top of page
Search
kayballison

Can you play and teach piano while having a nerve disorder?

The answer to this is simultaneously "yes" and "no" for most types of nerve disorders, especially if you are teaching students who learn by imitation. The "yes" portion of this is simple: if the nerve disorder only affects the instructor's motor control and not their cognitive function, then the knowledge of the skill of piano playing remains intact no matter what the body is doing.


The "no" portion of this is much more complicated and is very subjective. If the instructor has lost all control of their hands, then giving the student a demonstration becomes quite difficult, regardless of the knowledge locked in the instructor's head. It becomes even more difficult if the nerves are affected only intermittently; sometimes the instructor would be able to play and demonstrate on a piano with no issues, and others the body is affected, whether the affect is minor or major.


In the end, the answer is "what is the student comfortable with?" and "what is the instructor comfortable with?". Also consider, that while those questions are important, so is this one: "can the student learn well from an instructor that has a more difficult time providing demonstrations of technique?" Remember, some students learn best through imitation. The student should not imitate a "spasming hand."


0 views0 comments

Commenti


bottom of page