Many of my students are learning to play a musical instrument, because they themselves want to or because their parents want them to learn. However, for some, the motivation to learn comes when they see some or many of their friends playing. Whatever the motivation to learn is, students should focus on their own learning journey not start comparing themselves to others.

When groups of friends are all learning, there can be healthy competition taking place. As long as it doesn’t become a dominant factor in anyone’s motivation to learn, such competition can be helpful. No one should be made to feel that they always need to win against another person or that they are not doing well enough if a friend is performing better than them. We need to keep individual goals and expectations separate!

As a teacher, it is important to remind students that everyone has their unique learning journey and that they should not compare themselves to others.