Danielle Courchesne was my private trumpet and music theory teacher from the middle of my grade 11 year of highschool, to the end of my last year of highschool. Her success at her age has inspired me to be more confident in both myself, and my academic performance, be that musical or not. Danielle’s success came from her putting herself out into the world openly and unapologetically, while being kind and personable, and that is the kind of life I hope to live inside and outside the realm of music.
Question: When did your music education begin and in what contexts did you study which instruments? When Danielle was 5 years old she started singing in the Oakville Children’s Choir. Then when she was 9 she began private guitar lessons. In elementary school her first instrument was french horn and by the time she was in grade 6 she had decided that she really wanted to study music in post-secondary, so her parents put her in piano lessons to supplement her public school music education. Danielle studied french horn until halfway through grade 11, when she decided to switch to trumpet and to have that be her principal instrument in university. Danielle did her undergraduate degree in music education at the University of Western Ontario and took lots of pop courses as her electives in her last two years. After that she went to teacher’s college at the University of Toronto.
Question: What are the details about your current practice including the number of students, age demographic, what instruments you teach and how long have you been running it? Danielle has had this private practice called Harmony in the Home, for just over 3 years now. She personally teaches 55 students a week, and has also now hired someone (a fellow Western graduate who majored in music theory) who teaches 30 students a week under the name of Harmony in the Home. In all, Danielle is responsible for over 80 students aged 3-60 who study piano, guitar, trumpet, saxophone, vocals, drums kit and theory, or a combination of them.
Question: What drove you to become a private teacher? Knowing she had a strong passion for teaching in a classroom setting, Danielle took on some private students during her undergraduate degree and during her teaching degree. Although she had every intention of becoming a high school music teacher up until that point, she grew an appreciation for private teaching. The one-on-one setting appealed to her as she felt she could really get to know her students and how unique each one was. This, coupled with how she was able to make her own work schedule really appealed to her and fit well with the stage her life was at because she could manage a variety of commitments.
Question: In what ways would you say your education affected your approach to teaching and the strategies that you employ? Learning to conduct had a big impact on her understanding of music and how to lead music making, but Danielle stresses that her one-on-one weekly lessons were where she really gained a better understanding to how she would approach teaching. Having teachers that had diverse pedagogical methods helped her develop a sense of what helps a student advance and what doesn’t. In regular classes people are able to not just learn what their instructors are presenting, but can reflect on their educational strategies in order to then develop your own. Danielle often passes down direct advice and guidance from her teachers, to her students. Learning about musicianship and becoming a better musician yourself, is what can make you a really great teacher. Danielle quoted Doctor Colleen Richardson from her time at Western, saying “the best teachers are the best players”.
Question:Does having the instrumental focus of your undergraduate degree being trumpet affect your practice? Danielle states that she values trumpet being such a versatile instrument especially during her university years because it allowed her to be exposed to and participate in many different styles and genres of music. Danielle also spoke about how she did formally practice other instruments like guitar and piano during her undergraduate years and she believes it was that variety of focussed practice that really helped her develop as a well rounded musician.
Question: What are some problems and difficulties you face in your profession? Working one-on-one with students, Danielle says that she doesn’t come across any serious behavioural issues with students, more so they are issues with the student losing interest or not putting a lot of effort into moving forward. She believes that this issue is one that mostly stems from the teacher not being attentive enough into knowing what keeps the student engaged and what way they can do to make the material more appealing. Aside from this and on the administrative side, coordinating 80+ people can be challenging and managing clientele can be too sometimes.
Question: In an environment where there is no set curriculum to follow, how do you chose what to teach a student, and what resources help you decide that? In her lessons deciding what to teach a student is balanced between what skills the student needs have for their future in music, and what they want to do right now. Danielle says “It's about teaching them for 10 years from now. So how can I get them to still be involved in music in 10 years. Whatever way that is that they want to study music.” she balances the skills she thinks are necessary (being able to read music, having a basic understanding of theory, being able to play with other people), what the parents want to get out of the lesson, and what interests that student about music. Danielle is also very clear about not depicting herself as an all knowing bank of knowledge about music and says that when a student wants to go down an avenue in a genre of music she isn’t as familiar with, she works hard to know as much as she can about the subject so that she can facilitate an environment where the student can be coached and then progress as a musician in that genre.
Question: How has your teaching style and approach changed since you began teaching privately? Since she began private teaching Danielle has gradually become a more flexible educator. Danielle states that she used to go into every lesson with a plan and push as hard as she could to have the lesson stay focussed on what she had predetermined. Now she plans, but focusses more on student directed learning based on what they are passionate and excited about. Sometimes when a student has a good idea about what to work on during their lesson she will either save her planned lesson for another time or strike a compromise with the student. She will also give students options about where to direct their focus in a lesson as she notices that when the student gets to chose, even between two options, they are more engaged in and enjoy the activity more. This more flexible approach came from knowing that being prepared for lessons is important, but also from having experience with students who were very stubborn and wanting to things their way. Instead of having negatively charged lessons, listening to the student and what they want to do musically is the best choice. Danielle state that she changed her thinking and that her new approach was that “if [the student] wants to do something musical, then that’s absolutely fine. If they wants to start talking about cats or something, then that’s my job to get themr back on track.” What she has learned is that this approach helps you to have a better relationship with and understanding of your student, which in turn aids to help you teach them more effectively.
Question: What are the social implications for you in this career? Danielles schedule doesn’t follow the regular 9-5 pattern. This means that she does have to work 6 days a week instead of 5 in order to have worked her desired amount of hours. That being said she does really enjoy having her free time during the day, and as an athlete this allows her to be outside more while training.
Questions: How would you like to change your current practice and career? Expanding her company is Danielle’s next goal. This includes hiring more teachers so that she can gain more students and expand geographically as well. The in-home lessons work best for most families, but in the future Danielle mentioned she may want to get a studio to teach out of as well.
Question: Do you have a “main focus” between the performance and teaching sides of music? Danielle views these two things as blurred together, going back to the philosophy she has picked up that a teacher must be just as good of a musician as they are teacher, in order to effectively coach students and help them advance in their musical studies. Danielle believes that they go together and that the main focus for people in those professions is that they should always desire and be striving towards being better at what they do.
Question: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Danielle sees herself in the same career and hopes to herself be teaching a large amount of students, with even more teachers working under her. Even further out from 10 years, she speculates that she may eventually look at pulling out from the teaching aspect of her company and focussing on the administrative side of it and moreso overseeing the business, which she is beginning to really enjoy.
Question: How do you continue to engage with music outside of teaching? Danielle continues to make music for herself as well and often gets together with different groups of musicians she knows and plays with them in a purely recreational setting. She has also had long experience with writing and performing pop music with guitar and vocals and she continues to write and produce songs. Often she will perform alongside or with her students in the company concerts she puts on and this can challenge her personally and at her own level, but also goes back to teaching in that it is good for students to see that their teachers are still engaged in music in their personal lives.