Just had a call from a parent. One of my students fell over the weekend and broke an arm and the opposite hand. Obviously will be out of lessons for awhile. She is a beginner - started last fall. Her brother will continue, and will take the full hour (usually 30 minutes each).

I'm wondering what sort of things I can suggest to the parents so that the girl doesn't lose everything she's learned so far. Flashcards? Games? Listening exercises? I would be willing to get her a "get well present" along these lines, and would love some ideas from you.

I can actually speak to this from experience. When I was about 13, I broke my right wrist and was unable to use it for piano at all. Although different from your circumstance in that I still was able to use my left hand, I still had to have modified lessons with my teacher.

Rather than stopping lessons altogether, we had lessons with modified content. We did spend some time on my left hand doing exercises, etc, but then switched to rhythm games (drumming along on a bongo, tapping my foot) and score reading while following along with music on a CD. We also spent a lot of time working on theory (analyzing chord progressions, transposing on paper, etc.) My teacher also let me pedal for her while she played -- which was much harder than I thought it would be.

I think this is the time when I actually began to really appreciate classical music as my teacher had an incredible music library that exposed me to music I never would have explored without her. After I got my right hand back (after about 8 weeks) I was very excited to attempt some of the music that I had only heard while I was incapacitated. I didn't feel behind at all when I went back to regular lessons.

In your circumstance, assuming the parents want to stop lessons altogether, I suspect something like flash cards or a gift of some recordings for her to work on when she's back might work really well. At the very least, I think it would be great if she could attend the lessons with her brother, assuming it wouldn't be too distracting for either of them.

I hope that helps!

Yes, it does help. You've given me some great suggestions - I like the rhythm exercises. I am anticipating that she won't have any ability to use either hand, but foot tapping or other movement would work. If I can get her to come for only 10 or 15 mintues each week, we could work on flashcards, or listen to recordings. Since she is such an early beginner, she isn't ready for transposing or pedaling, but I will look for some various ear training exercises.

My parents have learned that it does no good to call and say student has broken X, Y, or Z. They still have to come to lessons every week.

Your student should not be out of lessons for a while. She needs to come each and every week and do ear training, and all the other things you mentions. Perhaps you should make the time division 40/20 or 35/25 with her brother, but you don't want her to lose working knowledge, as you point out.

Thanks for your response, John. That's a really good point. I've never had anything like this happen before. Since it just happened, and the child is probably still in a lot of pain or drugged, I don't expect to see her today, but I will talk to the parents about getting her in for the tail end of the lesson starting next week.

Matthew--welcome to PW! What an astute first post!!

I'd also suggest that lessons be continued on a modified basis. What about some listening assignments? Ask the student to listen to a CD of Mozart sonatas and let her pick her favorite piece (and explain why it's her favorite piece). Ask the student to use her imagination: What is the music telling us? Is there a story with vivid characters? Mozart is good for this purpose because one can often listen to Mozart and picture an opera with lively characters interacting with each other. Students don't do enough listening to classical music as it is.

I love this! Thanks, AZNpiano. I am creating a list of things to do. I don't want this to seem boring or difficult - I want it to be fun for her, as well as educational, so she looks forward to coming, even if she can't play.

If my child injured himself that severely, I would definitely call. I would want to know what the child can still do, what he should avoid, what you recommend he practice, and whether you want him to come to lessons. Rather than saying it is no good to call, I would think that you would want that phone call. First of all your advice is needed on a practical level, and second you would probably want to be informed. Third, a parent might be frightened that the child's piano playing days are over before they even start. To realize that more than one musician has lived through broken bones is reassuring.

If you are thinking that they are calling in the hope that lessons can be skipped, like a kid making excuses for not doing chores, wouldn't that be rather childish behaviour for an adult?

That is precisely what 99% of parents do, KS. You're right, when I say, "It does no good to call," I mean it does no good to call and try to wiggle out of lessons. There is so much learning to be done, and so little time, that we simply cannot afford to forgo the weekly lesson.

One of the reasons I continue participating here is that it may be good for the two sides to know the experiences and thoughts happening on the other side. I've given mine: fear that the child's ability to play again might be spoiled forever. I cannot quite fathom why a parent would choose piano lessons, pay for piano lessons, and then seek to avoid them. The only thing that I could see is being protective of an injured child, wanting to have the child to experience nurturing and less pressure. Otherwise it's a bit mind boggling. Thanks for sharing this.

I don't believe most piano teachers would ever think of trying to have a student play using an injured limb. The great majority of children's injuries, in my experience have been fractures, not complete breaks. The physicians have the affected limb or joint totally within a cast, so physical movement is out of the question, anyway. By the way, I generally have one student a year who suffers from some kind of injury. Maybe my students are a bit more physical, don't know. The strangest injury I've experienced is a student who was out watching his brother play, backed up and tripped over a volley ball. Broke his fall with his left hand/arm fracturing something. I don't recall, as this was nearly 20 years ago.

For the record, I got no sense that these parents were trying to wiggle out of anything, and they jumped at the idea of their son using their daughter's time. I think they were fully prepared to pay, and were counting it lost. These parents have no musical background at all, and are a bit in awe of their children. The idea of having a cast on both arms seems to logically lead to the idea that one cannot play piano, and I do not fault the parents for calling to let me know. I will see them in half an hour, and look forward to discussing options with them. Thank you all for all the ideas, and if there are any more, I need 8 weeks' worth!

L, I had that impression (parents were more than willing to pay) from your post, as you mentioned that son was using daughter's time. Because of the other issue, daughter losing ground, is why I suggested that daughter use some of her lesson time for ear training and other activities which you and others already mention.

After you have a chance to see her, you may be able to reassess what she can and cannot do at the piano.

Good luck,

Thanks - I didn't take your comments as intended specifically for these parents. I was jsut afraid I saw a detour ahead, and wanted to avoid confusion.

Parents were extremely willing and receptive to the idea of the daughter continuing. In fact, they left her here with me, even though she hadn't expected it and hadn't brought her books. We did flashcards and rhythms today, and a bit of ear training on high/low. This student is only to the point in her books where she is beginning to read notes on the staff, so this will be a new way for me to teach notes. I'm guessing that in some ways it might be good. I hope the result will be that she won't automatically associate a certain finger with a certain note.

I also got permission to buy the student a new book - one with an accompaniment CD (I'm thinking Faber's Gold Star Performance). Dad volunteered to burn the pieces onto the student's Ipod for her.