How to teach Student with Cerebral Palsy and ADD

[mambopope]

I have a student that is an 8th grader, he has just started playing trumpet and taking lessons with me. His mom had mentioned to me that he had these unfortunate problems but it was not until I gave him his first lesson last week that I realized how difficult the task at hand would be.
He cannot move his fingers on his right hand to produce valve combinations so he uses his left hand to press the valves down. He has an odd way of holding the trumpet. He grasps the trumpet with his right hand where the third valve ring and tuning slide are at. Also, he uses the palm of his left hand to support the bell and hold the trumpet. He has developed the habit of using his left hand pinky to press the third valve down.
He also has trouble forming an embouchure, and playing above G on the staff
What I have done in just one lesson:
I have used techniques in the breathing gym book by sam pilafian and pat sheridan to teach him the importance of air and how to use it, at a basic level of course. I have switched the way I hold my trumpet to the way he does just for his lessons so he can observe sort of a mirror image of himself. I also have asked him to put a rubber band on his bell so he can put his left pinky there and the rubber band can hold it there so he can break the habit of using his pinky for pressing the third valve down. I have also assigned him some buzzing doing sirens up and down as far and as comfortable as possible.
Now to be honest, it was hard for me to see him try so hard but fail when I tried to teach him a song that he would have to play on a test. I was frustrated at myself during the lesson because I seemed to have failed him. If any of you here on the trumpet herald can help I would really appreciate it, Mr. Hickman or any other professional if you could offer some advice as to how to go about teaching this student it would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. I have been teaching since I was a freshmen at USC, so for about five years now.

[trpt.hick]

I don't have any experience with teaching someone with these exact problems, so I probably won't be of much help. It sounds like you are doing good things already.

Do you think that his horn should be modified to fit him better? I'm sure that there are several good repair shops in the LA area that could customize things for him with a minimal charge. I would allow him to play the horn (hands and fingers) in whatever way is easiest for him. Sounds like you are already encouraging that.

I have seen left handed trumpets built......bell on the right side, leadpipe on the left, etc. This may be too expensive for now. There have been other customized instruments built for players with physical handicaps. Jimmy Burke comes immediately to mind. He was born without a left arm and had a special cornet built to allow him to hold the horn easily, operate the valves, valve slides, and even water key efficiently. As you know, he became a world famous cornetist.

As for embouchure, it sounds like he is doing OK for a beginner. Just help him develop things as you would any other student.

Teaching someone like this can be very frustrating, I'm sure. You just need to know that he is trying his best and that is what counts. Don't beat yourself up if he can't play something well even though you have instructed him thoroughly. His mental and physical wiring is not the same as other people.

Arizona State University has an amazing degree program for Music Therapy. You might want to email the head of that program, Barbara Crowe (Barbara.Crowe@ASU.edu) and see if she has any ideas or reference materials that could help.

I wish you success. You will learn way more from teaching him than you will from teaching a dozen other students!

Dave Hickman

[cwerickson]

This is a comment on probably the least important detail of your post, but -- I'm guessing that this kid's trumpet is lacquered, but in case it isn't, be aware that rubber bands will do bad stuff to sliver plating.

Best of luck with this, and remember that whether he passes or fails a playing test, as long as he has you in his corner, you're not failing him.

Tina

[littlegreg]

With the problems he has with the fingers on his right hand, would trombone or french horn be more suitable instruments???

[ADziuk]

There are horn shops that will reverse the horn entirely if he would want. Or sometimes on e-bay left handers pop up that have had this conversion done to Strads. They often go for cheap if no lefties are looking for a horn because who else wants one? Just a thought, although if he is getting along fine now then why change it.

[trumpetplayer87]

I heard about a local guy who is partially paralyzed and had his horn modified so the valves push down mechanically. I'm not sure of that exactly, but someone who was taking lessons from him told me so.

It may be very hard to teach someone with these difficulties, but it will be all the more rewarding in the end, providing you both have enough patience.

Bonnie
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"Yet to all who received Him, and believed in His name, He gave the right to become sons of God" John

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[patrick32378]

If he's even able to play left handed..I dont think there's a need for reversing the horn. There are little extensions that are made so that you can get the leverage you need to reach around the bell from the left side. Aside from that..wow, you must be a patient man. Best of luck.

[trumpetDS]

I have had two different students with CP. Each case can vary greatly. Both students have to grasp the trumpet by the bell with their left hand to get the strength to hold it. The biggest difficulty I have found is that they cannot physically take in or blow enough air to have power and range. One of the studnets I taught for 8 years, the other 5 now. They both play very well with a nice sound but very soft.
If the weak hand is the right, I agree with a previous poster. Maybe the French horn would be a good option.

[mambopope]

I have had two lessons with my student now since I last posted, and he has had his first concert with the beginning band. I can tell he has practiced long and hard. His sound has improved so much, his breathing has improved also. And he has told me that he has passed all his playing tests with a B or A. I told him how proud I am of him and to take this musical achievement in his life and learn from it and keep getting better at it. I have recently found out that he is also dislexic (excuse the spelling). So he has trouble reading the notes sometimes, and I think it is worse when he or I write the note names and fingerings in for him. But I will not give up on this kid, he had a previous teacher that gave him the cold shoulder and just stopped calling and teaching him. I will continue to work hard to make him the player I know deep in my heart he can be. Thank you all for your wonderful advice and comments, they have really helped. I will continue to post with updates on him.
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"We Play By Song and Wind" -Arnold Jacobs

[John Mohan]

Hi there,

All I would add, is keep the routines and challenges within his grasp. Do not overload him.

Create an environment in his playing where he can reach the goals you lay out for him. If he gets frustrated, the battle is already lost.

Keep it simple.

I realize that there will be problems, for instance when you must help him learn something for band that must be played the next day or week. But try to avoid that and downplay the significance of this sort of thing. (As in: point out that while he might not be able to play the whole song or exercise he's expected to play in band next Tuesday, perhaps the two of you can work up the first two or three measures of the exercise to where he can play that much of it well).

Find or create simple exercises that are within his reach playingwise.

And offer him TONS of encouragement.

I hope this helps!!!!

Sincerely,

John Mohan
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Trumpet Player, Clinician & Teacher
1st Trpt for Cats, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Evita, Hunchback of Notre Dame,
Grease, The Producers, Addams Family, In the Heights, etc.
Ex LA Studio Musician
16 Year Claude Gordon Student