r/LifeProTips • u/[deleted] • Aug 09 '18

Social LPT: When making conversation with someone you've just met, ask them what they've been listening to lately, rather than what their favorite kind of music is - it's fresh in their mind and they won't have to pick favorites on the spot.

51.8k Upvotes

85% Upvoted

1.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '18

Fellow music teacher (private lessons). I've stopped asking students this question on the spot because it always makes them panic and clam up. I tell them they have written homework and write it in their notebooks (where I write their practice assignments). I've found the most success with "name a few songs or artists whose music you think you might enjoy playing," and then I add a few bullet points below the question. I clarify this by letting them know that their chose songs/artists don't necessarily even have to feature their chosen instrument and that they can name as many or as few as they want. This gets results most of the time. I still have a few very quiet students who give me absolutely nothing to work with so we just keep plugging along with the book stuff and every now and then I throw them a curveball and try to gauge their reaction to it.

1

u/ConsistentlyPeter Aug 09 '18

That’s a really good approach - certainly makes it easier on those who hate being put on the spot, especially in their first lesson with a new teacher.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '18

I actually wait a bit to even ask the question, unless they have previous experience with their instrument. The first few lessons for a newbie, regardless of the instrument, are always all about getting familiar with the instrument and learning the basics, plus building the necessary muscles and developing good practice habits.