t’s about time kids who learn, think, play, and relate to other people in unique ways have a positive place in this world.
Neurospicy is not a term that was used when I was a child, and probably not when you were either. But I think I would have relished the idea that my ways of being different were embraced by the people around me.
I. Loved. Piano. Class. and Choir. and Band. These were my safe spaces. The places where I could learn, and remember, and process my emotions, and find community.
I think I especially love working with students who think and behave on a plane that is different from the typical because I was a little this way (or a lot – I don’t know). And some of my own kids are unique in their ways of learning, behaving, and relating to the people around them.
What I’m noticing is that the families with unique ways of being are especially enjoying my classes, and some of them are signing up for multiple sessions each week!
A few years ago I was teaching a teenage boy whose mom told me from the start that he was autistic, and that other teachers were refusing to work with him. We had a wonderful time together and one time I even got him to dance with me so he could feel 3/4 or waltz time. When it became necessary for me to relocate so I could finish my education, the mom cried and told me she didn’t know what to do because I was her son’s best friend. We decided to try a few online lessons before telling him I was moving, and those were very successful. We continued online lessons for several years afterward. Eventually this boy became involved in friendships that overrode his desire to have piano lessons. I considered that a GIANT SUCCESS!
Today I’m working with kids and adults of all types, and I’m loving it! The families who have identified themselves as “on the spectrum” or “extra anxious” or various other labels that are generally considered difficult, are especially loving classes at Little Bird Piano Academy®. My best guess is that they feel at home. They feel loved. Because they are.
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