Ioana Weathers: A Teacher with the Right Stuff
How do you get your significant other to join you in playing music? Start by finding the right teacher, one who is fun and will teach according to his or her needs.
That’s what music teacher Ioana Weathers of Fredericksburg, Virginia, has done for my husband. Although he has always enjoyed listening to music, he had never played an instrument. He used the "not enough time” excuse because he felt that it would take him too long to ever really be able to play. Here’s how she took him from not knowing a note to playing piano—and now cello.
Every week, my husband would see how incredibly enthusiastic I was after my piano lessons and, after a long time, he agreed to give piano a try. I had been reminding him that, in retirement, he would want something else to enjoy besides reading.
From his first lesson, Weathers made learning music fun, and personalized lessons to match his learning style. The first thing she asked him was: “How do you learn?” When he quipped “slowly,” both knew that they would have fun together.
Within just a few months, he was playing real songs on the piano. After a year, she convinced him to take up the cello, even though he swore he would never take up a fretless stringed instrument. How does she do it? With enthusiasm, a little competition, a positive attitude, patience, and variety.
Since Weathers teaches elementary school music, she knows how to sprinkle in plenty of action to keep lessons lively. After learning that there was a friendly brother-in-law competition, she used that to motivate him, too.
When he makes a mistake, rather than saying, “No, this isn’t right,” she will say “Let’s fix this.” Throughout the lessons, she says things like: “Good! You got it” and “Ah, that sounds beautiful.” Then, with questions such as “Do you know what you are doing?” and “Why did you move the first finger?” she makes him think about what he is doing.
Providing variety, by taking time off and switching to another piece of music, she keeps his interest.
