School Days

I just finished a small chapter in life. Yet another job to provide a little financial stability has come to a close. Sussex School lost their music teacher during the summer and contracted YMusic to provide music instruction for it's middle schoolers. Being an employee of YMusic and having teaching experience, myself and 3 others signed up to split up the school year and take on the challenge.

I got the mid-January to April slot. 2 days a week I stood in front of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders teaching everything from Guitar, Drums, Bass, Piano, to Recording, "Being in a Band", Wilco, Led Zeppelin, and Stravinsky. Which brings us to what I learned...

The "Mighty Travis' Guide to Middle School"

1. Shut Up.

I know they can't control it and I love 'em to death, but they do not shut up. Nothing stops them. You can't bribe them and you can't trick them.

2. Plan all you want.

No lesson plan that I made, was what we did that day. I would walk in with a listening activity and end up teaching them to play a Cake song. Then we would write songs in small groups on the day that we were supposed to watch "Stop Making Sense". We even had a whole day of "how did he/she die?"

3. Hate.

You and I know what hate it is. We use it everyday and we know how to use it. They have just discovered/acquired this feeling/ability. They point it in every direction. They have no ability to control it and it is either on or off. No middle ground with a couple dirty looks or smart ass remarks, no, it goes straight to yelling and crying.

4. "Dating"

It is fucking weird when that age group "dates". That is all I have to say.

5. Drumset

If you have a drumset or percussion item set up, each student will walk into the classroom and immediately beat the living shit out of it. With anything. As loud as they can. Then if it happens to break and fall to the floor, they walk to the next thing to hit with out missing a stroke.

6. Choices.

If you don't assign instruments and you give them a choice to play what ever they want, they will choose either Guitar, Rain Stick, or the shitty-out-of-tune-toy-steel-drum. A lot of them can play guitar really well and have great rhythm, but the others will beat the holy hell outta that stupid steel drum or mindlessly turn a rain stick over and over.

7. Surprise.

Everyday they will surprise you. Everyday someone said something that blew me away. "Is it OK if I put away all the chairs?" "Can I just finish the project today?" "Will you teach me how to play like John Bonham?" "I just want to write a song today" "Thank You" "Can we do that again tomorrow?" "I want my guitar to sound like THAT"