Day 2: On Teaching Girls

This past weekend, I entered three students in a local competition and all of them placed. I am very proud of them, and I knew they would all do well. But what did I realize while typing up a FB post to announce their great accomplishment?

Out of my 13 students, 9 are girls. This would not be that much of a surprise, except for the fact that I teach classical guitar, and traditionally it has been a completely male-dominated field. For whatever reason, when I was growing up, there were always way fewer girls in guitar programs than boys. Maybe it's because a lot of boys get into the electric and rock guitar thing, and then somehow get coerced into playing classical when they start lessons. In most college guitar programs in the US, it is still very common for there to only be 1-2 women in the program. Most of the finalists in major competitions are still guys, but that is slowly changing.

It's funny - I always thought I would end up teaching college students, but there is something about teenagers that I really connect with. Maybe because sometimes I am as moody as one, or as volatile as one, and I remember all too well what it feels like to be self-conscious and lost in between a place where you feel like the world is your oyster and life is over because that cute boy won't talk to you. I spent a year in youth ministry a long time ago, and I think God used that year to prepare me for the type of teaching I'm doing now. I would say that first and foremost, being a guitar teacher is about having a relationship with the student. The students I have who I can speak openly with are more likely to enjoy lessons, to be motivated in practicing and to get integrated into the classical guitar program at the school where I teach and in the community at large. And when I have students who spend half the lesson talking to me about the latest gossip at school or what their hopes and dreams are, it makes me feel like I'm doing something right. Everyone needs mentors in life, and I have really enjoyed the relationships I am building with most of my current students - most of which are girls.

I'm excited for this new generation of girls to break the gender gap in the classical guitar world. There should be no reason for a disparity in prize winners in the future, and my students are out to prove that!