Fostering Self-Esteem
Through Music Education
by Gemma de la Cruz Gosuico
T
here was a time, long ago, when I thought that I was pretty
decent at playing the violin, a time when I voluntarily spent
at least four hours a day practicing because playing it was
nothing but pure joy to me, a time when I sought out solace in the motherly curves of my beloved instrument. Now when
I look upon my instrument nestled in its case, I no longer see its
delicious, russet varnish gleaming up at me in the eager anticipation of being played; instead, I see a callous block of wood, a
suspicious, unyielding creature eyeing me with a condescending
look, mocking my futile attempts to coax a sweet sound out of
it.
Being a music educator is undeniably a challenging job, requiring much more than a mere passion for music. It requires, among
other things, an innate ability to communicate and to motivate,
as well as a knack for imposing discipline in an effective manner.
At his or her very best, a music teacher is inspiring, able to garner
both the respect and camaraderie of students, able to push students to develop skills of which they can be proud. A good music
teacher fosters a deep-rooted passion for music within their students while teaching them the life-long skills of discipline, hard
work, and determination.
Unfortunately, almost every musician I have ever spoken to
has at least one story of the music teacher from hell—the one
who was a little bit lacking in the department of patience, the one
who would stare disinterestedly into space during lessons, or the
one who made remarks which bordered more on insult rather
than constructive criticism. The point here being that at his or
her very worst, a teacher can completely discourage a student,
hurtling an eager, impressionable mind into the abyss of cynicism, apathy, and low self-esteem.
I’m not trying to paint the music teacher as an antagonist. I am
truly aware that music teachers have very difficult lives—helping
students prepare for competitions, figuring out ways to motivate
students who don’t practice, dealing with canceled lessons and
a perpetually ­ changing schedule, appeasing angry parents who
always wonder why their child isn’t first chair, and often trying
to tackle the role of teacher while also juggling the role of parttime performer, parent, private lesson instructor, spouse, and
sometimes even doctoral student. The role of a music teacher is
never easy and those who choose that particular path are indeed
true martyrs for their craft; however, when one chooses to be a
teacher, one makes an ethical commitment to the positive development of one’s students, and that should always take precedence
over the minor irritations that the job brings with it.
Therefore, a teacher should never be condescending toward
a student and should be aware that students are very perceptive
and will react to the way that they are treated in a classroom or
lesson. Teachers should be encouraging yet ­honest, pleasant yet
purposeful, and should pave the way for open communication
and a dynamic relationship with the student, while at the same
time remembering that they are an authority figure and someone
to whom a student looks for direction. Even more importantly,
upon encountering a “problem student,” a teacher should always
look for the underlying reason for a student’s behavior before losing patience and assuming that the student is just lazy, stubborn,
or simply untalented. Treating a student as an inadequate individSouthwestern Musician/October 2006 49
ual will serve only to destroy the student’s self-esteem, stifle the
student’s desire to learn, create negative feelings for the subject
of music in general, and sometimes even turn what used to be a
cherished hobby into a looming burden.
In short, while students are every bit as responsible as teachers,
if not more, for their own success and development as musicians,
teachers must remember that students are fragile, impressionable
human beings, capable of reaching their full potential only when
they are shown proper sensitivity, genuine appreciation, and
something as simple as respect.
Gemma de la Cruz Gosuico is a
recent graduate of the University of
St. Thomas in Houston
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