Someone giving up on learning music is a sad but common story. So common, in fact, that several extensive studies have been done in the US alone (dating back to 1972) to determine why the dropout rate was so high in the subject of music in our schools.

Common to most of the studies, the following reasons were given:

• 34% too difficult
• 27% lack of ability
• 21% loss of interest¹

It was also found that a) the grade level in which the student started music study², b) group versus individual instruction and c) differences in teachers³ all had no bearing on the likelihood of the child to complete the program. One study even attempted to discover what personality traits contributed to the dropout problem. None. ⁴

So, basically, no matter how old or nice you are, you can get confused and frustrated and give up on a subject. This we know. But this is true of any subject so why are the numbers so high in the subject of Music? Could there be something wrong with the subject itself? Or is there something wrong with the way it is taught?

If you take a look (or a listen) at traditional music education, you will find the following phrases repeated often:

• Music is a tough subject
• You will have to work really hard
• To be any good at all, you have to practice 2 hours a day, minimum
• You have to learn to play and read music before you can create your own
• Some people just don’t have “the gift”
• It will take years to master

These cliché phrases are not just said by failed students; they’re said by teachers and even professional musicians. They have been passed down from teacher to student so often and for so long that they have become almost universally accepted.

But are they true? Yes and no. For those who struggled through the hard way, who somehow persevered despite confusions and who believed the above phrases all along, they are indeed true… for them. But they are not true for the rest of us.

Traditionally, someone new to the subject will be given a little piece of written music. They will be told to practice that little piece of music until it hurts; no sorry, until it’s perfect. Then they are given another little piece of the puzzle, and so on. They are told to ignore the big words and funny symbols on the sheet music (those are for later). They are told it will be hard. They are told it will take years, etc. Why? Because that’s the way they were taught the subject.

But this would be different in the higher levels of learning, right? No. The three top-rated Music schools in the country boast a combined average graduation rate of less than 59%⁵. Private teachers promote and advertise if their student retention level reaches the 60% mark as, by survey, most fall well below. Very few subjects can boast such a low success rate, let alone advertise it. Can you imagine this applied to other subjects?

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But what if the subject was not confusing? What if it could be defined and used by everyone? Duncan Lorien has spent his life researching the answers to these questions. He has identified the pitfalls and stripped away the false information, bringing the subject back to its simplicity. By teaching the subject in the proper sequence, anyone can get it. In fact, the subject can be learned and understood in a weekend. A weekend! 100% of the time.⁶

So why have we accepted such a low success rate in the field of Music Education until now? Well… it’s tradition.

¹Duerksen, G.L. (1985) The Gemeinhardt Report

²Hartley, L.A. (1991) Dissertation Abstracts International

³McCarthy, J.F. (1980) Journal of Research in Music Education

⁴Sandene, B.A. (1994) Music Education National Conference ⁵ www.american-school-search.com ⁶