Risa Tonita

Developing a relationship with music has enriched my life more than I could have ever imagined. Sometimes music is simply an enjoyable way to spend some time. Other times it challenges me to push my physical and emotional limits. It teaches me patience, dedication, trust, organization, and empathy. Through years of study, I have learned about managing fear and anxiety, how to discuss differences of opinion about music in lessons or rehearsals, how to set boundaries, and how to respect others’ boundaries. For me, music is not an aspect of life that can be removed. It reflects what it means to be human in the most organic sense. It brings people together not just in a physical space, but in the shared experience of feeling what music means to each of us.

Over the last few years my approach to teaching has shifted to prioritize the individual over the music. Because each person is unique, I believe that the music lesson should also be unique based on the individual’s needs and capacity. Furthermore, “musicking” is not only a physical activity, but is emotional and mental causing a need to inquire into a student’s mind. I understand that regardless of how many hours a student has practiced in a week, they might show up to a lesson on a bad day, or they might be tired, etc. Therefore, I try to meet my students where they are each week. It is inevitable for me to have high expectations because I see so much potential in everyone. I always encourage my students to practice five days a week and I push them in lessons to achieve their utmost potential and beyond. However, I believe that this can coexist with the concept of approaching the lesson from the individual first.

My main priority in lessons, besides the student themselves, is to teach the student how to practice. If a student has no idea what to do when they open their book during a practice session, the experience of learning an instrument will be incredibly discouraging. I do my very best in every lesson to ensure that my students finish their lessons feeling confident that they know how to work on their music on their own throughout the week. My specific priorities relating to the music are always 1) how we approach the instrument physically, 2) rhythm, 3) reading notes, 4) understanding other indications in the music, such as phrasing or articulation, and 5) character. To me character is the most important, but if a student is not approaching the instrument in a healthy manner, the character will inevitably be lost.

What about having fun? There are lots of different ways of having fun with music and private lessons can be one of them! I usually have a lot of fun teaching my students because I enjoy spending time with people, I enjoy sharing music with others, and I love watching my students make progress. There are times when I encourage my students to do “silly” things to change a mindset or exaggerate a technical change, and we can have lots of laughs doing silly things! However, I do not organize lessons to be fun per se. Learning a musical instrument in the Western Classical sense takes a whole lot of dedication and self-motivation (or motivation from a parent or guardian…) and often the fun occurs when we find success after having worked very hard.

When I am not teaching, I am usually practising or rehearsing with other musicians, performing, or doing research. And when I need a break from high intensity musical activities I love to dance, to sing musical theatre songs, bake, go for walks in nature, read fiction, and spend time with my family, friends, and my mini-Aussie Luna.