A student of mine was recently reflecting on some lessons with a prior drum teacher and told me that this drum instructor never had the student play for him. I was quite surprised. I’m not sure how prevalent the practice is of teachers not hearing their own students during lessons, however, I hope it’s not common. If you are a student — regardless of age or instrument — please make sure to actually play for your teacher. If this is not encouraged, ask to do it. If it still doesn’t happen at every lesson after asking, please consider a different teaching studio.
As a teacher, I can see and hear things once students start going through their assigned material. I can see progress, suggest modifications to help them improve problem areas and set the next week’s assignments. As they get more comfortable with the various exercises, it gets even more fun. Without fail, they gain confidence and that’s the most fun!
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