Mad Hatter Hero Spotlight: Learn What Makes Hunter Shine
Finding your love of piano means different things to so many people. Whether it was through lessons or by seeing your first live performance the introduction to music is so powerful that it helps us develop and grow while acting as an expressive outlet. It’s a release, an escape, and an experience all in one. Most of all, it makes us happier while in its pursuit.
This is the case for one of our Mad Hatter Heroes, Hunter. Hunter is 11 years old and has Autism. When he first came to our school 6 years ago he would light up when he heard the song Moonlight Sonata being played on the piano and would promptly make his way under the piano to listen at the best seat in the house. His affinity towards music and appreciation of performance was apparent from day one.
At first, Hunter didn’t show the usual progress of playing for a child his age, yet as the months turned into years his social skills and self-confidence rose consistently. Not one to shy away from a group, yet still maintaining the air of a strong but silent type he becomes the most vocal when talking about piano. He will dive deep into conversations about the music he has written and loves to play.
This increase in group participation gave him a deeper understanding of music theory and reading sheet music so he could memorize some of his favourite tunes. Hunter has shown so much commitment and determination towards his learning journey since the early days that he is now seeing those dividends pay off as he is a real rockstar at Mad Hatter Music School.
As with all of our Mad Hatter Kids, we adapt our teaching methods to their learning style. With Hunter, we have learned what keeps him motivated, what drains him, and how to recognize these signals to either slow down or speed up. We always make sure he has access to noise-cancelling headphones to increase his focus, or if he just needs a break, as well as giving him lots of opportunities to showcase his new songs as he is quite the composer.
For us, it’s all about giving the students a chance to decompress and allow them to run the lessons at their own speed. All reward and no rushing, this is how we believe our kids get the most out of their group piano sessions.
We are so grateful that Hunter came to our school as he is a shining example of what makes learning music great as it spills over into all aspects of our lives. Seeing how learning piano has enriched Hunter’s life by the work and effort he has put in is so very admirable, but mainly just beautiful to be able to witness.
Our uniqueness isn’t what sets us apart, but a sign of how connected we are. We all see the world differently, through our own perceptive lenses, similar to the diverse genres of music that exist; yet the love, appreciation, and adaptation of music are universal. At Mad Hatter Music School, not only do we set out to be different, we welcome it. How bland would life be if everyone was the same? Sign up today and join us in standing out from the crowd.
