That Gentle Nudge

I recently ran across piano with nicole, a piano pedagogy-oriented blog written by Wichita pianist and teacher Nicole Dyson-Smith. Among her articles, I particularly enjoyed reading How to encourage your child to practice the piano. An excerpt:

Performances are also motivating to piano students, because none of them want to be embarrassed or unprepared in front of their fellow students and peers. For this reason, I notice a dramatic increase in students’ practice time in the weeks leading up to a recital or some other performance. This is a good thing!

Many piano students are also inspired by hearing the performances of more advanced students. I remember being awed by my teacher’s playing when I was a student, so I try to perform myself for my students at least once a year on a big recital.

Creating motivated students is the holy grail of piano pedagogy--young pianists who are motivated to work hard, enjoy the process, and love to play at any level...