Why some students don't practise
By Philip Johnston

Page 1 of 6

Why students don’t practice

Music teachers don’t need to read this. We all know why students don’t practice.

It’s because they’re unmotivated and lazy and hopeless. Nothing a good lecture on working harder won’t fix- maybe a story or two about how being industrious leads to good things. When I were a lad, working down pit…

Hmmm. Problem is, it doesn’t work.

Partly because lectures are usually confrontational and a waste of time.

But mostly because lecturing at all misses the point:

		The not so nice way of putting it is that if you have a student who is not practising, it’s because you’ve missed something.

Motivation - or lack of motivation - is not a state of mind that people simply fall victim to, like some sort of disease or blessing.

It is created. By people. And by circumstances.

In other words, if your student is not motivated to practice, there is a reason for it. Simply insisting that they should get their act together and “be motivated” is going to achieve nothing. You have to target the cause itself.

That’s the nice way of putting it. The not so nice way of putting it is that if you have a student who is not practising, it’s because you’ve missed something.

And a lot of these impediments to motivation can have nothing to do with dedication.

So what should you be looking out for?

I have students who don't practise! Tell me!