Tellin’ it like it is.
I had a parent approach me this week with some positive comments about their child’s progress. She was thrilled with how her little guy was able play and how it was so nice to hear actual music coming from the living room. “Practice really does work!” she said. We both laughed at that….I mean…of course it works!! “This program (MYC) is really amazing”, she continued. I didn’t say it, but I was thinking, “Was there ever any doubt?”
In a day and age where every business is “talking up” their product, claiming to be the best and something you can’t live without, I think we have become a little repellant to the messages we receive from people of business. We hear the message and think..yeah yeah yeah, whatever.
I will admit, I do run a business – gafaw! – I do have a mortgage to pay and children to feed – but I also have a vested interest in the well being of my students. The children I teach are not customers to me, they are the future musicians in my community. I feel a tremendous responsibility to teach them well so they can pass their love of music to the next generation. The messages I send out to my families, “MYC is the best music learning program out there”, “Practicing regularly will ensure success”, “The metronome is your friend”, “You need to purchase the best instrument you can afford” “The earlier you start your child in music lessons, the better” aren’t marketing ploys. Those messages are me telling it like it is, because I care about my students and I care about music education.