Rockin' Rosin

Rockin' Rosin owners, Chris and Katie, create rosin in fun shapes wrapped in unique fabric.  Check them out here! 

Happy Birthday, Dr. Suzuki!

"My dreams are for the future of mankind. And I will keep on trying to fulfill them, plodding along patiently, ernestly, and with a singleness of purpose. Almost anything is possible to achieve in this way."

Practice Tip!

Focus on quality rather than quantity. 

More is not always better. It is better to play fewer pieces and play them well. Working in small manageable sections ensures success and mastery of that section. Suzuki said that little children should "practice three minutes, five times a day, with joy." Instead of trying to practice for a set amount of time, work towards a goal for that practice session. End the practice session with an accomplishment. Keeping practice positive will make your child want to play again the next day. 

Parent Meeting Feedback

Thank you to all the parents who attended the parent education meeting last Friday! I'd like to get some feedback from those of you who attended:

Would you be interested in having another meeting which would be more of an open discussion?

Are there any components of the Suzuki Approach you'd like to learn more about?

Are you interested in supporting the Adler Center by helping with marketing, fundraising, or outreach?  If yes, please let Amy or myself know.

Any other comments, questions, or ideas?

Feel free to leave a comment on the blog, send me an email, or give feedback in person at your lesson. Thanks!

I Love to Practice!

 by Joanne Bath

March 9, 2011 / Minijournal 2000 / Topics: Parents, Practicing

“I love to practice!” That’s what we all want our children to say. Here are some ideas for how parents can get there without resorting to things they wish they hadn’t! These suggestions can keep you motivated so that you can help your children have the best possible musical experience.
Enjoy the process. If you can figure out how to have pleasant practice sessions, you and your children will succeed. This may be the hardest part of the whole pro¬cess, and perhaps the most crucial. Suzuki said that little children should “practice three minutes, five times a day, with joy.” The main goal for practice should be with joy.

Schubert's Trout Quintet

Franz Schubert's Piano Quintet in A Major (the "Trout Quintet") performed by Daniel Barenboim (piano) Jacqueline du Pré (cello); Itzhak Perlman (violin); Pinchas Zuckerman (viola); and Zubin Mehta (bass).

Reminder: Parent Meeting this Friday!

Please join us this Friday, September 28 at 7:15pm for our first parent meeting! Topics of discussion will include:

The Suzuki Approach to violin
Benefits and importance of review
Ways to get involved at the Adler Center

Light refreshments will be provided. I hope you can join us!

Event Calendar

Suzuki Violin Event Calendar 2012-1013

Friday, September 28 @ 7:15pm- Parent Meeting

Saturday, October 27 @ 2pm- Spooky Suzuki Play-In

Saturday, December 8 @ 2pm & 3pm- Solo and group recital

TBD- Outreach event

Saturday, April 13 @ 2pm- Popcicle Play-In

Saturday, June 1 @ 2pm & 3pm- Solo and group recital

TBD- Summer Field Trip

Group Class Poll

We'd like to continue offering group class this summer, but the summer schedule will be a bit different. Summer lessons will be held Monday-Wednesday. If you would like to participate in group class over the summer, please comment with your preferred day and time. Thanks!

Save the Date!

Our spring recital will be Friday, June 8. Since our last recital was very crowded, we are going to have 2 short recitals with a reception in the middle. The first recital will be at 7pm and the second will be at 7:45pm. I will have a sign up in May for time preference. Priority for the 7pm time will go to students under 6 years old.

Performance Night

Come see Grace, Caroline, and Linsey perform at this months performance night, Friday 16 @ 7pm!

Art Exhibition

The Adler Center is featuring the works of local Libertyville Artists this month. Come to the free opening reception this Friday from 7-9pm. I will be performing with my string duo, Magnolia Strings from 8-9pm!

Ideas for Creative Review

"Knowledge + 10,000 times = ability", Shinichi Suzuki.

Review is an integral part of the Suzuki Method. It helps improve technique and lays the foundation for more advanced repertoire.

Here are some great ideas from Robert Richardson on how to keep review fun and fresh.

• Play review pieces for your stuffed animals.
• March or walk around as you play.
• Play outside.
• Play in different rooms of your house.
• Have your child play for you while you cook dinner.
• Play all pieces focusing on a particular technique: posture, articulation, dynamics, tone, different vibrato speeds, phrasing.
• Play all the pieces by the same composer.
• Play all the piecs in the same key signature.
• Play all the Minuets or Gavottes.
• Play with an upside down bow hold.
• Use a metronome!
• Play all the pieces with the same time signature.
• Play in different positions.
• Use silly cards: stand on one foot, stick out your tongue, funny posture, ect.
• Penny jar: earn a penny for each review piece.
• 100 day review challenge: earn a dollar for each day of review.
• Give a home recital for family and friends or play at a community center.
• Popsicle jar: write all review pieces on popcicle sticks.

Hope these ideas help make your home practice more fun and effective!

The Importance of Group Classes

Jennifer Burton highlighted 6 benefits of group class in her Parents as Partners video, The Importance of Group Classes.

1. Building confidence: Students learn to perform with and for others in a safe and encouraging environment.
2. Review of old skills: We spend lots of time reviewing old pieces and skills which make learning new pieces easier.
3. Applying new techniques to old pieces: New skills such as phrasing, articulation, and vibrato are applied to old pieces we know well.
4. Builds ensemble skills: Students learn to play as a team and to blend sounds.
5. Explore alternate facets of music: Group class is used to teach new styles of music, theory, and music history.
6. Social aspects: Students as well as parents benefit from the social aspect of meeting each week to play with others.

If you are interested in joining a group class at the Adler Center, we currently have 2 group offerings:

Beginning Group Class: Wednesdays 5-6pm
Advanced Group Class (Bk.1 and above): Fridays 4-5pm

Call for photos

Hi all! I thought it might be nice to share some photos from past recitals here on the blog. If you have any photos you'd like to share, let me know. I can create a new page to collect them all for easy viewing.

Performance Night

Come see Emma, Lainey, Ian, and Nicholas perform in this months performance night, Friday 17th @ 7pm!

25 Nonviolent Discipline Options

 

by Pam Kemp

March 16, 2011 / Minijournal 1994 / Topics: Parents

Photo by Suzuki Music Columbus

Discipline, related to the word “disciple,” implies learning from a master teacher. Like it or not, we parents are our children’s primary master teachers. Expanding our repertoire of teaching techniques will enable us to tailor our choices to our child’s age, temperament, learning history and to our own values. Perhaps some of these options will work for you in your family.

1. Ignore the problem behavior if it is not dangerous. Paying attention simply reinforces it so that it is more likely to happen in the future.
2. Redirect the child’s attention to another activity.
3. Restructure the environment so as to remove or cut down on temptations for misbehavior. This is commonly called “child-proofing the environment” and is especially appropriate for use with young children.
4. Pay attention to the positives. Try to reward constructive behavior while ignoring troublesome behavior.
5. Reexamine your expectations. Is it possible that the child’s behavior is age appropriate after all? Sometimes behaviors which frustrate parents—such as crying or wanting to “do it myself”—are a normal part of the learning process at a particular stage of development.
6. Use a time-out procedure. Calmly remove the out-of-control child to a boring but safe location. Briefly tell the child why the offending behavior is not acceptable and that he must sit, doing nothing, in the time-out location until you say he may leave. One minute for each year of a child’s age is a frequently-recommended guideline in deciding how long to leave a child in time-out. Any yelling, arguing or tantruming results in the timer being restarted. At the conclusion of time-out, let the matter drop-no nagging, lecturing, or recrimination. Expect to be tested at first. Remaining firm and calm is essential.
7. Examine your own behavior. Is it possible that the child is responding to your own unclear expectations, confusing communication, threatening attitude or inconsistency? If so, a change of pa-rental behavior is probably the quickest route to a change in the child’s behavior.
8. Less is more. When children become disruptive, it’s tempting for the parent or caregiver to respond in kind-with loud voice, aggressive language and non-verbal signs of physical tension. Unfortunately, this often makes matters worse. Instead, find your calm center, establish eye contact, and lower your voice. Calm has a wonderful way of breeding calm.
9. Touch. There are many kinds of touch that can help children restore order to their lives-a gentle hand on the shoulder, a stroke of the hair, a back rub. In our low-touch, fearful society, gentle touch carries within it a largely-overlooked power.
10. Name the unacceptable behavior. Although this seems obvious, sometimes parents simply assume that the child knows what she did wrong or that an admonition like “be nice” will provide enough direction. Don’t assume. Instead, specifically state what is wrong and why. For example, a parent might say, “I will not allow you to stab your brother with your bow. That hurts.”
11. Examine the environment for unacceptable behavior models the child may be imitating. Did he hear that kind of foul language from Dad, from TV, from a friend? Does Mom pout and slam doors when she gets mad, too? With embarrassing accuracy, our children have a knack for emulating our most negative behaviors. Perhaps the child’s models will need to change so the child may change more easily.
12. Permit logical consequences. Forgetting a homework assignment logically leads to a poor grade on that assignment. Spending the allowance right away logically leads to not having money to buy something she wants later in the week. Don’t rescue the child. Let her learn from the consequences, with no “I-told-you-so’s.”
13. Reward positive behavior with a tangible reinforcer, like a sticker or a favorite snack. We adults work for reinforcers (money) and children will too.
14. Give a choice, but be sure both alternatives are acceptable to you. “You may practice now or wait until after dinner. Which do you prefer? Not practicing is not an option.
15. Invite the child to help figure out how to deal with the negative behavior. Sometimes children, especially older ones, have surprisingly wise suggestions. Explain the problem and “Katie, for the last two or three weeks you’ve been putting off doing your homework and then wanting to stay up past your bedtime to finish it. Now you’re starting to com¬plain of being tired all the time. How would you suggest dealing with this problem of procrastinating on home-work?”
16. Hold a family meeting if other members are involved in or affected by the problem. Brainstorm solutions and, in consultation with the child, pick an approach that sounds helpful.
17. Remove a privilege as a consequence to the behavior. Try to pick a privilege that is meaningful to the child and has some logical connection to the behavior. “If you do not get your home-work done by 10:00 P.M., you will not be permitted to watch TV the following night because you haven’t used your time wisely.”
18. Tell the child directly what you observe, think, feel, and want, using “I” statements. “When I see you abuse your instrument like that, I feel angry and worried about what damage you might do. I think you’re old enough to find a better way of expressing your frustration. What ideas do you have?”
19. Use gentle—not berating—humor to put the situation in a new perspective for the child and yourself. Well-timed humor can turn a raging bull of a child into a laughing hyena faster than ten minutes of reasoning together.
20. Develop a nonverbal warning system for repetitive bad habits that the child may do without being aware of them. For example, when Mom tugs her earlobe (like Carol Burnett used to do), that might mean, “Oops! You’re biting your nails again.” Scratching the head with two fingers crossed might mean, “Did you know that you’re chewing with your mouth open?” Children who hate nagging will often accept nonverbal re-minders as a replacement.
21. Keep a behavior count of the problem behavior and let the child establish a goal of how much to decrease that behavior that week. Decide together on a treat, such as a special activity together, if the goal is met.
22. Help the child substitute an acceptable behavior for an unacceptable behavior. This strategy is built on the principle that it’s unwise to take a behavior away without providing a substitute.
23. Try to establish some physical links to emotional states and specific behaviors. For example, preschoolers can be taught that a certain piece of music means it’s time to get quiet and calm. The lullaby and bedtime story routine means it’s time to rest. Ringing a bell might mean it’s time to come practice.
24. As a family, establish a list of rules and consequences. Don’t make too many, and be sure to renegotiate them as the children get older. Making rules and consequences together helps children feel a sense of ownership and assures parents that children truly do know the rules and consequences since they helped make them.
25. Look for causes and deal with them. For example, if a child has a tantrum when asked to practice, look at the context. Has his play been interrupted with no opportunity for a transition? If so, the tantrum might be prevented next time by giving the child a five minute warning.

As our children’s “master teachers,” we must teach with consistency, wisdom and love from our expanded discipline repertoire.

Happy Birthday, Philip Glass



Photo Via NPR

American composer, Philip Glass celebrated his 75th birthday on Tuesday. One of the founders of minimalism, Glass has an impressive body of work including operas, orchestral msuic, and film scores. Read more about Glass here. And now for something completely different than your Suzuki recording!

Recommended Reading

There are some excellent books available for Suzuki parents. Some to check out:

To Learn with Love: For Suzuki Parents by William and Constance Starr
Helping Parents Practice by Edmund Sprunger
Nurtered by Love by Shinichi Suzuki
A Suzuki Parent's Diary: Or How I Survived My 1st 10,000 Twinkles by C. Morris
Ability Development from Age Zero by Shinichi Suzuki

Some of these books are available at the Adler Center and I will have them up in the studio if you are interested in borrowing any of them. All of these books are also available online at www.sharmusic.com.

Practice Charts

Meredith Strings offers a variety of fun practice charts available for download. You can also join their mailing list and receive a new practice chart each month.

A couple ideas for how you can use these practice charts:

1. Practice Challenge- Color in a piece of the chart for each day you practice. Need more of a challenge? Try to practice 30, 50, or 100 days in a row.
2. Practice Spot- Color in a piece of the chart each time you successfully play a challenging measure or phrase.
3. Practice Minutes- Having trouble focusing during your practice sessions? Set a timer and fill in a piece of the chart for each minute your practice.
4. Listening- Fill in a piece of the chart every time you listen to your working piece.

Have any other creative ideas for how to use practice charts? Share your idea by leaving a comment!

Snow Day!

Did you miss a lesson on Friday, January 20 due to the snow? I have the following times open for make-up lessons next week:

Tuesday, January  31 @ 3:15pm
Wednesday, February 1 @ 3:30pm
Thursday, February 2 @ 6:30pm

Let me know if you would like to reserve one of these lesson times!

Take a listen

This is an excellent example of vibrato (and a beautiful piece!).

Daily "Chore" or "Joy?" Why Listen?

by Janice Peters

March 4, 2011 / Minijournal 2004 / Topics: Listening, Parents

Photo by Suzuki in the Berkshires

Our lives are all so busy so it is easy fall prey to the temptation of skipping daily listening or daily practice or both. So think of what happens when we skip? Why do we need to be faithful to both?
Imagine trying to learn a foreign language without ever having heard it spoken. Now think how much easier it is with an “immersion” experience. When Suzuki devised his “mother tongue method,” he capitalized on the fact that learning the language of music works much the same way as learning any language.
So why listen to the recordings? Here are a few good reasons:

1. First, listening to good quality music is enjoyable. It increases our musical sensitivity and this enjoyment motivates the listener to continue listening.
2. It is so much easier to master the rhythms and use correct intonation (playing in tune) when the correct example is already stamped on the mind. This also enables self-correction as the learning takes place. Once imprinted, the music enters the subconscious mind and a “musical intuition” (brain- finger connection) forms.
3. Listening actually allows the brain to experience the music before you play it. This is like “practicing for free” without doing the work! (However, this cannot substitute for the consistent daily practice!)
4. Being able to hear or sing the piece in the mind makes learning easier. Listening gives us this ability. It is akin to visualizing a perfect golf swing or a well-executed tennis serves prior to playing. Research has shown this really works!

So help make your child’s learning easier. Play the work piece on endless repeat each morning. Also include the previous (“polish”) and subsequent (new) pieces. This music will remain playing in the brain all day. (How many of us have had an annoying radio or TV jingle play over and over in our mind wishing we “could turn it off?”) Also listen in the background other times during the day (as in the car), concluding at bedtime.
Need a reminder? Put a clothespin or a hair clip on your bathroom towel, toothbrush, or pajamas to remind you to turn on the music at bedtime. Stick a sticker on the light switch of your child’s room. Tie a “reminder ribbon” on the car steering wheel instead of around your finger. Use a twist tie on a kitchen cabinet, breakfast coffee or cereal box, or in the silverware drawer. You can have fun with this, too. Hide clues and have a daily “treasure hunt” or draw from a hat each day to see who turns the recording on and off. Have a family contest to see who comes up with the most creative suggestions. Also, those automatic timers (for turning on lights), which can be set to turn on and shut off at predetermined hours, work well.
Play the entire CD or tape on a regular basis as well. You can have fun with it, too. Try dancing the rhythms or “head, finger or feet dancing” or make up your own fun. Be creative!
You have chosen to give your child the gift of instrumental music. Imagine how much quicker and easier you’ll both enjoy this treasure as you listen each day.
You’ll make new discoveries each time you hear the music, and your child will be on the way to experiencing the joy of finer playing with ease, coupled, of course, with diligent daily practice. So, HAPPY LISTENING! Start now.

Parents as Partners

The SAA is offering Parents as Partners, an online parent education course, beginning Monday , January 30. Inspirational talks will be posted each week for you to view at your convenience. This is an excellent opportunity if you are in need of some fresh practicing ideas and tips for working with your child at home. Please let me know if you are interested in participating and I will sign you up! The registration fee will be around $10.