Today, a proverbial "switch" has been flipped on that allows for an immediate feeling of accomplishment. With this new year, forgotten are the seemingly endless hours spent repeating scales to achieve that "satisfactory" success; whether having smooth hands, or no voice "cracking" into another tessitura.
In today's technology, one can perform as soloist with a recording, and even add concert audience approval to the extent that an obligatory "encore performance" is required (Cue "Applause" here.) It does beg the question: with all this technology at the whim of the budding music student, where have the honored standards of "time, sacrifice and effort" gone?
When our children do not practice, we as parents prod, and cajole...promising future success in their endeavors with "you name it" support. Growing up, I, too, remember my parents' faithful unending support in my own musical efforts. However, my practice session results were varied - Mostly NOT!
Technology has so rapidly increased, when is there enough time to include pedagogical studies with the appearance and inaccurate perception of "success" available at the touch of a button?
It is not about the named music teacher that one has, but the "grass roots" instructor who loves to teach and spends endless hours hearing that Bach Fugue that the fledgling music student can't seem to get his or her head around...
Private music teachers should be greatly admired and applauded for their tenacity and intense efforts to combat the ever present technology time interference that can lead to a false sense of success and accomplishment in their music students. Therefore, for this new year...
Happy 2016 to all Music Teachers everywhere!
