Every good music teacher I know talks about how much they have learned from their students. Sometimes the student just has to ask "why?". Suddenly you realize the "jig is up" and they are going to find out that you don't know everything. But if you're honest with them (it is the best policy after all) you tell them that you will find out and give them a proper answer next time.
Other times the students will introduce you to music, musicians, or styles that you were unfamiliar with. With the young kids this is extremely important because they just showed you how to keep their interest. That's one of the joys of private teaching. You can be very flexible with the curriculum and still maintain the goals.
That is what is happening with a couple of my students right now. These kids are approximately twelve years old and are asking me to teach them songs by artists I don't know. But just as important, they want to learn fingerstyle arrangements by artists I've never heard of.
One such artist is Andrew Foy. He's just a kid himself and he records himself sitting in his room. I'm not sure he's even old enough to drive. I think that's part of the attraction. He is one of them. He's a pretty good player, but I could reference several others that are better. But Foy looks like a high school student and if you are in middle school that's something you can relate to.
He also plays the hits that they listen to. Many of the better players are playing music from the sixties and seventies. Even though this is good music it's the music their grandparents love. For them it doesn't really have the cool factor. Let's face it. I haven't been cool since 1974 and I was never that cool to begin with.
Stylistically it's pretty close to the way I play so it's easy for me to show them how it's done. But we are at the beginning of the process and it's not something that can be learned in a week or two. But these kids seem to understand that. I think I can have them achieving their goals in about a year. Or at least seeing enough progress that they stay motivated. More importantly, I think I can have them surpassing these same goals and doing some amazing playing while still in high school.
Because of these kids and others like them, I'm optimistic about the future of instrumental guitar music. If these kids are starting at a young age then they may also become serious creative forces. I also feel privileged to know these kids and to be able to help them achieve their goals. And I feel lucky that they've decided to teach me a few things too.