The goal of any music teacher should not be to train a batch of perfect robots. As tempting as it is to think that if we just went to enough training or read enough manuals we could formula the perfect system that cracks out perfect musicians every time. Unfortunately, this is not possible. Because we are human and we are working with other humans. And the only consistent thing we can count on is that humans change over time.
Consider a young student just starting out on the violin. Even IF you managed to get this four-year-old to have a flawless bow hold due to diligent practicing, this bow hold cannot possibly remain the same. This four-year-old will eventually turn five. He's going to get taller, his arm length will change, he will eventually need a different sized instrument, and, even if none of this happens, his bow hold will change regardless as he gets more comfortable holding it. The way you hold and pen to sign your name is not the same way you held a crayon when you were a toddler.
This is why flexibility should be valued over correctness. This is not to say that correctness is not important. It's very important. But correctness does not allow for the entire human to develop. Does the young student need 100 correct repetitions? Or does she really just need a hug and ten fun repetitions using a game? Does the teenage student really need to play the piece with mechanical perfection? Or does he need to be allowed to play with feeling? What's really going to teach the more powerful lesson in that moment?
There is no correct answer!
It takes practice to learn how to practice. Just like how some days we might feel more tired than others, some practice sessions might be more focused than others. It's all part of the learning process. Music is a life study.
Consider a young student just starting out on the violin. Even IF you managed to get this four-year-old to have a flawless bow hold due to diligent practicing, this bow hold cannot possibly remain the same. This four-year-old will eventually turn five. He's going to get taller, his arm length will change, he will eventually need a different sized instrument, and, even if none of this happens, his bow hold will change regardless as he gets more comfortable holding it. The way you hold and pen to sign your name is not the same way you held a crayon when you were a toddler.
This is why flexibility should be valued over correctness. This is not to say that correctness is not important. It's very important. But correctness does not allow for the entire human to develop. Does the young student need 100 correct repetitions? Or does she really just need a hug and ten fun repetitions using a game? Does the teenage student really need to play the piece with mechanical perfection? Or does he need to be allowed to play with feeling? What's really going to teach the more powerful lesson in that moment?
There is no correct answer!
It takes practice to learn how to practice. Just like how some days we might feel more tired than others, some practice sessions might be more focused than others. It's all part of the learning process. Music is a life study.
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