Essential skills for promoting a lifelong love of music and music making: part 3 of 4: introduction.

Why did you choose to become a music teacher? Research has shown the benefits music study provides for all types of learning. That's one important reason to teach, for sure. But we believe most of us chose music teaching to share our love of our art with a new generation and provide them with the skills and knowledge to participate in music-making all their lives. These goals are the same whether the student pursues a career in music or plays for personal satisfaction.

Audiation, understanding musical relationships, physical awareness and health--these are the topics so expertly addressed in our first two articles by Dorothy Payne and Barbara Lister-Sink. In this, our third article, William Westney deals with the psychological elements of successful learning and performance. He gives us the tools to help our students build confidence, self-empowerment and the skills of self-expression.

A long-time advocate of liberating students to allow their musicality to emerge, Westney offers AMT some provocative and exciting ideas for enlivening lessons. You will find a wealth of ideas to help rejuvenate your teaching and bring the music to life--and have fun doing so!