Our Values: Care

Did you know that monkeys can be great drummers? Read more to find out what I mean.

Today I am giving special attention to the first of our three values at Wildwood: care.

We believe that…

Care precedes learning and growth.

Anticipating our clients’ support needs and creating a supportive atmosphere can all provide care before the music even starts.

Sometimes, this looks like sending a quick video to introduce ourselves and preview the lesson space, easing a student’s anxiety for their first lesson.

Care is unconditional acceptance.

We recognize that, on difficult days, even just showing up can be an accomplishment.

Feelings of safety can develop from expressing genuine interest in a client’s favorite songs and interests.

Care promotes a joy of music.

In adaptive lessons, the process is our priority.

We don’t devalue the product. On the contrary, we believe a teacher that is caring can cultivate a student’s interest in music, leading to healthy practice habits and enhanced creativity.

Now for the monkey story…

I once taught lessons to an adaptive lesson student who was particularly drawn to our monkey hand puppet, going every week to grab the monkey from the drawer it inhabited despite the monkey having no relevance to our lessons.

I initially wondered if the student was distracted or just making an odd joke. However, one day I decided I would accept the student’s fascination with the monkey puppet rather than ignore it, so I set the monkey at the drum set before the student arrived.

Upon entering the room, the student was visibly excited to see the monkey and was immediately drawn to playing the drums. I had never seen a monkey so excited to play music!

We really care about the opportunity to share music with you. If you would like more information on adaptive lessons or music therapy, reach out and let us know!

Talk soon,

- Caleb and the Wildwood Team