Instead of saying “Perfect” try...

Often we unintentionally train children to strive for perfection. And if there is anything I’ve learned over my full-time career as a creator is that perfectionism kills creativity.

It can be as simple as praising them for perfection when they’re playing a song they are learning. There is no such thing a “perfect”. Even if there are no mistakes when they play, it’s important for students to learn that perfect isn’t the only thing worth celebrating.

It’s so important that as teachers, we praise students, not only for playing a piece with no mistakes, but also for the feeling they put into it, the effort they put into practicing, their consistency, the love they have for the song, and their improvement.

Here are some encouraging phrases and teaching tools I like to use with my students practicing in the studio:

Compliment a specific part of the song. I.e. “I love your dynamics here,” or “beautiful legato in this section.”

“I love how even though you made a mistake you kept going. That’s how it will be at the show. Let’ go back and practice that section so you feel more confident”

Sometimes when a student is having difficulty I like to offer this kind of encouragment:

“Let’s practice this part super slowly, 3 times, then put it on the back burner.”

“Keep an eye out for that sneaky note in bar 3.”

“Try saying the notes in the bar out loud while you play them. That will help you remember them.”

Comment on how much a part that was challenging has improved. “This part was so challenging for you last week, and now you’re playing it with so much confidence!”

Here are some phrases I like to use to encourage self-validation:

“How did that feel for you?”

“Is there a part you’re feeling stuck that you want to work on?”

If your student is about to play a correct note, then doubts themselves, you can say, “Trust your instincts!”

These are just some of my favourites. Comment with your favourites so we can help each other grow!

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