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 listening
• Projects - 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:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	02/21/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	228
File size:	460 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.

Table of Contents

Introduction - Build On and Exercise

Chapter 1. Sharing the Journey

Student-Centered Teaching

Curriculum Styles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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