M.Ted, great statement! Love it. I believe trust is the most important element in a student-teacher relationship. Some students I've had want to learn how I do "tricks". I had a British student who just wanted to know how I did those little "twiddleybits". The trust wasn't quite there I think because the guidance I tried to give wasn't about "tricks" but imparting musical knowledge that would help him to find his own "twiddleybits". (I guess "licks" would be another way to describe it.) But if the trust is there, so much growth can take place in the student. Sometimes you get a person who has a hard time receiving information without their ego being on the line. Often, they ask irrelevant or sometimes challenging questions with no immediate goal in mind. It's as if they want to show you how much they know. This type of individual can damage a group setting and make others annoyed. The best approach I have found is to be honest, not cruel, but to suggest that they save their questions, and just play. Follow instructions that appear to be "stupid" but will have results. It's amazing how some people would rather talk about music than to play it.

Harpgirl, my honor. I think it's so important to help people to play music and get them interested in participation. To me, it's the basis of a folk music "revival". If people own the music, then they support it. They "own" it by being able to participate in making it.

Mudcatters, I would be interested in hearing about your experiences with groups playing music either teaching or conducting "slow jams" or whatever.
Sharing this kind of information is valuable I think. The more groups making music together, the better, in my opinion.

Frank Hamilton