Ramona Kime Graessle is Associate Professor of Music at Olivet College where she has taught piano since 1984. In addition to her college teaching, Ms. Graessle has a large studio of adult piano students and teaches Kindermusik, an international program of pre-school music classes. She holds degrees in music education and piano performance from Olivet College (MI) and Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in piano pedagogy and music education from the University of Oklahoma. Ms. Graessle specializes in teaching adult piano students and has given several workshops on teaching adults for music teacher groups, both at the local level and at the National Piano Pedagogy Seminar in Oklahoma. She is a frequent clinician and adjudicator at piano competitions and festivals, throughout Michigan.
Ramona Kime Graessle
Department of Arts and Communication
Olivet College
Olivet, MI 49076
616.749.7692
rgraessle@olivetcollege.edu
This article first appeared in Volume 3, No. 1, January 1, 2000.
One of the significant trends affecting music educators in this decade is that adults are living longer, retiring earlier, and maintaining healthier lives. There has also been a growing shift from a linear life plan - one that reserves education for the young, work for the middle aged, and leisure for the elderly - to a blended life plan - one that blends education, work, and leisure at all points throughout life (Cross). As a result, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of participants in adult education.
For piano teachers, this growth in adult learners provides the potential to increase income by tapping another segment of the population. Teaching adults can provide the opportunity to develop rewarding relationships and friendships, and the desire and motivation of adult students can be energizing for teachers. Adult also students benefit from the relationship. In addition to fulfilling what is often a life-long dream to play the piano, studying music may help relieve stress and, for retired adults, can fulfill intellectual, physical, and social needs no longer found in the workplace.
The concept of andragogy
Malcolm Knowles, one of most widely known and respected scholars in adult education, has developed theories on adult learning. In addition to his important writings on the subject, Knowles suggests that the term "andragogy," as opposed to the term "pedagogy," be used when referring to the teaching of adults, emphasizing the difference between teaching adults and teaching children. "Pedagogy" is a Greek word made up of the stem paid, meaning "child," and agogus, meaning "teacher of," the literal translation being "teacher of children." Knowles feels that the term "andragogy," with its prefix from the stem andr, meaning "man," is a more appropriate term. (Elinor Lenz feels that, since andr refers to man literally as "male," the term "anthropagogy," with the stem anthr referring to "humankind," would be even more appropriate.)
CHARACTERISTICS OF ADULT LEARNERS
Learning abilities of adults
While many potential adult students feel that they are "too old to learn," studies have shown that intelligence doesn't diminish with age, although the rate of learning may slow down. In the end, adults tend to learn more thoroughly than do children, and they retain the knowledge longer. Recent research suggests that factors other than age have more effect on adults' ability to learn (Long) such as the learner's ability to choose his or her own pace, the home environment, quality of health and diet, and the amount and date of prior education. Slower progress by an adult often indicates a more methodical approach to learning, rather than a decline of abilities (Knowles).
Effects of physical aging on the learning process
Physical aging can have an effect on learning (Cross) such as the deterioration of eyesight and hearing. Most eyesight problems, though, can be easily remedied with bifocals or special reading glasses and better lighting directly on the music. Hearing problems can obviously affect piano lessons, both in hearing the music and in communication between student and teacher. As with eye problems, however, most hearing problems can be corrected. A frustration for many older adult students is that their psycho-motor skills often are not at level of their cognitive skills. They know what they are supposed to play, but their fingers don't always follow through with the desired result.
Goals of adult students
Adults are highly motivated to learn; they come to music because they want to, not because a parent is requiring piano lessons. They also often have greater self-discipline, drive, and enthusiasm. Adults come to piano lessons with developed work habits, and their goals are different than those of children (or rather of the children's parents!). Adults usually don't have dreams of playing in Carnegie Hall but rather are playing more for their own enjoyment.
Adult students' own frustrations
In spite of adult students' enthusiasm, they are often more insecure, more self-conscious, and especially fear making mistakes. Adults often lack confidence in their ability to learn, especially if they have been away from formal education for a long time. Adults who already have had exposure to many musical experiences may get frustrated if they can't reach their own standards. They may lack patience when their physical skills aren't at level of their cognitive skills. Sometimes life experiences can hinder the learning process such as poor learning in past music lessons that developed into bad habits. Adults also have many different roles and competing jobs; time can become a big issue, especially for working adults.
USING CONCEPTS FROM ANDRAGOGY IN TEACHING ADULTS
Sharing responsibility for learning with the adult student
Because adults learn differently than children, Knowles feels strongly that there also has to be a difference in the way teachers teach adult students. One of the primary concepts of andragogy is that learning is a joint process between student and teacher rather than one of teacher control. It clearly becomes a give and take relationship between two adults who negotiate, collaborate, and share responsibilities and decisions. It is important to set goals together; together the teacher and student can select music, set the pace, evaluate achievements, and even decide when a piece is "finished."
Creating a supportive learning environment
Because adults usually begin piano lessons with some amount of apprehension and a fear that they're "too old to learn," it becomes even more important to create a pleasant and comfortable learning environment suitable for them. Adults need help in overcoming their insecurities, and they need much praise and encouragement. It is important to help them recognize even their smallest accomplishments and to help them realize that mistakes are a normal part of learning. (I would like to insert here that many of the concepts of good andragogy should also be considered good pedagogy for those working with children. All students, regardless of age, need praise and encouragement and a supportive environment for learning!)
Being flexible in lesson times
A seemingly minor adjustment in teaching adults, but one that can have a great importance for the adult, is the flexibility of the teacher in setting lesson times. While lesson times for adults can often be arranged during the day for retired students and for adults with a flexible work schedule, non-retired adults will often need evening or weekend times, or a lesson time over the lunch hour. Adults often have family or job responsibilities which require an occasional adjustment to the normal lesson time, and some adults choose to take lessons on a biweekly schedule. These all require flexibility on the part of the teacher to adapt to the needs of the adult student.
Adding a social component
Adding a social component to lessons can be important to adults and has become a very important part of my studio. One of my students' favorite activities is our bimonthly "Adult Student Gathering" (the word "recital" was too intimidating for my students!). We meet at students' houses for a few hours on Sunday afternoons, and everyone brings hors d'oeuvres to share. It helps adult students when they realize that they aren't the only beginning adult piano student. I don't require students to play, but they all do, albeit reluctantly at first! Students can also choose to be "background" music to conversation, so that the focus is not on them, but eventually students become comfortable with others listening to them perform. As my adult students have gotten to know each other, they've become less afraid of performing, and they are wonderfully supportive and encouraging of each other.
Choosing appropriate music
Choosing materials appropriate for adult students seems like an obvious part of teaching adults, but I've had many adult transfer students who had been using children's method books. Simple writing and children's pictures can often be insulting to an adult. There are many adult method books available (see Appendix A), and more are being written all the time. There are also many good supplemental books available in a variety of styles to satisfy the musical interests of almost any adult student (see Appendix B). With some students, however, it can be a challenge to satisfy their musical interests and still find pedagogically appropriate music. Adults usually want to play music they have heard before (Moonlight Sonata is a favorite!), whether or not it's at their level, so the challenge is to find simplified versions of those pieces. Often adult students can be satisfied with similar, but easier, music until they're ready for "that piece."
A word of warning is appropriate here. There are many poor arrangements and bad transcriptions of favorite pieces, both in classical and in popular music, and often such arrangements can discourage and frustrate even the most diligent student. I have had adults arrive at a lesson, eager to show me music they just found, but unfortunately, they sometimes bring in poor arrangements or transcriptions. I use that as an opportunity to discuss the problems with them, and I show them potentially awkward passages. Just because it says "easy" on the front cover doesn't mean that it's truly pedagogically easy. (I have avoided some of these problems by planning occasional trips to the music store with my adult students so we can browse through music books together. I can direct them to good arrangements and editions and steer them from making poor choices in music.)
Teaching adults can be a challenge, but applying concepts of andragogy can help the process be more effective and enjoyable. Adult learners are in the student role because they have chosen that role. As music educators we have an opportunity to expose those motivated adults to music in a positive environment. Through our involvement in the lifelong process of education, we can help adults grow in their love of music, whatever their musical interests, and, at the same time, provide enrichment and meaning for their lives.
REFERENCES
Cross, K. Patricia. Adults as Learners: Increasing Participation and Facilitating Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1981.
Knowles, Malcolm. Modern Practice of Adult Education (Rev. ed.) New York: Cambridge, 1980.
Lenz, Elinor. The Art of Teaching Adults. Troy, Mo.: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1982.
Long, Huey B. Adult Learning: Research and Practice. New York: Cambridge, 1983.
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