Student Has Amazing Breakthrough By Doing What Teacher Says
John Man is a young violinist who has been struggling for years to overcome his limitations as a musician. Though graced with some talent and a degree of innate musicality, Man has always found it difficult to play with the sort of polish and professional mastery shown by his colleagues.
“I tried just playing the way I want over and over and over again, hoping that it would get better,” he said. “It never did! It was like, the more I played it the same way the more it would sound the same. What could I do?”
Finally, out of sheer desperation, Man started doing what his teacher had been telling him to do in every lesson for the past five years. “The results have been incredible!” said Man. “It’s as if following the advice of an older, more experienced musician allows me to somehow cultivate effective working habits better than my own.”
We spoke to Man’s teacher, Dorothy Schnupsky, whose teaching philosophy revolves around a concept she calls The Job. “As musicians, our Job is to play the music as musically as possible,” she said. “So if you look at things like the notes, and perhaps the dynamics and phrase markings, and basically every other instruction that has been dutifully laid out on paper using a sophisticated and clear system of notation developed over centuries, then your playing will improve. I charge an hourly rate to say this.”
Man also took inspiration from his roommate Bob Guy, who is studying to be a doctor. Guy reportedly spends hours studying facts until he knows them, because he eventually hopes to use those facts saving lives. “When Guy encounters a complicated fact he really tries to understand what it is, rather than hitting it over and over again very fast until skills develop,” said Man. “He doesn’t stop to tell anyone how difficult it is and which other doctors do it the best and how the love of doctoring is in his blood, he just works at it until he gets better. He has such a talent.”
Man is very pleased that he no longer needs to use his old system of learning things, which he called The System. This required him to smoke frequently, evoke his greatness unintentionally with suggestive anecdotes, and always insist that other musicians do not have “feeling.” Now that he has  discovered Schnupsky’s approach, he will soon find true happiness.
I wish I’d known this 60 years ago when I started the violin – I might still be earning a small fortune instead of slaving away on a pittance of a pension.
Oh man I love this one so much.
This made me laugh. I’ve been guilty! Thank goodness I have such a great teacher!
Ha ha Ha ha ha!!
Hahaha! Yes. And this goes with everything in life I think 🙂
– http://www.tealtomato.com
Brilliant.
Reblogged this on acostaem.
YEARS!!! I’m sorry, the fact that it took him years to figure out that being the student, maybe it would be a good idea to have followed the teachers instructions from the beginning. Since that is the point of a teacher/student relationship, the teacher gives instructions and the students are supposed to follow them. Then after time you can add your own personal touch to improve your preference if need be.
Onionesque story here I believe. Learning from a teacher sounds ludicrous doesn’t it?
It’s satire.
Education of teacher is important for a student, youth can have better development if they have good education. It will affect their future and career. Education of teacher is also a good way to make youth early independence.
Onionesque story here I believe. Learning from a teacher sounds ludicrous doesn’t it?
I am a teacher – all of the credible literature states that learning must be student centered – I’d rather see any student have a breakthrough RATHER than a breakdown … Mind you I do have a close colleague who simply says fuck them all!
Reblogged this on A bit of a devil to play and commented:
Doing what you’re told is sometimes counter intuitive.
Tried it it works 😉 Thanks!
Just as a sidebar: That photo looks so much like my viola!
You can ask the photographer about it if you like.
I got this from Pixabay- by Niek Verlaan
http://pixabay.com/en/violin-violinist-music-classic-374096/
Is the book available?
Yep!
https://www.throwcase.com/2015/07/20/man-becomes-better-musician-with-one-simple-trick/