Struggling applies not only to the pupil but to me on this one!

About 18 months ago I took on a young teenage pupil for keyboard lessons. He had spent 6 months in a local keyboard class (another story) and was getting nowhere so his guardian approached me for one to one.
It soon became apparent that academically the boy is very challenged. Whilst chatty, polite and pleasant company, his knowledge of things general, let alone music is very below average......guardian informed me that as soon as he comes home form school - NEVER with homework - he was on the video game machine, pausing only for a meal, until bedtime. Practise at the keyboard is very sparse, and apologies for it absence very profuse.

However, here we are 18 months later on, still willing but struggling with the basics of notation, timing, keyboard layout (although I have abandoned all the gadgets and stick to the piano side of the very inadequate instrument).

To my utter surprise, I was told only 3 weeks ago that he embarked upon GCSE music at the end of the summer hols.

He needed some help with some music homework all of a sudden and presented me with a photocopied sheet from which he was supposed to identify 10 cadences as being either plagal or perfect.

There was no way that I could explain those to him in time for it to be handed in for marking, never mind the fact that it would be like upside-down chinese to him.

He also had to find out some information about EITHER Bach, Beethoven or Debussy. He hadn't a clue as to how to go about it, and until I pointed out the internet his mind was a blank. I left him with instructions to go for Beethoven, browse the internet and come up with some relevant points about Ludwig V.

The results the following week were just 3 words - "Beethoven was deaf" - claiming that was all he could find.

Do I throw in the towel, am I fighting a losing battle. I'll end up doing his homework for him if I'm not careful

He is clueless and I'm worried for his future.

Are there deeper problems with this one like maybe illiteracy that need to be dealt with?

To come back from all the wealth of knowledge the internet has to offer on Beethoven with simply 3 words is much worse than the 'can't be bothered' attitude that can be linked to some kids, and says to me that there is more to it. So if actually deciphering the information is too hard then there may be some reason to it.

Just a thought - not very helpful though, sorry.

To be honest though, if it is a case of this is all he could be bothered to do, there is only so much you can do to help.

Good luck.
D x

Reading and writing seem to be adequate - I think a lot of it is to do with family background but that's another story.

Surely this is a form of neglect? Surely his guardian has a duty to do something about this addiction?



Does the boy actually know how to use the internet? If he spends all his time on video games, and "wings" it when they use the internet at school, he may not be familiar with the normal channels of research on the internet.

And can he actually read? Even if he's not dyslexic, it sounds as if he's so behind in his education that he finds it difficult or impossible to assimilate knowledge. Why isn't his guardian helping him with his internet research?



Does his guardian have any interest at all in him

If he's a nice lad and worth persevering with - generally for the lad's sake, not just with piano - could you sit down at the computer with him during his lesson and see how he does his research. And if he hasn't a clue how to do research, show him what to do. And ask him to read aloud to you to make sure he can read properly. Introduce him to books about composers - children's books where the concepts and structure are simple enough for him to understand. If he has a problem assimilating information, books might be better because then he could cover up the paragraph and only reveal a sentence at a time, which makes assimilating the information more manageable.


As far as Beethoven is concerned, this site about composers is geared towards children. There are games on the site too, but no doubt not quite as his level!



Edit: just seen your post above, my post crossed.

Hmm, really difficult one - I think Skylarks suggestion of sitting down with him and doing a little of the research together is a really good one, whilst he may be fine reading and writing the sort of things that would come up in an average music lesson, he may struggle with more in depth word stucture that you find in text books or on most information internet sites. Whole paragraphs may appear daunting.

I definately agree that the guardian should be encouraging more homework and fewer video games but that is not something you are going to be in a position to greatly influence.

What really worries me is that the school may have pointed him towards music GCSE almost as a last resort thinking it may be an 'easy' option for him and in the hope that he will leave school with something?


Also has he had his eyes tested recently, if he's struggling with note reading there may be an optical problem.

I wonder what he gets out of it? Do you think he hasn't got any real interest in music, but he enjoys the one-to-one attention of the lessons - it certainly doesn't sound like he gets much attention at home

If there's no way he's going to get GCSE or even Grade 1, would it give him a boost to go for a Preliminary test with, say, the Victoria College of Music who state: "We have one aim above all others and that is TO ENCOURAGE". I remember reading on here posts from teachers who have put students in for these Preliminary exams and been really pleased at how the pupils have responded to the ethos of the VCM.

Instead of video games, could he be persuaded to play some online music games - note recognition, keyboard familiarity, rhythm recognition etc.

Would he do Hofnote exercises - the benefit of Hofnote being that the teacher can see the results and give feedback, so he wouldn't be working in isolation from one lesson to the next

I think, the guy has an even much bigger problem than not knowing how to use the internet. It seems to me, like he never learnt HOW to learn!

How old is he? Does he seem reasonable? Could you talk to him without him being offended? Could you offer him to help him learn learning? Are there any (easy) challenges, that you might give him each week after you talked to him, that he should accomplish? Not anything fanciful, mind. Maybe for a very simple musical problem the solution. If he has difficulties with the notes, than ask him, that he shall explain to you what the note means, and how it is played. Maybe when he can do that, than next time, a note, he hasn't seen yet. Things like that. It might help him to involve himself somewhat deeper than he used to up to now and maybe he finds along the way his own interest in things.

PS: Maybe he is still somewhat enthusiastic, because you and your lesson offer him a way out of his regular life. Maybe that is your chance to get him more interested. I would think it worth a try.

You don't have to do his homework for him but you could do it with him?
If he still wants to come to your lessons, it could well with this sort of pupil be because of you personally, and perhaps by taking a special interest, you could inspire him. If he's chosen music for GCSE, ask him why, then use it as key points in his lessons. You may not be able to teach him in the traditional way, but tailor his lessons around his GCSE, music he likes, jump on whatever has interested him that week, even if it is making up a piece of music that suits the mood of his latest video game!
Why does he want to learn? Would it impress his mates if he played a tune from their favourite song? Do they want to set up a 'band' at school with him as keyboardist?
Try and think of things that might make him laugh, or feel cool, or successful. With so many of these kids they've given up - if they don't do it they can't fail.

All excellent suggestions and thanks for taking the time.

In all my teaching experience (30+ years) this is the most difficult one ever.

No, he gets very little attention/affection from his grandparent with whom he lives - a vicious-mouthed whining, whingeing old biddy who has given up on him - if she ever started. She seems to delight in harping on what he CANNOT do - but then I've yet to see evidence of something he CAN do

I get the feeling that the boy's mother (don't start me on her!!!) lives abroad where booze and fellas are as cheap as she is!

You're right - he has never been taught or encouraged to learn, I bet!

But to suddenly be presented with Cadence homework must have come as a shock to someone that struggles with the concept of music in any case.

I wish you could be "flies on the wall" during a lesson. At times you really would see him thinking hard and really trying to make progress, and another week, it's as though he's been brainwashed of all knowledge.

I really shouldn't think of giving up on him, as I think that's what everyone else has done.

He sounds such a likeable, decent lad in spite of having such a difficult life - he deserves so much better

He's the sort of lad who would really benefit from having a "mentor" - in Leeds there are mentoring programmes where volunteers take time to help someone in this sort of situation. Is there anything like that over where you live?


Edit: I know there are all sorts of issues involved in the following suggestion, but if you could take him with you to listen to a theatre organ sometime, it would perhaps broaden his horizons and open up some aspirations for him Don't suppose it would be allowed though, even if you were willing to do this

How very, very sad. I can see why you said that you fear for his future. It sounds like you're the only person who cares about him and athough I can understand how frustrating the lessons must be, you could make a sigificant difference to his life. Please do keep us in touch with what happens.

This sounds like a huge problem. And I think if you can hang in there it would be really beneficial for this boy. I had an elderly relative who mentored a lad quite a while ago and got him on the right road where his parents couldn't really be bothered.

However, I think you're up against it here a bit, because you're outside the school system (I assume) and with the kind of guardian you describe it would be hard to approach her with your thoughts. That's not to say you shouldn't persevere, but clearly most of his understanding is miles away from GCSE music.

Perhaps the best you could do would be to interest him in sites like Hofnote and so on, and spend time teaching him how to use the internet for research purposes. Admittedly this is not your remit, and isn't "learning the keyboard" but it is an important aspect of life today.

I agree with the former entries.

Once I read a book by Alice Miller. She said, if there is even ONE person in ones life, showing that what happens around is not as it should be, the person will benefit from that one person all its life.

If you really want to do this, I also suggest that you try to use only positiv language. Encourage him were ever possible, say when he has done something good, thus counteracting the you are of no use attitude of his granny.

I agree. I've experienced this myself with a pupil who I've been tempted to give up on so many times, whose attitude has sometimes been disrespectful and whose background is far from ideal. But I know that her piano lessons have often been the only good part of her week and that she really wants to keep coming to them. My husband persuaded me, during one particularly difficult time with her, that I should persevere with her, as he felt that I was probably the only positive influence in her life at that time. Things seem better for her at the moment and her attitude has improved greatly, so I'm glad I didn't give up.

I once had a boy who began piano lessons with me when he was about 14 (the year before GCSE) and decided to take up music GCSE. He did very little practice and seemed to have some learning difficulties - or from my understanding a difficult family life. I noticed he didn't learn very well from reading music. He can read music slowly, if I really insisted, but the lesson became stagnant because he wasn't very keen, or forgets information quickly. One method I found that worked was teaching him a piece aurally, but with music in front of him. The music became a reference point only. I would teach him a short phrase at a time and asks him to play it back to me. When he asked me to play it again, I asked him to look at least the starting point of the hand position and the notes - he often remembered the rest. I also made him a CD of the piece of music he was learning. I recorded the piece in sections - each phrase is a track. I was hoping he would listen to it and play it back. I don't think he did because we took at least half year to learn the piece! Each lesson we worked on the same piece but different section of the piece. I often had to go back to hear what he learned previously. There were lots of repetitions but he never complained. The only thing he didn't like was note-reading or anything to do with theory! But he enjoyed playing the piano and making sounds from it. I often offer him improvisation or taught him what I called patterns (scales) so he could come up with variations of the pattern. So I played basic I--IV-V chords and he created melodies using a specific pattern. He has stopped lessons now after his GCSE.

I know your time is short to cram in cadences, but you could try improvisation and ask him to listen out for the pattern of sounds that signify finish or don't finish. He could at least get the perfect cadence.

Although this boy isn't very smart academically, it sounds as if he is generally bright and responsive so I think a frank talk with him would be beneficial. Talk to him, as though he were a grown-up, about your concerns. Tell him that the more he studies and practices, the better he will get and the more enjoyable it will be for him. (As others have said though, make sure that he actually knows how to study and practice) If you think his endless video-gaming is having a negative effect on his studying and it is eating into potential practice time then I think you should have serious words with him about this. After all, you are his keyboard teacher, and if this is seriously affecting his progress on the keyboard then it is your business and you are well within your right to bring it up. I know that this is only a part of the problem but it is perhaps something you could begin to address.

Tackle the grandparent. Give basic parenting advice, he should be encouraged, not told he is useless. Should he have a social worker?

A simple suggestion - sit down with him and work out a realistic practice timetable, with the practice being scheduled BEFORE the computer games are allowed to start. With all the will in the world, these games are very hard for teenagers to walk away from, as they always 'have to finish something' before they stop. They're often playing online with other people as members of a team, and 'can't let the team down'. Been there - unfortunately - with my own kids... It's hard to set a stop time, as the games are so open-ended, so I've found that the only answer is to make sure everything else that needs doing is done first. That's all very well if there's a parent willing to hide controllers and mice and things till the parent sees the evidence of other things having been done, but if parental control isn't there, then you'll have to get his agreement on setting a schedule that he's prepared to stick to himself. Even ten minutes as soon as he's home from school, and then another ten minutes after dinner is better than fooling himself that he'll give it half an hour later - because later never comes!

You also only see him once a week, and are likely to be out of sight and out of mind in the interim. Could you set up any sort of mid-week chat on the phone for him to give you a rundown on what he's managed so far?