Lesson One

Lesson One

The first lesson with a new teacher can be a daunting experience…

 

I had a violin lesson last night, the first one with this particular teacher.

 

Playing for an unfamiliar authority figure is a stressful and uncomfortable experience because they are judging you.

 

The trouble is, no one likes being judged, especially by someone who is better than you, but then it’s not the best idea to choose a teacher on the basis that they are worse than you.

 

Of course they have to judge you, or to put it in a less dramatic way; they have to assess your current abilities so that they can then teach you.

 

Another problem is the fact that you want to impress the teacher and, by the very fact that you have arranged a lesson, you don’t actually believe you are impressive.

 

So, how do you deal with such a stressful situation and manage to get through a whole hour without resorting to fainting?

 

Strategies have to be employed, strategies devised by your subconscious mind. When the subconscious mind moves you to deploy these strategies, our conscious mind can only marvel at their deviousness as we find ourselves putting them into action:

 

First Impressions:

Although you are a rubbish musician, at least you can be impressive as an intelligent and sociable person:

New Teacher: “Oh, hello! You knocked very quietly, it’s a good job I heard you. Come in!”

Me: “Thank you… what a lovely front door. It’s blue.”

Make your way steadily in the direction being indicated, confidently naming the colours of walls, carpets and soft furnishings along the way.

 

Getting Ready:

A good deal of time can be used up here.

Resting the instrument case on a sloped surface enables objects to be put on top, slide off, put back on top and slide off again several times.

I think that any longer than the three minutes I did this for may have seemed excessive.

This is also a good opportunity to reinforce positive first impressions:

New Teacher: “What a lovely violin case.”

Me: “Thank you, it’s a bit too slippy though… what’s the combination? Erm…. Oh yes… 123 456.”

 

Lower The Teacher’s Musical Expectations of You:

This enables you to at least have a chance of making a good impression musically.

Adopt a quizzical expression and repeat, with a downward inflection, any musical terms that the teacher might say:

“Fourth position. Third position. Arpeggio.Tuning. Trilling. Scales. Shoulders. Pencil.”

Actually I did finally admit to an understanding of “pencil”, retrieved mine from my bag and informed her that it was the same colour as her front door.

 

The Moment Has Arrived:

The music has been selected and is on the stand, violin and bow poised, the teacher is standing to one side, relaxed and attentive, ready to judge. Concentration at its peak, deep breath in…

Me: “Before I start. Is that an apple tree in your garden?”

New Teacher: “Which one?”

Me: “The one at the bottom on the left.”

New Teacher: “The one with the apples on?”

Me: “Yes.”

New Teacher: “Yes. Yes it is. I’ll pick some for you to take home with you if you’d like.”

Me: “Oh yes please, do you want to pick them now?”

New Teacher: “I’ll pick them after our lesson. Now, when you’re ready…”

 

Then I play. The time flies by. The new teacher gives warm encouragement and gentle helpful advice. The lesson is over. It was great. She asks if I want to book another lesson.

 

That wasn’t so bad after all.

 

I drive home happy and excited… and with a big bag of apples – red ones.