The video
For the last ten years or so, I’ve been regularly filming my music education lessons, firstly for myself, because it’s an excellent way of improving my skills; secondly for my pupils’ parents, because they never get to see what their children experience outside their presence (1); and thirdly for teachers and students of education, as a testament to what needs to be done, and … what needs to be avoided! what not to do!
Given the quantity of recordings, I still have to make a selection…
In the meantime, here’s a lesson from 1er degré (partial) in 2015, then the same children in 2ème degré in 2016.
During the confinement imposed by the Covid pandemic, I recorded a great deal of footage for my young pupils, in an attempt to maintain a link, while inviting their parents to accompany them in this work from a distance.
You can find all these sequences and a detailed table of contents at the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/qtkg1oscspt7d4489i055/h?dl=0&rlkey=ctnh72p4grfmizozynk4vdacm
(1) On the role of parents
It seems normal to me that parents should not be at school with their children (except when they are home-schooling, but that’s another subject!), for the child’s socialisation and learning to be independent.
In the case of music education, what we propose is generally very far removed from what parents have experienced themselves, and it is invaluable to have them as informed partners. After all, it is they (not the children) who are responsible for choosing to enrol their children in a music school. This is not to say that parents should be home coaches. They must have confidence in the value of this choice, which enables them to include music lessons and musical practice in the family’s daily life.
By watching videos of these lessons from time to time, this link is considerably strengthened, to the benefit of the child.