An encouraging word.

It sounds basic, but I really thrive off of text messages and affirming words from parents of my students like this one below.

The reality is, you can't pay or convince anyone to do that - and you wouldn't want to. I figure even if I'm putting my best effort forward and doing my part to the best of my ability to connect music artistry to my student, yet don't get the validation from my clients it's actually happening... I'm missing the mark somewhere. It begs that something would need to change or improve until a response like this happens naturally & organically. I am not necessarily motivated by the "response", but it's a vital byproduct tin the service industry; let alone mentoring & educating young people.

I love what I do so much. Every lesson is a challenge and a thrill. It is my mission to set the standard and rise a bar so high within our model so that every student who will ever encounter the MtM learning system with any given instructor, anywhere ...will have the most memorable and valuable experience, compared to none. I won't rest until it is so...

-C

3 layers of empowerment, in one single image.

I love this photo. It was taken from a kindergarten teacher at Johnson Elementary School during a summer "Jump Start" 3-week camp for kids ages 4-5yo.

I have been experimenting with early childhood techniques based in principle from the pedagogy I have learned from my mentor, Dr. Carroll Rinehart.

Affirmation is the turn-key for learning.

In Dr. Rineharts's learning design, he speaks about the learner's "growth continuum". One of the essential principles that has stuck out to me throughout my 100's of hours of educating and training, is the power of affirmation.

The way Dr. Rinehart puts it, "when a learner is affirmed, they'll take risks. It is then trust is built. Without trust, learning cannot take place."

I've found this to be absolutely true in all of my experience teaching private lessons, coaching, and in the classroom with students. But it's also true in me.

When I feel that my value is affirmed... I take more risks, seek out more adventures, push the boundaries, and reach further to maximize my potential as an educator, artist, and leader.

But isn't that true in all of us?

These thoughts were in inspired just recently from the father of my very first Private Lesson student out here in California, Rylee (9yo).

"Hey we listened to your cd. It's fantastic! My 15 year old son is a great guitarist and already downloaded it to his iPhone. Rylee (9yo daughter) is all in after her first lesson with you. We are lucky to have found you."
-Jess (Long Beach, Ca)

It is my vision that the culture and spirit of MyTown Music is always jam-packed with affirmation, and love. The rest will merely be the beautiful bi-product... whatever that may be.

Are good teachers born or developed?

Good teachers are developed not born. 

Temperements are intrinsic; sanguines, cholerics, melancholics, and phlegmatics are born (or at least fashioned in early childhood (or at the very least adolescence)).  Character, on the other hand is developed and certainly,'good' implies quality of character more than quality of temperament.  Sure, there are predominating, superficial preconceptions about what a good teacher is or isn't.  However, that facade changes from culture to culture (even from person to person).  The Greeks exalted symmetry but existentialists the absurd--it's cultural.

I used to think that a good teacher was outgoing, gentle, savvy, quirky, and somehow dominating--a Willy Wonka of sorts.  I used to think that until I tried teaching.  I was good at being a 'Wonka', in fact I think I have a natural disposition towards that; I'm a performer at heart.  As the quarter progressed, it was evident that the quality of my temperemant (the things I was born with) couldn't carry the class.  I would day-dream, then, about being a Clint Eastwood or maybe an Atticus Finch.  "If only I were calm, cool, reserved...", I thought.

But 'good' has nothing to do with that.  Caring, committed, knowledgeable, faithful: these are 'good'.  And you don't get them by nature.  It has nothing to do with temperament.  They are developed like muscle.  You have to work them out daily.  It's a blood, sweat, and tears kind of thing. 
With regard to being a good teacher: I don't ask myself I am (intrinsically), but rather, if I am willing.

The role of a, Teaching Artist.

To me, education facilitation feels no different than composing or performing a song.

It's not work.
It isn't void of passion.
It doesn't come easy for it to flow naturally.
It's heartfelt and heart-centered.
I always receive more in return than what I share.

I don't care what anyone says, education is an art.

Empowerment: A Great Foundation

The essence of empowerment is actually quite simple: the ability to make a choice or decision within yourself. It is in this ability that a person discovers the identity of self ownership and responsibility for any given spectrum of life. From this discovery, a world of potential is unlocked and, with the right guidance and teaching, empowerment becomes the very source to take any matter of learning to a realm of uniqueness and originality.

As a music instructor, this is the very place I wish to take every one of my students. Empowerment allows the student to see music beyond the realm of a linear plane. In other words, they begin to see what they're learning through a multidimensional lens. So, instead of practicing your instrument, to then gain the ability to play something new, to then add on to what you're learning, which really becomes a big heap of knowledge, we look at the big picture and allow the student to discover why they are learning what they're learning. Of course, the practice is important, but the student sees practicing through an entirely different perspective. They see the big picture of limitless possibilities that creativity can bring them. What is then birthed in the student is an understanding that is coupled within experience which becomes the motivation and satisfaction for the student to continue in his or her musical endeavors. The students' perspective on learning is no longer about learning point A to get to point B and so on. Rather, a bigger picture is shown to the student that allows the progress of point A to point B learning to be an inevitable byproduct.


I am not going to just copy and paste material into a student. Honestly, that's what Youtube or guitar tabbing websites are for. There will be characteristics of my own musicianship that will be reflected in my students, but the foundation is an incredibly unique gift to make and play and compose music in an innovative way that is purely their own.


When I get a new student, the first thing I look for is what ultimately captures the students attention about music. From here I build on that and allow them to experience for themselves why that captivates them. This becomes the hook for the student to begin learning from this perspective. Empowerment will then begin to take shape within the student.


Encouraging my students to learn to think for themselves and understand how to make the best musical choices is the single most important thing I can do. The knowledge of music, the theory of music, the cognitive understanding of music all hinges on the student first discovering what music means to them.
Make this the platform for learning and your byproduct will be musicians and artists that play music for pure enjoyment and expression. They'll play music because they want to.

Thoughts on learning

This morning the MyTown Staff had a great meeting where we discussed (among other things- you know, as our Corey is an excited rambler) the experience of learning. It got me thinking. Our whole purpose in providing private lessons at Mytown is to provide a different type of learning- to blow away the barriers that our education system has built and release artists, confident and creative in their own merit into the community. So what does that look like? Are we dancing flower hippies that hoola hoop in your living room with hawaiian lays on? Or do we revolve around a structured platform of textbook learning, standardized for all students in a method book, void of personal ambitions or experiential learning? Neither, really. Mostly because I've never been able to hoola hoop. Our mission is to create a balance between an artistic student-centered curriculum that is individually defined, and that whimsical artistry that is born in a space created by a platform of freedom. Freeeeedom, the keyword. So what's it look like? Excited to find out.

On Early Childhood Development

In all honesty, it was never apart of our scope of focus to serve young children when we first began. It wasn't until the introduction to Dr. Carroll Rinehart, my mentor, where this not only changed but became a central focus for our services.

According to Dr. Rinehart, from prenatal to 4yo a child who has been exposed to both a language and experience-rich environment, he or she can have up to 40,000+ words in their vocabulary. The opposite is true that by depriving those essential elements to their development, he or she can have less than 10,000 words in their vocabulary. That is a massive neurological gap.

After 4yo the development begins to diminish rapidly and all growth in their communication, social, literacy, math, and science skills are built upon the already established foundation.

So what does this have to do with music?

Music is unique in that it is one of the only learning entrees that is both experience and language rich.

After I discovered this it really inspired me to see music empowerment as much more than even helping students enjoy and express themselves through an art form; I wanted to see MyTown Music partner with families in the process of building great individuals and contribute to a brighter future.

Meet, Polo. (16mo)