PPP 368: Three Questions I Ask (almost) Every Student At (almost) Every Lesson

Question 1: “What do you think?”

• • The #1 question I ask after a student plays a piece

  • Teaching students to be active listeners and self-evaluators

  • Guiding them to notice dynamics, articulation, finger choices, and more

  • Why “I don’t know” is just the starting point of a deeper conversation

Question 2: “What can we do to help you practice this at home?

• • There is a big difference between asking and telling

  • Sticky notes, rainbow phrase marks, and other practice aids

  • Letting students make decisions about visual aids

Question 3: “What should we do with this piece this week?”

• • Options include: keep working, polish for performance, or move on

  • Teaching students that not every piece needs to be perfected

  • The power of setting a finish line

Five-Star Song System

• • Inspired by Cathy Lissinger’s suggestion at TMTA

  • Using colored stars to represent levels of mastery:

    • • 🟢 Green – Correct Notes

      • 🔵 Blue – Rhythm & Steady Beat

      • 🔴 Red – Articulation or Fingering

      • ⚪ Silver – Dynamics

      • 🟡 Gold – Performance Ready or Memorized

      • 🟣 Purple – Earned when all five stars are achieved

  • Friendly studio competition & purple star beads

  • Helps break big goals into bite-sized, motivating steps

Encouraging Reflection at Home

• • Suggestions for parents:

    • Ask open-ended questions about pieces

    • Avoid leading with “Do you like it?” or “Did you practice?”

    • Help your child articulate why they enjoy (or dislike) a piece