XXX

Occassionally my students will ask "Am I your worst student?" Those who ask that question are usually the better ones.

"Better" means those who actually want to learn the cello and don't mind being taught. Of course, if they practice, that's a definite bonus, but I have resigned myself to the fact that nobody has time to practice.

Now, theoretically, there should be no "worst student" because why sign up for cello lessons when you don't want to learn the cello? (Of course, maybe their parents make them learn the cello but in general parents are practical people and would rather their kid learn the piano or something more portable like the flute or violin.)

Against all social work values of non-judgementalism and acceptance, I do have someone whom I consider the 'worst'. Let's call this person X. Having spent the past 3 terms psychoanalysing X, exploring reasons behind X's resistance to cello playing, 'rolling' with the resistance and trying to build on what X wants to do (basically pulling out all the tricks in the hat), I found myself back to square one yesterday, trying to get X to sit up straight and hold the bow.

X has a history of histrionics in relation to the cello. X 'forgets' to bring the cello, injures fingers, arms, body, doesn't bring music books, loses sheet music every week. In short, does everything possible to avoid playing the cello. When I do theory with X, X is perfectly compliant and angelic and enjoys scribbling on the board. Anything to do with cello however, is abhorred. X turns on the droopiness, sulks wetly, and hides behind the instrument. Most of the lesson is spent trying to get X to do something on the cello, for example, play an open string. X will not stand being corrected, and trying is akin to scraping your knee with a cheese grater.

Sometimes I wonder if my perception of X was clouded by my knowledge of X's history with music teachers. I am X's second cello teacher, and have heard much of her from the previous. I started off with zero expectations of ability, but did not expect such active resistance to learning the cello. X intends to take GCSE Music, only because parents want X to.

This X issue has been dragging on forever until yesterday when I told X to try perhaps looking for another cello teacher who can actually get something done with X. X did not expect that and looked temporarily dismantled, before withdrawing into the wet slumpiness and silent sulks.

The conclusion of the matter has yet to be seen. For now, the daily late nights because of the opera are enough to handle.