Cultivating Intrinsic Motivation in Young Music Students
“I told him that he doesn’t start practicing without me constantly nagging him, I’m going to stop paying for his violin lessons,” Robert’s mom, Lorrie, told me during one of Robert’s violin lessons.
Lorrie was clearly fed up with what had become a long-term bad habit: Robert would only practice after she repeatedly asked him. This was obviously frustrating and unsustainable for them both.
However, things had recently gotten so bad that even the threat of stopping violin lessons hadn’t been sufficient to motivate him to practice more often, and without being nagged.
This situation is a familiar one for students, parents, and teachers of any discipline, not just in music and the arts. It’s a source of constant struggle, conflict, and confusion for everyone involved.
We know we want our young students to enjoy learning music. It’s a treasured source of human connection and creativity that brings solace and enjoyment to millions of people.
Clearly, this is what Lorrie was trying to instill in Robert, but hearing her talk about how frustrating things had become told me that her approach wasn’t working.
If cajoling and threats stopped working, what else could we do to help Robert practice more consistently?
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As a violin teacher of 20 years, I’ve seen this situation many times. I’ve seen which students fail, and which flourish. I’ve studied the psychology of creative mastery, and I’ve applied what I’ve learned to the real-world motivational challenges that my young and adult students face.
Here’s what I’ve learned.
Cajoling and threats — rewards and punishment — only work in the short term. Even then, you have to apply them more and more forcefully, and get only diminishing returns.
Thankfully, there’s another source of motivation, one that comes from within, and which resolves all the strife and conflict that rewards and punishments manage in only a piecemeal way.
It’s the understanding that what makes us feel good, what makes life meaningful, is moving towards things you care about.
If you can help your young student get clear on what they want, and see how their music practice moves them towards that goal, then all the motivational issues will disappear.
They will move from “should” and “have to” to “want to” and “can’t stop!”
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Here’s how I applied this with Robert.
I began by explaining how to set up a consistent practice routine. The first step is choosing the stimulus — the time or event that triggers the beginning of practice time.
So I asked Robert and Lorrie, “What happens in your daily routine? What time or event might best come before practicing?” They decided it would be whenever Robert got home from school and had is afternoon snack.
The next step was identifying Robert’s biggest goals and identity as a musician.
I asked him, “What do you most want to achieve with violin? If you could give yourself a name as a violinist, what would it be?” He answered that he wanted to be able to play any piece of music he read for the first time. He also said that he saw himself as “Masterful Violinist.”
I wrote these goals for him and asked him to draw a picture of himself as Masterful Violinist. In that and the following lessons, I repeatedly connected what we did in those lessons, and what he did at home, to his big goal and his identity.
I would ask him, “How do you feel, seeing that you’re moving towards your goal of being able to sight read masterfully?” He would reply, “Good!” I would ask, “How does seeing that progress change how you feel about practicing?” He replied, “Good!”
The last step was initiating a reward system. Having a reward system in place is vital to creating a positive feeling towards practice time. It differs than bribing students in that it explicitly connects with larger goals they say they care about. For Robert, it was a practice chart he created that moved him incrementally towards a favorite sushi dinner.
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In the following weeks, I got status updates from Robert and Lorrie.
“I’m so proud of him!” Exclaimed Lorrie. “He practiced every day this week! Yes, I still had to ask him, but he didn’t argue or complain.”
I also checked in with Robert, and he told me he was enjoying practicing and moving towards his goals.
I was very pleased with the result for Robert and Lorrie, but not surprised.
I’ve implemented a version of this same process for many students, both young and fully grown. I’ve seen that the switch from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic always has this kind of result.
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Whether you’re a teacher or parent of a young students, or perhaps an adult student wanting to stick with practicing, here’s the big takeaway:
Practicing becomes effortless and effective when you connect it to larger goals you deeply care about.
Discover those goals (what I call your “artistic purpose”) and you’ll feel your motivation switch to something deep inside you.
You’ll be able to tap into what I call “Soulforce,” the love of creativity that comes from your deepest truths and desires.
Yes, you may still need reminders, support, accountability, and guidance in your creative journey, but it will never feel like a “have to” or “should” again.
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Stay tuned for an exciting announcement coming soon about achieving your creative goals consistently and enjoyably!
Joseph Arnold
“The Art Whisperer”
SoulforceArts.com
