The joy of teaching is in the learning.
Updated: Sep 24, 2022
Today I welcomed drummer and fellow Bristolian Jon Clark to my workshop for a 'Make Your Own Cymbal' experience.
Over the course of 3 hours, we talked a little theory, and I let him loose on a Turkish B20 bronze cymbal blank with the hammers and lathe (under my guidance, of course!).
I've run several of theses experiences / courses now, as well as more in-depth training sessions with students who spend a number of days with me as we unpick the fine details and advanced techniques.
Whenever I teach, I learn something. Each student has a unique set of skills – I've taught everyone from experienced cymbalsmiths to folk who have barely ever held a hammer! This means, clearly, that in these cases the responsibility for communicating and passing on knowledge is solely mine, and I have to adapt to each situation to allow the concepts and physical work to translate.
Saying that, there are definite threads common to each session, and as more people come through, I find I can hone my skill as a communicator to better explain what can often be quite abstract ideas. This is somewhat easier when teaching in-person, but I love the online training I do too – managing to pass a concept via a screen to a student who could be thousands of miles away, experiencing a different time of day and whose first language may be different from mine is very rewarding, and I enjoy the challenge of getting some of my crazy ideas out of my head and into someone else's!
