Excerpts from Magazine Articles:
Making Music and Enriching Lives
By Bonnie Blanchard and Cynthia Blanchard Acree,
Indiana Music Press (iupress.indiana.edu) 320 pages
Notable Quote
"Nothing is more crucial to the success of your studio than recognizing and rewarding your students’ hard work. Recognize students for their results and effort. Anyone who practices to the best of their ability deserves recognition regardless of how much they have improved. Psychologists tell us that children of all ages would rather be praised than punished- but would rather be punished than ignored."
Overview
Anyone who teaches private lessons-from professional studio teachers to beginning band directors-will appreciate and benefit from this tome. Blanchard covers everything from improving practice techniques and sightreading to stage fright and relationship -building in a fun, witty style filled with practical advice. Chapter thirteen, titled "Host Musical Parties" is particularly outstanding with excellent ideas for studio recitals. The final chapters of this book will be especially useful for anyone considering starting a private teaching studio.
Author Profile
Bonnie Blanchard earned music and teaching degrees from the University of Washington. She has been a flute instructor for 30 years and is founder of Silverwood Music Ensembles. Cindy Blanchard Acree is author of the Gulf Between Us: Love and Terror in Desert Storm. She has bachelor and master’s degrees in psychology from the University of Washington.
Available through Carolyn Nussbaum Music (wwwflute4U.com/blanchardmaking music.html) and Amazon.com. or order directly from MusicforLifebooks.com and author Bonnie Blanchard will personally autograph your first edition book, plus each order will include the reproducible handout "How to Be a Great Student" which you can give to your students.
Reviewed by
Elizabeth Watson
Bonnie Blanchard is a prominent flutist and vocal performer in the Seattle area. An acclaimed flute teacher, she has written a comprehensive manual for music teachers which is packed with ideas for making music a valuable part of each student’s experience. At the heart of this book- and it is a big, enthusiastic, and generous heart- is the emphasis on establishing relationships based upon mutual trust and respect.
Blanchard is passionate about teaching: not merely dispensing instructions for the flute student, but addressing the whole person. She recognizes the importance of music in education, getting the students’ families involved and helps the student build a foundation for a life- long relationship with music.
The first in a series of books Blanchard calls Music for Life, it is well -organized and chock full of tips and strategies, as well as her philosophy on what it means to teach music and instill students with confidence and pride in their accomplishments. This is a book any teacher, new or experienced will find useful and inspiring. Upfront, in Part One: Enriching Lives, are the chapters in which she examines the teacher-student (and teacher-parent) relationship, attitude, motivation, and goal- setting. Part Two, Making Music deals with musicality, practice, chamber music, memorization, sight reading, with many suggestions for making these elements fun and interesting. Part Three tackles Your Toughest Teaching Challenges, covering the many problems you might expect, and quite a few more you might not expect, especially if you are new to teaching. This is another area where Blanchard’s long experience and creative solutions bring benefits. I especially appreciated the chapter on teaching adults, who have their own set of challenges. Lastly, Part Four, Running Your Private Music Studio, will be of great value to those who, after studying music intensively, set out to build a career with very little in the way of business models or experience.
I had the pleasure of meeting Bonnie Blanchard at the National Flute Association’s 2007 convention in August. I found her to be a delightfully warm, positive person. Her book is written with the same spirit and good humor. In Bonnie’s own words, "What counts is that no matter how you do it, you give each student your best and the opportunity to reach his or her own potential." Emphasis is Blanchard’s) Sound easy? Well no it isn’t. And she would be the first to tell you that. Making Music and Enriching Lives is a powerful and inspiring guide to help the music teacher find his or her own way.
MAKING MUSIC AND ENRICHING LIVES: A GUIDE FOR ALL MUSIC TEACHERS
Bonnie Blanchard with Cynthia Blanchard Acree
336PP ISBN 0253219175
Indiana University Press $24.95 www.iupress.indiana.edu
Bonnie Blanchard, who has taught the flute privately for more than 30 years, decided to write this book with her sister (author and writing consultant Cynthia Blanchard Acree) after giving a speech entitled "Transform Your Teaching" at a National Flute Association convention. Blanchard Writes :'I always envisioned writing a mentoring book for teachers... We take students who are blank slates and turn them into dazzling musicians.'
The book's division into four parts works well - Enriching Lives; Making Music; Tackling Your Toughest Teaching Challenges; and Running Your Private Music Studio. There's also a clever Music for Life notebook system included, comprising a three-ring binder with ten tabs including bullets, colours, stars and stickers.
Blanchard has filled the book with lots of good advice. 'Knowing your students as individuals makes you a better teacher,' she says. She also counsels :'Don't confine your teaching to books. Use demonstrations, handouts and gimmicks to catch your students' attention.' I agree wholeheartedly.! particularly enjoyed the section on studio parties, which covers sightreading, improvisation, concert, beginning- and end-of-season and reunion parties, to name a few.
Best of all are the two middle parts of the book. Blanchard lists 20 practice hints, among which are: develop a routine; establish a timetable; check out new pieces first; enjoy practicing; focus and concentrate; mark mistakes; take small bites; and chew slowly,
Her suggestions on how to jump-start practice procrastinators is especially useful. Also included are many helpful hints for teaching musicality. such as the use of dynamics - playing loudly and softly, playing crescendos and decrescendos, matching dynamics and accents. Tricks and checklists for teaching memorisation and sightreading are extremely detailed.
'Ensemble Basics 101' - which deals with how to start and stop, how to teach a student to lead or follow the leader, and ensemble etiquette - is a very helpful section. I was intrigued by the pre-concert eating advice - a well-balanced meal including a mix of carbohydrate and protein. Lists are also provided concerning what to play for college auditions and how to prepare for them.
My concerns about the book centre on the negative stories, such as the 'recital from hell' story, and the ones about Michael who hates to teach, and Wayne who has terrible students but is satisfied with mediocrity.) I did find myself speed-reading through most of the storytelling, especially the 'horror stories' section and Blanchard's detour into a tale about music teachers and pets. Also, considering that the book's subtitle is A Guide for All Music Teachers, there are simply not enough practical applications here for school music teachers. In fact, it was quite obvious that the book was written primarily with the private studio teacher in mind.
MIMI BUTLER
Bonnie Blanchard with Cynthia Blanchard Acree: Making Music and Enriching Lives. Indiana University Press.
This is a comprehensive, detailed, enthusiastic guide to the issues which affect all music teachers (not specifically the flute). I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it is full of excellent ideas on how to promote a love of learning in one’s students, how to motivate and encourage them, how to teach them to practise effectively, how to prepare them for performance and so on. In every chapter there are detailed suggestions for how to focus on certain aspects of playing, for example vibrato, dynamics, or phrasing. The psychological side of music teaching occupies many pages, with much helpful advice on creating good relationships with students and their parents, rewarding effort, and criticising construc-tively. The emphasis—quite rightly—is on creating committed musicians: ‘Musicality is the difference between typing and communicating’. The message behind the book is that musicianship is not the frost-ing on the cake, but the foundation of every lesson, however talented the student.
On the other hand, the enthusiasm is sometimes overwhelming, and the style overblown. Too many sentences are in imperative mood: do this, don’t do that, remember this, say that. While the detail is at times admirable, at others it is verbose, and there is some repetition of phrasing and ideas. Of course it is a good idea to compliment and encourage one’s students, but saying, ‘I am so lucky to have a student like you’, or ‘What could be more fun than teaching a student like you?’ seems to me rather over the top. I asked two of my pupils how they would have felt in the first lesson with me, if I had made them say, ‘I love my flute teacher and my flute lessons very much’ before even entering my house, and they both said they would have run away! Maybe this reflects a cul-tural difference between the Americans, who talk about their emotions far more freely than we do, and the British, who leave more unsaid and prefer more subtle signs of affection and appreciation.
Alison Uren
Product Spotlight:
Becoming a successful music teacher or music student has many challenges. All too often we are faced with problems we feel unqualified to handle and wish we had the support of a personal teaching mentor. Book one in the Music For Life series 'Making Music and Enriching Lives' by Bonnie Blanchard with Cynthia Acree and published by Indiana University Press provides novel solutions to teachers’ dramas and dilemmas.
Instructors of all instruments will find ways to transform their teaching as they help students achieve high standards, establish practice methods, play musically, handle stage fright, win contests, and love what they do. "Ask the Teacher" provides concrete solutions to difficult situations such as how to deal with interfering parents, work with underperforming students, "dismiss" a student, and how to avoid teacher burnout. Making Music and Enriching Lives helps teachers solve challenges, have lots more fun, and get even more fulfillment from their teaching.
Bonnie Blanchard has long been respected in the Pacific Northwest as a versatile freelance musician, yet she is best known as a dynamic instructor with unique teaching techniques that create skilled musicians with a lifelong love of music. Her student, Lauren Glass, is a Miyazawa Young Artist.
For more information please visit: www.musicforlifebooks.com
This is a fabulous book, especially for studio teachers in private studio, community music school, or college environments. The book had its impetus in a presentation Blanchard gave at an NFA convention, and it is well worth her subsequent work. Her core premise is "Music for Life," and building positive work habits based on trust, pride, respect, for teacher and student individually and mutually. In addition to a "philosophy" of teaching, the book has many examples of how to cope with the practical realities of applied teaching. The book has many examples of how to cope with the practical realities of applied teaching. The book is structured in a way that one can "jump around" in sequence, reading the sections that appeal to the moment. The 300-plus pages also include a list for additional reading. For newer teachers, this book could help one avoid some bumps in the road; for experienced teachers, it can be refreshing and affirming to reflect on various aspects of teaching. A product of the renown Indiana University Press, this book is widely available and a wise purchase.
Dr. Rebecca Dunnell teaches flute and music history at Northwest Missouri State University, and serves the KCFA as President.
Making Music and Enriching Lives-A Guide for all Music Teachers by Bonnie Blanchard with Cynthia Blanchard Acree (Indiana University Press, 2007).
We usually come to private flute teaching without training. Somehow we are expected to know what to do when presented with a student. This can be very scary when you are first starting out. Bonnie’s book sets out to help beginning teachers start their flute-teaching careers without fear and rejuvenate the teaching of those, like myself, who have been teaching for years. Some of the topics covered are: making relationship-building a priority, using practice tricks for fast results, taking the fear out of memorization, helping students become confident sight readers, conquering stage fright, acing the audition, establishing your private studio and developing a business plan, making the teacher’s life easier, and more.
As I read through the book, I felt like a fly on the wall in Bonnie’s studio, since she shared every aspect of her private teaching life, including what she says to students.
The book emphasizes that music teachers should work on the relationship they have with their students. This idea was very useful to me as I’d not really thought about it before. My main aim in teaching the flute has always been to help students as much as possible in every lesson, teaching them to the best of my ability. To keep my teaching up-to-date and fresh, I’m always on the look-out for new teaching ideas on the Internet, at master classes, and flute conventions. Bonnie’s book taught me how to shift my focus from trying to give the student a "gem" of knowledge every minute, to using some of those minutes to improve the student-teacher relationship. I’ve found that this can make the student more receptive to what I am teaching, help them (and me) get more enjoyment out of the lesson, and motivate them to practice.
While Bonnie shares many useful tips, I don’t agree with everything she says (e.g., I would not reward hard work with food because it could lead to eating problems outside of the lesson; nor would I have a student say "I love my flute teacher and my flute lessons very much").
I’ve tried to conscientiously apply Bonnie’s ideas about relationship-building. As a consequence, I’m now enjoying teaching flute lessons even more than I used to, and from the feedback I’m receiving, I know my students are as well. I would like to recommend this book to music teachers who are open to improving their craft. There are many useful ideas which I feel would help at least some aspects of any private teacher’s life.
Susan Maclagan
(posted on the flute list and the Galway network)
Bonnie Blanchard is a very enthusiastic teacher. Her enthusiasm is infectious and attracts a studio full of excited students who love to practice and experience their lesson as the highlight of their week. Private music teachers who want a successful studio like this will find many ideas here. Also, this book will be inspirational for teachers who may be experiencing a little burnout.
A passionate commitment to the enjoyment of teaching and to loving one’s students seems to be the idea. Blanchard says that teaching because you want to enrich lives is great, but the real secret to motivating yourself and your students is to sincerely create students (and parent) relationships that are loving, respectful, and inquisitive.
Part 1, "Enriching Lives," details her philosophy of motivating students. The first chapter provides a valuable overview, while the second chapter is inspirational in its description of the idea teacher-student relationship. I found great value throughout this section, for example, I was inspired to try her "two assignment book" plan from Chapter 9. In the first weekly assignment book, I loved the suggestion of sometimes devoting an entire assignment page to one particular piece, to be used over a number of weeks rather than one week’s lesson, so that everything you have to say about the piece is in one place. The second assignment book, called "Music for Life" is a notebook into which students copy important concepts that they learn from their lessons for from the first book, into organized sections for future reference.
Part 2, "Making Music" is loaded with practical ideas about teaching music, with many tips for memorizing, sight reading, and other essential skills.
Part 3, "Tackling Your Toughest Teaching Challenges" takes on beginning students, important differences between boys and girls, adult students, stage fright, and dealing with complaints.
Part 4, "Running Your Private Music Studio", has practical ideas for the business side of things, as well as a great chapter about what it means to be a music teacher.
The books is highly entertaining to read, and it contains a lot of information. You could take any one chapter and spend a month employing the many techniques offered. I have seen instant improvement in my relationships with some of my students as a result. Blanchard is a noted flute teacher, however the systematic study of this book over time could greatly benefit teachers of all instruments.
-Reviewed by Lee Galloway, NVTM San Diego, California
Well deserved praise for this one!, October 13, 2007
By C. Sunday (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
A number of people sent me the Amazon link for this book and indicated that it was the best book they'd read in this subject area. Mine arrived yesterday and I can't put it down. It really is excellent. I do think that the characterological makeup of pianists and string players is different than that of flute players (the book is written by a flute teacher and freelancer in Washington state), but nevertheless, the book is full of ideas and helpful recommendations, and is not to be missed.
This is the best book that I have seen on how to teach -- in this case how to teach music, but it is full of tips on teaching in general. The book captures Bonnie Blanchard's fun, funny, wise approach and 30+ years of experience introducing the world of music and love for music to her students from 5 to 85. As Sir James Galway says on the back cover, "...Bonnie's tips and stories will show how to run a studio, motivate students, deal with stage fright, teach artistry, and involve the whole family in music. This book is serious about music, but also fun....". I have been recommending it to all my friends, and especially those who teach anything, as it gets to the heart of the teacher-student relationship and has many stories and specific details on how best to help each student flourish. Plus you will learn about the rubber chicken that squawks if a student hits too many sour notes in a row! Great book!
Margaret Byers