If it doesn't work out, she can always wear a hat.

Janet


"A piano (basically speaking) is not an instrument that allows one to be emotive
or soulful."

Sorry Jimmy.  I'll have to beg to differ with you on that one. 

ME TOO....!

I've met many technically skilled musicians to whom music is merely technique and sound, like math. And I've met many who don't know much about playing any instruments, nor are interested in seriously studying it, but who just "have it". They can create a catchy song with attitude only strumming an E7-chord.

There is always the possibility that a prodigy, a maybe-the-new-Amadeus, is something like a "25%" autistic talent, who will actually never have any emotions involved in the music.

If you ask her what kind of music makes her feel like crying, you might get hints about her feelings.

Janet, I'm with Legion... You can throw all the Dr. John and Ray Charles you want at her, and it might not tweak her ear.  I didn't understand any of that stuff until much later.  I'd suggest asking her what she listens to when she's on her own, and if she's ever played in that style.  I didn't feel anything until I started playing what I like.  No, it didn't necesarrily translate well to piano (seriously, Depeche Mode and Pink Floyd), but I TRIED HARD to make it do so.   At the time, all I had was a piano, so I did what I could.  And, it was so nice not to play Pachelbel AGAIN.

If you can draw her out, it could be amazing.  Maybe even ask her to try her hand at songwriting - you are certainly talented enough in your own right to help her to that end. 

All great thoughts, guys.  Thanks!  Very helpful!  She just came for her lesson and is playing 'Dona Nobis Pacem,' obviously a very pretty song.  She almost has it down technically, but I encouraged her to now add feeling, sort of showing her the difference.  I asked her what it made her think of and she said and nice, quiet, winter evening around a fire.  And I told her to play that.  We'll see how that goes. :-) 

And yeah, Mike...what fun and inspiration it is to play with a good band.  Wow!! :-)

Jules, I wanna give her a chance at songwriting in the next few months too.  :-)

That's a great idea, David.  Thanks!  Actually, she's smart enough she'll probably get it when she's ready.  And she's definitely getting her technique down now.  Shoot, if only I woulda practiced that much at her age!!!

To echo a lot of the posts :
 
It is important to find out what she likes. After that, you can help her analyze why she likes it. There is the possibility that it could end up being something that you don’t expect.
 
I grew up with a guy who was a gifted guitarist. His parents bought him a Gibson SG when he was 13 years old. He already had nylon acoustic and steel string acoustic guitars, and he played them to bits. He could play anything – rock, jazz, blues, country, classical, bluegrass, anything that came his way. He could listen to a song and work on it until he could play it flawlessly. The notes were perfect, timing perfect, tones perfect. The thing that irritated me the most was that he didn’t have any internal fire. His great love was in his ability to play, mostly his ability to conquer the mechanics of playing and his ability to capture something with his ear and accurately relay it to his guitar. His life was centered on doing rather than creating.
 
He ended up being a session guitarist in a small studio. He was a “go to” guy when somebody needed a backup/support musician, and he was good at it. He never wrote any music on his own, but he always had a paycheck and he was always happy with his chosen career.
 
Find out what motivates her and help it along. She will eventually pick her own course.

And it's not limited to music - it seems to pop up in anything that can be called "artistry". When you go to an art museum, the majority of the people there will be one of two types - those who "know art" and will collect anything that they can define as "real art", and those who don't "know" art but really know what they "like".
 
I'm one of those guys who can read music if given enough time - I can figure out the notes in a single bar if you give me about an hour or so. But I have the drive and desire to play anything that's on my mind at the moment. It's too bad that I'm also all thumbs and my playing stops just short of having the cops show up while the neighbors are pelting me with garbage.
 
(I would like to claim that I also have a ton of expertise in DAWs too, but I don't. Fortunately for me, you installed your home studio just about the same time I did - I really never had to post a bunch because you were already asking the questions that I needed answers to...)

My experiences in this area have been that it takes time and evolution for the student to grow here. I do know that one thing that will help is to teach or have her sing a song she likes. Explain she's not going to perform this song to anyone but alone to herself . Ask her to pick a song, she doesn't have to tell anybody about it, to include in her practice just for fun. See if she can pretend to sing it to an imaginary crowd. She won't have to spend no more that 10 min on it it doesn't have to be loud or anything like that. It's for her. Assign a simple melody and have her play only one note at a time but to make out like the piano is her voice. That way she can concentrate on the feel of what she's playing and not the technique and physical part of it. Soul is an individual thing and her's will emerge in time. It's our job tell help our students realize the possibilities in as many ways as we can. Hope this helped.

Great idea, Bill!

Mark, I can always count on you for great ideas!  Thanks!  :-)  (actually, she's one of my favorite and students are few and far between this year...)

Good points, Jonas.  At the rate she's going, she'll have 10,000 hours racked up in a year or so. 

Unfortunately, a good majority of my students are low on motivation.  It's not until most people are adults (me included) that they realize what they wasted.  But this gal...well, her mom gets upset that she practices so MUCH! 

I'm sure she'll get the 'feeling' eventually.  Right now she's working so hard on the technique...and she'll be brilliant if she keeps it up.

Good ideas, Jim.  Thanks. :-) 

How's Canada treating you? 

Hi Mesh!

I've used Bastien Piano Basics for years.  There are other similar ones out there though.  (unfortunately, the names escape me right now.)  I get my Bastien books on Amazon for 1-49 cents each (plus shipping.)  I don't start students until they're 7 (maybe because that's what my mom did), but of course, if they're quite interested and capable, I'd start them earlier.  Do you read music?  If you do, I'd think you'd at least be able to get her started...and then just keep learning along with her.  If you don't and you're musical anyway (which you must be if you're here :-)  )  then, I'd guess that as long as you keep one lesson ahead of her, you could continue to teach her.  I'd like to know if that works if you try it. :-)  

Or you can go the Suzuki-type method and have her listen to songs then play them without even reading music for several months.  I don't really know much about that though.  Whatever you do, at this stage just make it fun for her and don't go so overboard that she loses interest. 

You're welcome.  She sounds pretty musical already.  I'm looking forward to seeing where she goes with it. :-)