Rethinking Genius

I am always continually surprised how playing an instrument is always somehow "different" than other arts and pastimes.  Assumptions we would never make about other intellectual pursuits somehow become reasonable logic when learning music.  Like how the number of pieces a student knows should somehow be a reflection of the student's proficiency. Even though we must spend countless hours practicing, playing an instrument should not be a solitary activity. Nothing opens up a student musically more than playing with a group. Now, this is not to say that we cannot find enjoyment in playing alone. However, this enjoyment usually bubbles up in our adult years when music becomes a relaxing break from the stresses of real life. Children, on the other hand, need the social interaction. A good private lesson should be a mix of flexibility and correctness. A private teacher needs to be flexible enough to address the individual needs of individual students on a day-to-...