Question: why do students quit?

[tomclear]

 Fascinating thread in the Student's Corner: I quit.
 As a piano lifer, I never cease to wonder, not why anyone takes up the
instrument, but why anyone would stop?
 
  I've had students move away, some disliked it from the beginning,
became more interested in other things, etc.

 Isn't this the fundamental question?
 

[m1469]

well, it's probably "different" for eveyone.  I "officially" quit three times in my life.  The first time because I thought I had to choose between it and other things. 

The second because I was very lost and very frustrated and was literally giving up on everything that I had ever dreamed about it.

But, it didn't stick and I went back to school to finish a degree in it  .

The third was after I graduated and I was again, giving up on everything that went along with it for me (though this one was a little different).  I sort of thought to become a mature adult I needed to grow out of it.

But, I am slowly coming out of given up/beat mode and into raging wanting to learn more mode.


m1469

[tomclear]

 That's very interesting: i think I can only be an adult by giving in to my piano thing.

[m1469]

Well, yes.  That thought of "growing up"  really stuck with me after I heard a lady giving a lecture and she kept talking about how she "grew up" and realized she should do this or that.   It was implied that she grew up and out of her "dreams" about it.

[edit]  I suppose my point is that each time, I was not giving up on the instrument itself as much as I was giving up on my relationship/possible accomplishments with it.

It's an important distiction I think.

[sznitzeln]

I think students quit if they are pressured too much, or not encouraged enough, or even discouraged. Or perhaps if they are not so interested in (classical) music.

I have had a hard time since I began playing...
I was never satisfyed with my accomplishments and worried about what others thought... did they think I was wasting my time? So there were forces in me that wanted me to give up...
I also had some thoughts that everything is to late and I have to give up dreaming about being a pianist.
I started studying physical engineering...
But I never quit, because I still had my dreams.
Now I had some changes in my life, and I have been influenced by kind friends to believe its not too late, and perhaps have "grown up" to believe you have to take chances and give yourself some treats
So now I am practicing to apply for "conservatoire" or what the swedish word translates to.

Acutally I think these things are not only about growing up... Even if you are allready "grown up" you still have a lifetime of searching to do. Just becuase you take a wrong turn doesnt mean you made a stupid choice.

[marialice]

I quit for a while when I didn't have a piano available. I had seen this coming, so a year before going to university I started on the violin (I could take this instrument with me) but unfortunately my housemates didn't like to hear me practicing and I was a bit too shy to do it anyway.

[johnkeller]

I think students quit because piano music notation is just too difficult - see my post under the Suzuki thread. If the notation was easier to learn, more students would play for their own leisure-time enjoyment, but as it is not easy, they prefer to play computer games.

Or maybe they become aware that they are being misled. Most of us who are now piano teachers expected that we would be performing at some level, when we were learning, right? But how many of us are?

I won a scholarship to study o/s and did a MMus at IU (with honours!), but still couldn't cut it when it came to radio broadcasts. Even music club performance proved too much effort for the available work and pay. Basically I feel I was misled and was too dumb to reallise it.

Eventually I got into commercial bands and piano bars, which was a reasonable income, but this used my self-taught skills of playing pop music by ear, rather than the classical training I got from my teachers.

We really should be careful not to pass on the same delusions to students. Even the best ones should realise they have very little chance of performing for a living (unless they can do pop stuff, and that takes more than being able to read and play classical music). We should guard against getting kudos for ourselves by seeing our students get A's in classical piano exams. Is it really in their best interests?

I could rave on, but I'll leave it at that. Cheers all, John 

[lagin]

Students quit because this day and age, most people want to be entertained, but when they find out how much work it really is, then suddenly it's not entertainment anymore.  Piano is also viewed by some as an extra-curricular activity, rather than a necessary part of education.  These are the two reasons that come to my mind, anyway.

Check it out! I just became a full member.  Nifty!

[erica]

I think lagin has two good points. 

Students quit because this day and age, most people want to be entertained, but when they find out how much work it really is, then suddenly it's not entertainment anymore.  Piano is also viewed by some as an extra-curricular activity, rather than a necessary part of education. 

People, particularly young ones, want to be entertained.  I have several students that play for entertainment only.  They have no aspirations for classical performance, so I tailor their lessons that way.  I think it's important to continue to develop technique, while keeping a student interested in/excited about music.  Of course, I think it's a mistake to discourage classical training.  When I start lessons with a new student, we begin with a classical focus, and modify it as the individual progresses.

Also, most of my students are under 18 and have some sort of general music class in school.  By taking piano lessons they are expanding their musical exposure.  At this point, few of them have serious aspirations for professional music employment.  I try to expose them to technique and theory, develop their individual work ethic and hope that they find a place for piano throughout their lives.  I emphasize the importance of practicing the lessons I assign, but I also encourage them to find music they like and play with it on their own.  That certainly increases the chances that they'll at least keep playing through their early years...with or without structured lessons.

I try to be realistic about my students' potential without being negative.  I would be thrilled if they all chose to continue seriously with the piano through adulthood, but if not, I hope that they will at least be able to draw on our lessons and develop their "hobby".

Erica

[Torp]

Why does anybody quit anything?  Usually it is a combination of factors.

They're disillusioned:
Often people fall in love with the idea of something without having an understanding of the reality of it.  Most people I know wish they could play the piano as well as a concert pianist (myself included).  A lot of people I know are intrigued with the idea of climbing mountains, trekking through Nepal, travelling around the world on a motorcycle or bike, yadda, yadda, yadda.  The reality of any activity is often very different from what the outside word sees in the news clips.

They are discouraged:
I remember a story about 4 frogs who fell into a deep, muddy hole.  There was a great roar of horror as, up above, in safety, the rest of the frog tribe looked down at them.  All four frogs jumped with all their might.  As exhaustion began to take its toll the frogs up above starting yelling down, "There's no hope! Give up! You have no chance! There's nothing we can do!" 3 of the frogs simply gave up and were overcome by the mud.  The fourth frog however didn't give up.  He jumped even higher.  The crowd of onlookers yelled even louder, "It will never work! You're doomed! GIVE UP!"  The fourth frog didn't stop. With his last bit of effort he jumped the jump of a lifetime, sprung free of the mud, cleared the side of the hole, and landed in an exhausted heap amongst the throng of onlookers.  The other frogs were amazed.  They all gathered around to ask how he had done it and why he hadn't given up like they had told him to.  It was then that they found out the fourth frog was deaf.  He said, "Everytime I thought of giving up I looked up and saw everyone up above yelling at me.  I thought you were all telling not to give up."

Having an environment of encouragement can go a long way towards keeping people involved in something.  Not having that environment has the opposite effect, very quickly.

They have other priorities:
Let's face it, life sometimes throws us curve balls and we move towards other things that seem to feel more in line with where we want to go or who we want or think we need to be.

They lack a personal connection:
I don't think you can truly quit something that is a part of you, as m1469 suggests by coming back to the piano.  Many people never develop a personal connection to music.  It is something that comes off the radio and it fills up silence.  I know many people who can listen to music but never really hear it.  It doesn't affect them on any real emotional level.  Without an emotional connection to something it is easy to give up.  This area gets back to the question that has been asked several times on Piano Forum, "Why do you play the piano?"

Don't know if I added anything new to the discussion, but that's my $.03.

Jef

[m1469]

These things that you have said Jef, are indeed very important.  At least to me.

I might also add, that although in my case I quit three times, after the first two times, I came back with much stronger force than ever before and accomplished a great deal more.

If I can get my feets under me again, I know the case will be similar with this last time. 

So, I guess I am not sure whether or not quitting is bad, though I really, really don't want to go through "quits" at all.  So maybe it's not the quits that give strength, but the desire to continue.

m1469

[pocorina]

Well, I quit (present tense) a lot of things just to punish myself. I gave up the violin, and the oboe, and nearly the piano. I cancelled my position on the polish exchange, i withdrew from a competition, i quit karate which i did three times a week, and i quit latin class, and a whole load of other things. I nearly quit a competition for love, can you believe? I wanted them to win, but i entered anyway and beat them, and they were absoloutely devasted. I regretted not quitting! It's hard to say why i do the rest of these things. But my point is, the reasons for quitting are not always as they seem. I don't do it anymore.  

[outsyde yn]

yeah quitting things is really weird maybe.  It's hard to tell why people do that, I don't really know why.  I have a friend who quit, she's older than me and seems confused.  But I am never ever in a million years going to quit.  I made a pact with myself.  I am not going to give up, I am not going to quit.  I am going to keep going no matter what.  Actually my pact was that I want to learn everything there is to know about musics and the piano, so I guess I can't quit!
My friend told me that her teacher is so proud of her for feeling that way, I want to do things that are proud too. 
It helps a lot when people are rooting for you, especially yourselfs.  SO even when I wonder what will happen next, I just imagine I am my teacher being proud of what I am doing and I just tell myself that I believe I can do it and that I will figure things out.  Cause I am my own teacher and I have lessons everyday.

bye,
Clair

[loveboat9]

why not? so far this world has so many choices, and the student can(most time they cann't) they like learning something by their feelings,so piano music is one of them, if think this way, you will understand why they quit, they just can not feel it at that moment