Maintaining Your Skills
If there ever comes a time in your family (such as when you have young children) when you are just spread too thin and must take a little break from teaching, I believe there are many ways to remain competent and to maintain your professional skills.
- Remain active in professional associations
- Attend conferences and workshops
- Take piano lessons
- Practice!
- Visit the music store and peruse new methods
- Teach a student or two
- Read lots of pedagogy books!
- Subscribe to as many music journals as possible – and read them!
- Listen to piano literature
- Be an adjudicator for festivals
- Take a music class
- Teaching swap with the children of another piano teacher – you teach their kids, they teach yours
- Help your child with his/her practicing
- Teach your children
- Perform!
What other ideas do you have?
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Such great ideas! In fact, I sort of feel guilty because I don't do many of those things… but I should take it as inspiration, not guilt!
Some fabulous ideas! Thanks! Another thing that I recently initiated was the formation of a piano trio (myself, a violinist, and a cellist). I love chamber music, and playing with other instrumentalists is a wonderful way to get to know their performing style (and their teaching techniques, as they are both also teachers). We get together almost weekly with the goals of making quality music together, having fun, and putting on several recitals. Brahms B+ piano trio is our current project!
Leanne, what a wonderful idea!! Seriously, I am inspired. That would be so fun, I'll have to remember this idea for the future…
A friend of mine came over the other day with her flute and we played duets and it was so fun to make some music together. I miss accompanying and ensemble work. Thanks for the idea!