Abstract:

We present a novel approach to fostering the special bond between teacher and student during individual lessons in vocational courses, with focus on piano accompaniment. Existing theories on education mapping the cookie-cutter recipe an instructor should follow are herein adapted to fit this particular one-on-one teaching process. General information on the topic and specific data on the analyzed music are typically intertwined with on-the-spot feedback from the student, as this is a hands-on course. Psychological interactions are more important than in a lecture course and the teaching strategy will be different for each student, even on identical topics. This strategy comes together with continuous adjustment during the ongoing educational event, not a home-prepared expose. The liveliness of the presentation is of main concern for the instructor in order to keep the student interested and motivated. The language used should consider each student’s sensitivity, in order to choose the right stimuli. Each educator needs to be aware that the outcome of the same presentation can and will be different from one listener to another, due precisely to this sensitivity. We conclude that teaching a one-on-one vocational course requires more flexibility than a lecture-type of delivery and the sheer creativity of the educator has to be fully involved.

Keywords:

Educational strategies, music, one-on-one course, flexibility, creativity.