" THE LOOK"

THE LOOK.

As teachers, we've all seen it in our students.  As performers, we've all experienced it as players.  There are multitudes of musicians on this earth who have seen and experienced THE LOOK.

It's the most daunting moment in a lesson, one of the most terrifying moments while playing.  It represents failure.  I don't know about you, but I would rather face down a herd of elephants than admit I have failed either as a teacher or a performer.

Okay, maybe not a herd of elephants.  But when I experience THE LOOK my first thought is disbelief.

I admit, my second thought is flight.

THE LOOK.  That moment in the lesson when the student turns to you with a blank expression, telling you in cacaphonic silence that he/she does not comprehend the teaching point you have been trying to convey despite countless attempts and approaches on your part.  Whether it's a rhythmic issue, an interpretational issue, a technical issue, a note recognition issue, or a combination of the aforementioned, THE LOOK represents that moment when you realize none of what you've been working on has actually worked.

I don't think I need to explain the equivalent feeling as a player when we experience THE LOOK ourselves.  Maybe the herd of elephants wasn't an over-exaggeration after all.

It is at this point in my teaching and my playing that I must come to terms with my limitations as an instructor and a performer.  It is not a comfortable feeling, to say the least.  It is also the point when I must consider compromises in both venues.  Do I keep searching for another approach to the concept the student is not understanding?  Do I continue to pursue the repertoire I have chosen to perform despite my inadequacy?

And then comes the decision whether to be conservative (i.e., drop the concept and give the student an easier piece), or to stare down the sheer cliff and jump headlong (no, the student is not getting the concept, but he/she has shown improvement in other areas.  I will perform anyway and strive for excellence rather than perfection).

The next time a student gives you THE LOOK, consider putting a concept (or a repertoire piece) on a shelf strategic re-direction.  Through my experience as a teacher and a performer I've learned that while some concepts may appear currently illusive, brains are amazing puzzle solvers.

Sometimes those gray cells just need a little more time.