Case Study Jessica #1

Jessica came in with an attitude once again. She was standoffish today. Nothing mattered to her. She had no thought or care about which piece she wanted to play for me first. As an eleven year old, she is coming into her teenage years with little respect for those who care for her education. Her mother home-schools her, and I know from speaking with her mother that Jessica often rejects her mother’s instruction. She does not go to bed when she is told. She does not get out of bed when she is told. Practicing the piano doesn’t happen when she is told. Submitting to instruction is difficult for her.

Last week she told me that she has no interest in doing the festival this year. She is a talented student who does not apply herself. She doesn’t take the time to think about all the things she knows when she practices.

My time with Jessica is a push and pull game. She rebels against learning a new piece, but after spending weeks on it, she eventually comes to a point where she enjoys playing it.

She is a creative young lady, but is only willing to open up to a certain extent. A stubborn streak is evident in her from time to time. For example, she is unwilling to sing for her family at home even though they love her voice and encourage her, but she will sing for me in my studio where she also gets encouragement. Right now, she has it in her mind that she does not want to participate in the piano festival this year. This kind of thinking is affecting her practicing on every level. Should I let her quit and not participate in the festival, or should I push her to go through with the pieces she has already begun learning? If I let her quit, then I am giving into her whim, which is an unhealthy whim. Is she trying to control her piano teacher the way she tries to influence her mother’s decisions?

Today she played Burgmuller’s Arabesque beautifully.

She played her G minor and E flat major scales today: one octave of steady quarter notes, two octaves of eighth notes, and three octaves of triplets.

One particular piece, Medieval Sand Castle, has been difficult for Jessica this year. She has not been motivated to learn it because it is tied to the festival. She plays it beautifully and sensitively, but is unwilling to go the extra mile to put the finishing touches on the piece. I know she loves dancing, so today I turned the piece into a dance. We tried a few dance steps in the studio, and I gave her the assignment to make up a dance for the rest of the song. When she comes in for her lesson next week, I will play it for her while she dances and she will play the song for me while I dance.

Last, we worked on Beethoven’s Fur Elise, and Kabalevsky’s Clowns. Fur Elise is technically challenging for Jessica. Unless she disciplines herself to work through the difficult passages, it will be better if we save this piece for later.

We’ll see what happens in next week’s lesson! How can I take what I know of her unique personality and creatively motivate her toward expressing herself in music?