TTTV026: Relate > Create > Educate with Nick Ambrosino
Nick Ambrosino has two unique books about piano teaching, Coffee with Ray and Lessons with Matt. These are not your standard teaching textbooks, they’re presented as novels, with lots of teaching tips hidden inside. Nick has some interesting perspectives and techniques when it comes to how to educate piano students. For instance, he believes we should see ourselves as facilitators, not teachers. We’re helping our piano students on their journey, but a lot of the progress they make (or don’t) is done when they’re on their own at home. If we start taking all of these successes and failures on, as if they are our own, we’ll burn out. This is just one of the interesting distinctions that Nick explains on today’s podcast. Take a listen and you’re sure to think about some element of teaching in a new way!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why you should start thinking of yourself as a facilitator, not a teacher
- Using compliments wisely
- How to start each lesson right
- Why you should exchange buts for ands in your comments after a student’s performances
- How Nick applies “Goldilocks” to piano practice
- Why you should think about getting your students to write their own assignment notes
- How teaching piano is similar to sanding wood
Items mentioned in this podcast:
- Coffee with Ray
- Lessons with Matt
- How to Raise an Adult
- Nick’s website
- Nick’s facebook
- What I’ve learnt from asking more questions in music lessons
