Psycological Analysis of Violin Student Personality Traits 101

7/31/2019 Psycological Analysis of Violin Student Personality Traits 101

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Title: Psychological Analysis of Violin Student Personality Traits 101

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Rhiannon Schmitt

May 2012
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Introduction

In the expansive field of psychology, violin students' personality traits are

understood to be the complicated mental dimensions of personality discovered

through empirical research. Empirical research meaning, in the context of this

article, my vast experience and wisdom as a violin teacher for the past 10+ years.

To further advance the congruity of science and arts in the 21st century and

assist my readers to unravel the fascinating mysteries surrounding the complex inner

workings of the violin student's mind, I have compiled my extensive investigation

into the following twelve categories:

1. Deer in Headlights

2. Ping Pong Ball

3. Aggravating Antagonizer

4. Teenage Trend Jockey

5. Chit Chatter

6. Know-It-All

7. Chronically Unpunctual

8. Procrasti-Master


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9. Excuse-Generator

10. Neurotic Nelly

11. Black Hole

12. The Ideal Student


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Chapter 1

Deer in Headlights

Frequently manifested in pupils over the age of forty, these wide-eyed and

petrified casualties of violin instruction are rarely seen by audiences or people who

appreciate fine music. Mushrooms of novice music, these willy-nilly players resort

to more desirable activities on recital night, such as an elective colonoscopy or tooth

drilling, but on rare events may be coerced, er, motivated to participate with the

proper incentive: promises of an empty theatre and free finger food.

Once on stage and confronted with the reality of a sold-out live audience (far

less preferable to Deer in Headlights to that of a dead audience) the Deer in

Headlights defy the human fight or flight instinct and opt to freeze for the

duration of their piece. Though they seem to be in a deranged trance, they are

actually using their peripheral vision to locate the nearest exit.

More bold and seasoned Deer in Headlights may muster up the courage to

play a fragment of a scale or the start to Twinkle Twinkle, but usually opt for

scurrying off the stage like a squirrel with a weak bladder.

The blind audition, or one which is conducted with the player behind a

screen or curtain, was surely concocted by a Deer in Headlights. He or she could


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play like the dickens but had an inordinate fear of spotlights, neat rows of seating

and eyeballs.

Players between the ages of four and six may experience Deer in Headlights

symptoms during their first couple violin lessons, in which time they will stare up

with a frozen, gaping mouth and frightened raised eyebrows at the instructor. They

do not respond to light conversation or friendly questions and spend the entire half

hour session frozen. They may go out on a limb and nod their head slightly when

asked if they want a sticker at the end of class.

Sadly for the teacher, this phase quickly passes and many morph into Ping

Pong B alls, leaving the teacher pining for the days when the child didn't speak.


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Chapter 2

Ping Pong Ball, aka the Easily Distracted Hyperactive Hellion

The most concentrated number of young violin students fall into the Ping

Pong Ball classification. They are very easy to spot as they are the ones swinging

from the ceiling lamp, followed by floor gymnastics while screaming nasty, made-

up lyrics to Ode to Joy. The Ping Pong Balls find it inexorably difficult to pay

attention to the lesson, listen to their teacher or remain still for longer than 3.672

seconds (I've clocked them).

Depth is lost on the Ping Pong Ball and teachers working with them find

themselves the object of much rejection. I have concluded some of my finest

technique lectures and riveting inspirational speeches only to be asked by a Ping

Pong Ball, Where did you get that cool pen? Can I have it?

The Ping Pong Ball quickly switches topics to something about another child

at her school who can lick her own elbows and then on to the subject of what their

dog coughed up the other day. She cannot think in a room with windows, bright

lights or shiny objects.


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This is not to say the Ping Pong Ball is not an intelligent individual. Quite the

opposite, the Ping Pong Ball is a very smart child who is so enthusiastic about her

violin lesson she cannot control her urge to act impulsively.

Violin teachers with pets, toys or any other objects of desire for children in

their home will find dealing with these distractions to be a losing battle. Just let

them play and enjoy the time off to surf the net or catch up on laundry. The child is

having fun at their lesson, even if they haven't learned anything violin-wise. Tune

their violin, give them a star on their book and send them on their hyperactive way.


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Chapter 3

Aggravating Antagonizer

Music teachers serving time in prison incontestably taught one too many

Aggravating Antagonizers in their careers. The Aggravating Antagonizer is

undoubtedly the most difficult violin student to instruct as they are usually under

age and protected by special laws; laws which they conveniently use to their

obstinate advantage.

Picture an adorable seven-year-old little girl in pigtails. Add a pouting

bottom lip, claws and a shrill scream and you've got the start of a successful

Aggravating Antagonizer. You say black, she says white. You ask her to play a

scale in tenuto whole notes, she plays it staccato prestissimo! Aggravating

Antagonizers are spite externalized, though surely they would disagree.

A few more words on Aggravating Antagonizers: adverse, clashing,

conflicting, contradictory, headstrong, hostile, negative, obstinate, opposed, ornery,

rebellious, stubborn and unruly.


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Chapter 4

Teenage Trend Jockey

Ping Pong Balls and Aggravating Antagonizers do mellow and become more

agreeable with age. As teens they enter a pupal stage in development as a Teenage

Trend Jockey. Like the Ping Pong Ball, the Teenage Trend Jockeys (or as they

would cleverly have it, the T2J) are still distracted from the lesson, but focus their

teenage distraction instead on being cool and aloof.

Strangely there is a definite split in characteristics depending on the gender

of the Teenage Trend Jockey. Females exhibit this behavior by spending the entire

lesson admiring their polished reflection in the mirror and messing with their hair.

They obsess on mundane news items yet insist Britney Spears' new haircut is

information of life-altering quality.

Teenage Trend Jockey Males are simply concerned with occasionally pulling

up their sagging pants and disengaging their digital watch alarms every two minutes

to help pass the time. They also enjoy bragging about their cars and latest gadgets.

They do not yet understand the concept of deodorant.

All Teenage Trend Jockeys find enjoyment in checking their text messages

on their cell phones and starting up loud conversations with other students waiting


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in the hall outside the lesson room rather than listening to their teacher. They are not

known to practice and have many tragic reasons why they didn't have the time to

practice that week [see Excuse Generator.] However, they are good to keep around

as they all give free computer and technology tech support.


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Chapter 5

Chitchatter

I, regretfully fall under this classification. Mixed with Chitchatter students,

my long distance phone bill rivals the national debt. To keep things succinct, the

Chitchatter talks constantly and dedicates a fair chunk of lesson time to casual

banter.

Some adult Chitchatters are just cleverly avoiding playing in front of the

teacher or any other observers [see Deer in Headlights] and must be cut off mid-

sentence and firmly ordered to play a G major scale.

Violin teachers must strive to schedule chit chatters before Chronically

Unpunctual students and to never, under any circumstances schedule a Chitchatter

before Neurotic Nelly for whom the weekly babbling and delay to lessons will

surely cause a mental breakdown in the latter.

More than one Chitchatter in a group lesson or ensemble means no actual

practicing or rehearsing will be done, so you may as well just sit back and enjoy the

conversation. Finally, DO NOT schedule the Chitchatter at the end of your teaching

day unless you like staying after work two hours extra each day and eating cold

supper alone while your family sleeps.


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Chapter 6

Know-It-All

Not to be confused with mere Chitchatters who simply enjoy talking during

lessons and sharing a mundane narrative, or the Aggravating Antagonizer who is

contrary to anything the teacher says or does, the Know-It-All has the inexplicable

ability to attend one lesson and become an instant expert in the violin, its technique

and theory.

Expect the Know-It-All to refute any information you share as a teacher but

to lack the capacity to prove their argument. Thus arguing with the Know-It-All is

futile. Logic and reason do not apply. Yet they continue to pay for lessons even

though they are thoroughly convinced they know all there is to be known in violin.

Violin instructors tend to breed Know-It-All children who refute everything

their parent explains to them about music. This is the reason why violin instructors

pay to have someone else teach their offspring violin.

Know-It-Alls are connoisseurs of self-arrogance and ego in its lowest forms

but tragically claim to be humble and patient. Never compliment a Know-It-All; his

head will swell up to three times its normal size, which is already larger than 95% of


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the population, and you will be forced to rush him into the nearest hospital for an

emergency ego-exctomy.

Despite their lack of popularity in musical circles, there is plenty of work for

Know-It-Alls. With much practice and very little thought, they make super

orchestral conductors or music critics.


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Chapter 7

Chronically Unpunctual

Some Procrasti-Masters have devolved into a nasty little side cluster: the

Chronically Unpunctual. These people do own watches but apparently do not know

how to read them. The laws of time and space do not exist in the mind of the

Chronically Unpunctual. To them a weekly lesson slot is merely a suggested time

for arrival.

Chronically Unpunctual students are in the lesson in spirit. The spirit of

swearing while swerving down the highway at outrageous speeds. Strangely, they

find their composure as they enter the lesson room and act as if there is nothing at

all inappropriate in being 15 minutes late for a 30 minute lesson.

Chronically Unpunctual parents of young violin students raise resentful

Excuse-Generator children who, with enough missed lessons, may even develop

into Neurotic Nellies. The Chronically Unpunctual may become nervous wrecks

over time, in which case they incorporate Excuse-Generator traits to their repertoire

which season their weekly late arrivals. After all, every teacher loves a long, drawn-

out story involving traffic, bad roads, alien abductions and time distortion at the start

of class.


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Chapter 8

Procrasti-Master

Procrasti-Masters leave everything to the very last minute, and not just their

weekly commutes to lessons. They have the best intentions of practicing their

violins all week but seem to forget about it until the day of the lesson. Some can be

seen practicing their music in the car en route to the lesson.

Interestingly, Procrasti-Masters' best work is done under pressure. To them

it's a thrilling experience, like skydiving or robbing a bank. The adrenaline starts

running as the teacher asks the Procrasti-Master to play the new piece he was

assigned the week previous. Thus Procrasti-Masters are fantastic sight-readers and

learn pieces far quicker and more efficiently than those silly people who actually

practice.

Though it stresses out the teacher to the point of losing sleep and hair, the

Procrasti-Master neglects his pieces until a week or so before the recital. An

industrious three or four hours is all he needs to catch up. He smiles smugly

knowing he wisely used a semester's worth of practice time playing video games.

Thus Procrasti-Masters make excellent understudies for times when the soloist

cannot play the concert.


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Likewise, Procrasti-Masters consistently earn high marks in festivals,

contests and exams. This is a point of contention and jealousy among other students,

such as Neurotic Nellies, who have been working on their pieces in all twelve keys

for five hours a day the past nine months.


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Chapter 9

Excuse-Generator

One cannot discuss violin students without mention of the Excuse-Generator.

The start of every Excuse-Generator's lesson is dominated by the reason they were

late, why they didn't practice the previous week, the drawn out story of how their

music book went missing and how dropping their violin in no way was the cause for

the large, mysterious new crack and broken strings.

Everything in the Excuse-Generator's life is external. They are hapless

victims of rare circumstance, government conspiracy and complicated problems to

which they have no control or solution. Because of this Excuse-Generators are

rarely top-notch violinists. It's clearly not their fault! This is because many cannot

read music and have many reasons why it is far easier to just play by ear or fake it.

Excuse-Generators also tend to attract violin strings which break themselves

and bows that tighten all on their own. Paranormal activity is also common. A

student of mine recently blamed a ghost for his bow suddenly losing contact and

sliding off the string. He insisted it had nothing to do with his technique and asked

that I have my home inspected and exorcised by a priest.


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In college I had an Excuse-Generator violin teacher who, after playing a sour

note, would quickly re-tune her violin. The darn fiddle just seemed to go out of tune

every time she made a mistake. It was eerie...


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Chapter 10

Neurotic Nelly

This Type-A personality personifies itself in violin students as the Neurotic

Nelly, aka Irritating Pain in the Ass. You will see the Neurotic Nelly in a wild

frenzy to get to their lesson twenty minutes early. Being late is as simply not an

option for the Neurotic Nelly.

Neurotic Nellies make a consistent and painstaking effort to be as anal

retentive as possible, thus documenting everything their teacher says and seem to

have a better understanding of their teacher's pedagogy than the teacher has. Don't

bother arguing whether or not he paid for classes or didn't miss a lesson; he has

forms in triplicate and video footage proving the contrary.

Their music is arranged in alphabetical order and is frequently colour-coded.

Extreme perfectionists, Neurotic Nellies simply cannot accept compliments as their

playing can never be good enough. The plus side is that they always pay for lessons

on time and never leave their music at home.

Neurotic Nellies' nervousness makes them unsuitable for colder climates as

they are physically unable to travel during inclement weather. A single hovering

snowflake has them pressing speed dial to cancel the afternoon's lesson, much to the

teachers' dismay as the Neurotic Nellies always request a free make-up-lesson.


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It is widely debated among violin teachers and researchers whether or not a

Neurotic Nelly and Black Hole sharing the same desk in an orchestra would simply

cancel each other out into oblivion or prove to be a winning, symbiotic relationship.

In the meantime, the two are kept in strict isolation from each other for the health of

the entire orchestra.


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Chapter 11

Black Hole

Also known as Chaos Incarnate, these muddle-minded individuals coax

disorder into their lives as an exposed pair of buttocks in the Amazon basin attracts

mosquitoes. Black Holes embrace entropy. Entropy, however, secretly longs for a

less tumultuous relationship and is considering a career change.

Some Black Hole's daily routines of pandemonium are garnished with the

added burden of a violin lesson every seven days. It's just too regular a schedule to

adhere to and Black Holes miss more than half their lessons due to poor planning or

forgetfulness.

Suitable mates of Procrast-Masters and the Chronically Unpunctual, Black

Holes also leave everything to the last minute. More interesting to watch however,

Black Holes have added the frantic search for coffee-stained sheet music and car

keys amidst a disarray of papers and fast food containers only scant minutes before

their lesson time. In their muddled, confused hunt they inevitably forget to pack the

violin.

One Black Hole I instructed years back became oddly resourceful and folded

and wedged her sheet music into the toe of her shoes for safe-keeping. The result:


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a wrinkled copy of Sonata in G with ink running from her preteen perspiration. I

even purchased her a binder which was later lost or eaten by her dog, I can't quite

remember which.


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Chapter 12

The Ideal Student: Theoretical classification yet to be discovered

The Ideal Student is a simple beast who listens intently, does everything as

instructed to and practices a joyful 5 hours each day. He pays in advance,

compliments my appearance and his violin never goes out of tune. She frequently

has me over to visit at her Tuncan villa and is compelled to bring Swiss chocolates

to lessons.


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Author:

**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is an award-winning classical

violinist/fiddler and music teacher who writes for "Music Teacher Magazine." Her

business, Fiddleheads Violin School & Shop, has won several distinguished

business awards and offers beginner to professional level instruments, accessories

and supplies with exceptional personal service: http://www.fiddleheads.ca

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhiannon_Schmitt
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