Freedom and Structure
As a teacher, often time we hear students told us I want to do this and want to do that, but I don’t want to practice the basics…..or sometimes we see a student who would tell us “I want to play the piece this way and I want to play the piece that way…………….
As an admin staff member, often time we see parents who might just immigrated from Asian countries recently, where students in the school usually encounter a lot of academic pressures and competitions…..they would tell us that the culture of U.S. is freedom, so I want my kids to be “free” from pressures and competitions…………..
Many people don’t know that all the freedom is built on the solid basics and structures. Like our cute students…..they need to understand the basics and fundamental first and master the techniques and reasons behind them….then we as a teacher would give them the room and freedom to fly.
Many newly immigrated young parents, don’t understand that how much we as a teacher in the U.S. pay so much attention to basic manners, setting basic structures and rules and instill the disciplines into kids…etc. These are vitally important and are the basic ground to make students understand how to respect others before they can have the freedom and how to respect different opinions and treasure other people’s hard work before you can have creativity. Therefore, freedom is built on the solid structure and rules and all the freedom in the music world is built on many solid fundamental and disciplines. Music lesson apply to lifelong lesson, isn’t it?