I have a student who desperately wants to play a piece, which she insists she loves more than any other, that is a little above her level. Normally I would have no problem with allowing a student to play an especially challenging piece, in fact, I usually encourage it. However, this is the third song this student has "loved more than any other." The first I let her try about a year ago. She was getting into a rut with piano, not practicing much, etc. and I was hoping it would help her get her interested again. She learned the first two lines and would not go any farther. Eventually she found the second piece and we set the first one aside to work on the new one. This one was much simpler than the previous piece. The first week we worked through the introduction and when she played it for the next week I could tell she wasn't even trying. She played the intro but she didn't even start on the right key. (She does know how to read music.) I pointed out that it started on F and she was playing it on C but the next week she came back playing it the exact same, incorrect way. For the next month or so we repeated this process. It was obvious she was not practicing the piece at home at all. When I tried to teach her the next page of the song she actually refused to do it. I should also mention that by this time I had agreed to take a break from her regular lesson material, in hopes that she would enjoy a few months of playing the music she had chosen. So, now it has been a few months since piece #2. I gave her method book way below her level, thinking she was getting discouraged by practicing that was...*hard*. (Imagine that...hard practice...) This has done absolutely nothing for her. She still rarely practices. At the past couple of lessons she has told me she wants to play this new song that she "loves more than any other" and, needless to say, I am a bit exasperated by past experiences. I explained to her why I was very skeptical of letting her tackle this piece and, again, she repeated what she said about the other two pieces: she loves this one so much, she promises to do whatever is necessary to play it well, she will practice and hour every day, blah, blah, blah. To which I am thinking "yeah right." I guess, aside from the venting, I am really asking a three questions:
1. Have any of you had students like this?
2. How have you handled their requests?
3. What do you do to inspire students whose enthusiasm is declining?