Language&Gestures
What About Mistakes?
Protecting Students
Homework Notes
Teacher's Belief in Autonomy
FAQs

Chapter 7. Practicing&Fluency
The Activity Itself
Repetition
Creativity&Challenges
Review&Refinemen
Slow Practice
Immediate&Evolving
FAQs

Chapter 8. Practicing&Purpose
Musicianship&Artistry
Beauty
Caring for Music
Vision of Life
Real Life Stories
FAQs

Chapter 9. Practicing&Relatedness
Teachers&Students
Unconditional Personal Connections
The Power of Smiling
Sense of Humor
Caring Relationships
FAQs

Chapter 10. Practicing&Reflection
Developing Awareness
Questions
Silence
Follow Up
Student Report Cards
Parent Check Ins
Teen Student Reviews
FAQs

Chapter 11. Practicing&Listening
Listening 001 - Internalize
Listening 002 - Inspire
Listening 003 - Share
Further Thoughts

Part Three – Projects

Chapter 12. Non-performance Music Projects
Background
Project-Based Learning
Teacher's Role

Chapter 13. Giving Voice to Students
Students' EMC Projects
Junior High Threshold
Amplifying Students' Musical Persona
FAQs

Part Four - Character

Chapter 14. Imprinted from Birth
My Gallery of Student Portraits
Connecting with Life Skills

Chapter 15. Character&Music Lessons
Exercising Character
Empathy Starters
Talking About Soul
Character Reflections
More Than Music
FAQs

Finale. Our Shared Humanity

Appendix A: Challenges
Appendix B: Parent Letter&Teenager Letter
Appendix C: Everyday Music Connections Projects
Appendix D: Character Cards
Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

More Than Music Lessons will not be gathering dust on my bookshelf, because this is a slim volume to which I will be returning again and again, offering up a multi-course feast of food for thought.This is an important and superb book, which I can highly recommend to all who teach an instrument. Take time to read it more than once…

Pianodao Blog - Andrew Eales

Merlin B. Thompson's latest well-researched work is a highly readable exploration of how studio teachers can successfully support student musical development. In More Than Music Lessons, Thompson aims to share "what can happen when music teachers take an interest in and have an ongoing appreciation for students' home life, their sense of self, their musical interests, their personal views and their world views, their culture" and "spiritual individuality".

American Suzuki Journal

Merlin Thompson offers practical, accessible, and research-based strategies for making practice time constructive and enjoyable. Thompson also looks beyond the practice room to consider ways in which music-making can be meaningful to students as they reach out to their respective communities and reach in to better understand themselves.

Karin S. Hendricks

This book is multi-layered and needs to be absorbed in small doses. Reading a small section, pondering the ideas expressed, choosing one idea to pursue and integrate intentionally, engaging with other teachers in conversation, returning to the book and repeating each step is sure to fire some creative circuits in the brain and to re-energize the teaching/learning process. I highly recommend this book, as any teacher – regardless of age or experience – will benefit from its thoughtful , insightful approach.

The Canadian Music Teacher

If you love to sit down with other music teachers to pick their brains about teaching philosophies and ideas that have worked with their students, then you will love Merlin B. Thompsonʼs new book, More Than Music Lessons. Clearly a caring and innovative teacher, Dr. Thompson practices what he preaches and generously shares his ideas and resources with readers. Any music teacher will find More Than Music Lessons a thought-provoking and practical addition to their studio library!

Music Matters Blog

More than Music Lessons is the kind of book I wish I could have referenced when I first started teaching. Merlin B. Thompson’s sensitive demeanor and strong research holds valuable insights for the reader.

Tema Blackstone

This book is a refreshing perspective for any instrumental or voice teacher, straight from the heart of a highly experienced and particularly perceptive music educator. Merlin B Thompson considers nuances in the music teaching and learning journey from new and unusual angles, yet demonstrates just how fundamental these are.

Lucy Green

More than Music Lessons is an insightful, nuanced resource for music educators. The simplicity and elegance of Thompson's writing highlights core principles of quality music teaching.

Ellen Kogut

If you love to sit down with other music teachers to pick their brains about teaching philosophies and ideas that have worked with their students, then you will love Merlin B. Thompsonʼs new book, More Than Music Lessons. Clearly a caring and innovative teacher, Dr. Thompson practices what he preaches and generously shares his ideas and resources with readers. Any music teacher will find More Than Music Lessons a thought-provoking and practical addition to their studio library!

Merlin B. Thompson's latest well-researched work is a highly readable exploration of how studio teachers can successfully support student musical development. In More Than Music Lessons, Thompson aims to share "what can happen when music teachers take an interest in and have an ongoing appreciation for students' home life, their sense of self, their musical interests, their personal views and their world views, their culture" and "spiritual individuality".

Merlin Thompson offers practical, accessible, and research-based strategies for making practice time constructive and enjoyable. Thompson also looks beyond the practice room to consider ways in which music-making can be meaningful to students as they reach out to their respective communities and reach in to better understand themselves.

More than Music Lessons is an insightful, nuanced resource for music educators. The simplicity and elegance of Thompson's writing highlights core principles of quality music teaching.

More than Music Lessons is the kind of book I wish I could have referenced when I first started teaching. Merlin B. Thompson's sensitive demeanor and strong research holds valuable insights for the reader.

More Than Music Lessons will not be gathering dust on my bookshelf, because this is a slim volume to which I will be returning again and again, offering up a multi-course feast of food for thought.This is an important and superb book, which I can highly recommend to all who teach an instrument. Take time to read it more than once...

This book is a refreshing perspective for any instrumental or voice teacher, straight from the heart of a highly experienced and particularly perceptive music educator. Merlin B Thompson considers nuances in the music teaching and learning journey from new and unusual angles, yet demonstrates just how fundamental these are.

This book is multi-layered and needs to be absorbed in small doses. Reading a small section, pondering the ideas expressed, choosing one idea to pursue and integrate intentionally, engaging with other teachers in conversation, returning to the book and repeating each step is sure to fire some creative circuits in the brain and to re-energize the teaching/learning process. I highly recommend this book, as any teacher - regardless of age or experience - will benefit from its thoughtful, insightful approach.

From the Publisher