I have been teaching two 7 year old twins recorder for about two months. They seem reasonably able but have had a problem just sitting still and listening, with the result I waste a lot of time settling them down until they get too excited again. I even plan the lessons to be quite fun but avoiding anything that creates too much excitement. This morning they were particularly carried away and their parents confirmed what I had been thinking that perhaps teaching them together is asking for this carry on. We may try 15 minutes each next time instead of half an hour together.

Does this make sense or am I missing something?

It makes perfect sense.

I teach twins but they have separate 30 minute lessons each. We do work on duets that they can play together at home and I see them occasionally together for lessons when they both behave in a much more inattentive way than they do when they are on their own.

My recent, separate problem is that although they have Seriously Rich parents and I advised VERY clearly about the size and make of the new violins they should get, they have ignored all my advice and bought McHorrors.

Hmm, this is a recurring theme - parents are loaded and will happily spend money on holidays in the Caribbean, fancy sports cars, private school fees etc but won't fork out for a decent instrument - sigh.....

Don't know if this is just a twins problem my girls were pains when learning together. The individual lessons sounds a good way forward. When we split a lesson like this one pracised in another room whilst the other was taught and then they swapped.

I think I would try separating them - they could still do an occasional lesson together as a treat if they are well behaved. I had a similar problem, not with twins but with a brother and sister very close in age and I ended up separating them. The sister has since made very good progress. The boy is still not very settled and I'm having to be rather more inventive than usual to keep his attention.

Yes, it makes sense, and you may get more out of two 15-minutes sessions than one longer one together when they can wind each other up - as children do! Also, at 7, it is possible that they find 30 minutes too long to sit still anyway, and that will exacerbate the problem.

Gave them 15 minutes each today and they were perfect. Problem solved.

Ten weeks in and they can only play 'Joe Joe Stumped his Toe', but they are making a decent sound and enjoying playing. Benefits of having a recorder specialist perhaps.

Tell me about it!

The same parents just spent £60 on each twin so that they had a perfect fancy dress outfit to wear each on World Book Day. These were hired costumes that they had for the one day only - imagine being THAT rich!!