Firstly, for context, I am an accomplished musician, and my son Noah is thirteen years old and has been playing piano since he was six. Given that Noah is my son, he and I have great rapport since I have been a part of his musical journey from the beginning. While Noah has been playing the piano and taking lessons, he has limited to no knowledge of music theory and how to improvise chords or write original music. Recently, I have begun to teach Noah a bit about musical theory and how to improvise musical chords to “fill in the gaps” when playing chords. Noah and I have a common understanding of each other since we both are musicians and aim to improve our musical ability and knowledge. The following interview outlines our conversation regarding Noah’s desire to increase his understanding of musical theory and enhance his ability to improvise chords while playing the piano.
Goal Questions
Me: How are you doing with your music, Noah?
Noah: Things are going relatively well. My piano playing has been slightly improving since our last session together.
Me: Can you tell me what has improved since our last session?
Noah: Before our last session, I would play the chords of songs, but they would be “stiff” chords, and I would not play extra notes to fill in the song better.
Me: So, what’s your number one goal for this session?
Noah: To make my music sound better, to play the chords better, and to fill in the gaps better when playing songs in my style.
Me: You mentioned playing music better in your “own” style. Can you elaborate on that?
Noah: I see myself as I get older playing on the “big stage” and creating and writing my music.
Reality Questions
Me: What do you think is the biggest hindrance to your progression in your music?
Noah: My biggest hindrance is juggling school, homework, chores, and being distracted with my free time.
Me: What are some ways that you can make your music progression more of a priority?
Noah: Make sure I play for at least 30 minutes daily.
Me: How could you better prioritize music in your everyday schedule?
Noah: Before I do anything else, I could carve out 30 minutes and dedicate that time to practicing my music.
Me: Can you reach your musical goals with your current schedule?
Noah: Yes, if I make it a priority in my schedule daily.
Me: What would you need to change to make this happen?
Noah: (Long pause, and unsure of how to answer)
Me: So, you think about your daily routine when you come home from school; for example, is there anything in your routine that you could sacrifice or prolong to further prioritize your music practice?
Noah: Putting my practice before anything else would be the best way for me to prioritize my music.
Me: So, do you think that you can prioritize your music daily and practice for at least 30 minutes?
Noah: Yeah, I can prioritize my music each day by making a schedule and following it.
Me: What needs to change in your current reality to reach your goals better?
Noah: Putting my music higher on my priority list daily.
Options Questions
Me: What are some of the most significant changes you want to see in your music?
Noah: I want to understand how to combine cords to write songs.
Me: So, music theory?
Noah: Yeah, and the circle of fifths
Me: What are some ways that you can further your knowledge in music theory right now?
Noah: I can look it up on YouTube or ask you for help.
Me: If you had a complete understanding of music theory now, what would you do with that knowledge?
Noah: I would use that knowledge to write my own music.
Me: What would happen if you didn’t achieve this goal?
Noah: I would not progress and would likely be no better than I am now.
Will Questions
Me: What is the most helpful takeaway from this session?
Noah: Prioritizing music will help me to reach my goals and keep me on track.
Me: How soon do you want to understand musical theory?
Noah: I want to gain a basic understanding in 3 months.
Me: Do you feel like this goal is achievable?
Noah: Yes, as long as I practice daily and stay consistent.
Me: On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated are you to reach your goal in the next three months?
Noah: I would say my motivation is probably an 8.
Me: What might get you off track, and how would you correct yourself?
Noah: The only thing that could get me off track is not wanting to practice daily and not being consistent. Nobody can stop me except me.
Me: What actio