She's fourteen going on fifteen, thinks she's too tall, and has a mouth full of braces. Like most kids her age she is full of self-doubt. So when she came in for her guitar lesson last week it was a surprise to hear her play her lesson so well.
She's been my student for a couple of years now. Like most of my students, she puts in some effort and makes some progress but nothing to write home about. She certainly doesn't approach her potential. I think in the past she's been wary of it. The problem is that she absolutely hates to perform and if she plays well she will have to play in one of my recitals. So success, in her mind, brings a punishment.
We had a talk a few weeks ago and I assured her that I would never again require her to perform. I would most certainly encourage it, but never require it. Playing well does not obligate someone to perform. We play well for our own enjoyment but we perform for the enjoyment of others. A gift like that should not be coerced but given freely.
So she played quite well and was very happy with herself. Then I dropped the bombshell on her. It sounded pretty good, but there was still some work to do to finish it. And then I proceeded to pick it apart and show her things. It took the wind out of her sails but she quietly took it all in. The song was still her assignment for another week. She thought she was done with it and was going to get a new one. Although she would never say it out loud, I could read her thoughts in her face, "I got it all right. Why do I have to do it again?"
She played it for me again last night. It was beautiful. And she was beautiful. She had temporarily cast aside the self-doubt. Instead of yanking the notes from the guitar like pulling weeds from a garden, her fingers danced across the strings and the music flowed freely in loving response.
When she finished she looked me for a response. I was smiling from ear to ear and I simply said, "Wow". She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled the biggest smile I've ever seen from her (even though she tried not to because she's still embarrassed about having a mouth full of braces). I'm a teacher so I have to use this as a teaching moment, but everything I say is obvious. I'm just saying out loud what she already knows.
Last week she got the notes right. This week it was music. Last week she wanted to put this song behind her and move on. This week the song moved in with her and would be staying for a very long time. Last week she was a guitar student. This week she became a musician.