Your Opinions on inspiring a new student?

[V70416]

Inspiration being the operative word;that sometimes elusive,magical elixir is a subjective and changing thing.

Find what it is that inspires you;then,seek it out from any and all sources.

Changing that chord at exactly the right time or throwing down and improvised ending(and getting kudos for it)
these are inspirational triggers.

Hearing great musicians is inspiring. To try to inspire a student I reckon I would just try to grow in my own
musicality and play my best hoping that would be appreciated. I am certainly greatful for those who
have taken the time and effort to help me.

[SincereCorgi]

Hot take: I think anybody that teaches has had students that quit. I teach some, and when adult students quit it's usually because they don't have enough time in their schedule or, frankly, they discover that sitting by themselves plinking on a little box isn't as much fun as they thought it would be. When kids quit, it's because they just don't like it very much and their parents finally cotton on that they're not progressing and it's like pulling teeth to make them practice. If a teacher is competent and not an ogre, I don't really know if either group could be 'inspired' to keep going or work harder- either you like it or you don't.

[bigskygirl]

Listen to what brought the student to you in the first place then build on that.

Determine what kind of learner they are - lots of theory, just wants to learn this Van Halen (dating myself) tune...

Have a structured lesson plan with a bit of accountability (the student has to put in some work from lesson to lesson) without being too heavy handed - we're all busy.

Make it fun and by that I mean build on what brought the student to you.

Recognize that sometimes the student will quit but try to assess why they leave, maybe for reasons sincerecorgi stated or maybe you just didn't recognize what they were looking for. It doesn't mean anyone is at fault just use that knowledge to move forward with future students.

It's tough to be a music teacher but every so often you will meet someone who shares your passion then its fun for you to.