Studio Play-In

 Potluck Dutch-oven and Studio Play-In

Friday July 12, 2019

6:30pm

Park Discovery (Amphitheater)

2077 W. Royal Hunte Dr.

Cedar City, UT

Combined studios of Marin Colby and Karaly Whitesel. 

Thanks to everyone who brought delicious food to share for a fun, musical evening! Also, thanks to Michelle Wilson for photos!

Bk 5

Gigue by Veracini

Concert in G minor, 1st mvt by Vivaldi

Bk 4

Seitz Concerto No. 

Bk 3

Martini Gavotte

Bk 2

Witches' Dance

'Chorus' from Judas Maccabaeus

Bk 1 

Gavotte by Gossec

Minuet I 

Allegretto

Allegro

Aunt Rhody

Song of the Wind

Lightly Row

Twinkles

Why Review?

In Dr. Suzuki's article, Raise Your Ability With a Piece You Can Play, he explains why review is such an important part of the Suzuki Method. He says: "repeated practice of what one is capable of doing is the principle of fostering outstanding ability." 

    "It's like learning the mother tongue. A small child repeats what words he can say every day. He may seem slow at first, but he quickly increases his vocabulary by the time he is five or six... In the same way, while diligently working to enrich his ability using old pieces, a student will soon begin to display fine ability to go speedily ahead."

He then gives these 3 points to incorporate:

1. Listen to the recordings a lot more to foster musical sensitivity. If a child doesn't listen to spoken Japanese, he will be a miserable speaker. "Listen and practice, practice and listen".

2. It is necessary to practice daily to foster greater ability to perform well.

3. When the student can play the present piece without a mistake, I tell them, "Your preparation is complete. Now the lesson starts, the lesson for creating the ability to refine yourself." From there a long time is required. "You will now start the lesson for fine musical rhythm, skilled expression of dynamics, and final refinement." 

April Studio News

This week, April 2-7, begins Spring Break for Iron County students. I am still teaching but I know many students are leaving town so let me know what your plans are for lessons. Check the Studio calendar for cancellations/openings if you want to reschedule. 

Orchestra of Southern Utah Concert

http://osucedarcity.blogspot.com/

April 12, 2018 at 7:30 pm

Heritage Theater: 105 N 100 E, Cedar City

Tickets- $12 Adults and $5 Students. Groups up to 6 $40.

Lobby Music starts at 6:45 with Children's Choir

Jack Ashton and Young Artist Chamber Players 
The Cedar City Suzuki Strings will combine with Jack Ashton and his Young Artist Chamber Players. You won't want to miss this!
April 14, 2018 at 4:00pm
St. Jude's Episcopal Church: 70 N 200 W St, Cedar City

Short Survey
The SAU (Suzuki Association of Utah) has a survey to see the interest in the state-wide Gala Celebration Concert they do every 5 years. It's a huge commitment -time and money- for everyone involved and they might not be able to continue it. It's such an awesome opportunity and I would hate to see it discontinued. The survey asks how many volunteer hours your family would be willing to give. I know it seems impossible for us to do much from southern Utah but they are trying to come up with ways we can help from home or the day of. If you have any ideas for fundraising or sponsors let them know on the survey. Complete survey here: PARENT SURVEY

Pics from 2015 here: https://suzukimusicutah.org/2015/09/19/celebration-ix-gala-concert/

Studio Group
Wed., April 25th
Ethan and Nisha
Thurs., April 26th 
4-5pm: Andrea, Ava, Carvin, Hannah, Kimberly and Tyler
5-6pm: Abbey, Kamri, Mahina and Trace
Fri., April 27th
4-5pm: Ann, Elsie and Lyla

The end of May we'll be having a studio Suzuki Play-In where we'll play through the Suzuki repertoire, students joining in as we get to the pieces they know. We'll be talking about 'review' in the Suzuki method through-out the month and how to implement effective review in daily practice. Stay tuned for more!


Send me pics/videos of talent shows, St. Patrick's performance, Gold Cup recital, Festival, etc. to share with everyone! 

Parents As Partners Online

SAA sponsored "Parents as Partners Online" launched a few weeks ago. I hope you've taken time to watch some of the videos -many are less than 10 min.!

Playing by Ear... Unlocking the Mystery

Music as a 2nd Language-Reading

Philosophy

The Benefits of Attending Institutes- Student Perspective

Overcoming Practice Challenges...I promise you're not alone!

Pleasure in Learning

Competition: Striving together or against?

Three T's

It's not about review

Dynamic Practice

"Time"

Do What Your Teacher Says

Check your email for weekly updates. 

You can still register for $12- make check payable to me and I'll get you signed up! Videos will be available through Oct. 15 2017. 

Blog post from "Practice Makes it Easy" by Leslie Thackeray

Thanks to Karen C. for reminding me about this blog post! (Karen says she has extra duct tape if you need it for practice this week 🎻😉)

Adding an element of fun to practice can make all the difference. Try some of these ideas below:

Practice Makes It Easy: Practice Ideas: Sometimes you just need to add some spice to practicing.  Here are what some of my teacher friends did with their practicing this week: Ka...

October Listening

"Witches' Dance" by Paganini performed by Eugene Fudor.
Do you recognize the "Theme" from Suzuki book 2?

"Dance of the Goblins" by Bazzini performed by James Ehnes.

"Night On Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky performed by The National Youth Orchestra of Spain with guest conductor Jose Serebrier.

"Toccata & Fugue in d minor" by Bach 

Parents as Partners Online

What?
Parents as Partners is a web-based program for Suzuki parents offering short talks on practice tips, listening ideas, review routines, motivation, building community, ownership, parent-child relationships, teenagers, Suzuki philosophy, and more!

When?
Talks are available online any time, any day from January 25-June 30. New talks are aired each Monday through March, with all talks available through the end of June.

How?
Registration is EASY!
To register please bring $10 to your next lesson. You will receive an email on Mon., Jan. 25th with instructions on how to access Parents as Partners Online. You will receive a new email each Monday through March.

Videos can be watched on any web-based device: desktop and laptop computers, smart phones, and tablets- including iPhones and iPads.

"Just as Dr. Suzuki encouraged us to be life-long learners, our own studio parents need nurturing along their Suzuki journey. The SAA hopes that both teachers and parents will take full advantage of this rich opportunity to further their Suzuki education, no matter their age or level of experience"

New 2016 Talks

A Measure of Progress
Sue Baer

A Parent’s Perspective on Summer Suzuki Institutes
Cindy Schreuder

A Thousand Bow Holds? You Must Be Kidding!
Barabara Balatero

Are You Inadvertently Sabotaging Your Child’s Lesson? 
Teri Einfeldt

Creative Strategies for Effective Review—a Survey of Favorite Activities from within the Suzuki Triangle
Rafael Videira

Discover What Encourages Teens to “Get Up and Go”
Colleen Fitzgerald

DIY: Do-It-Yourself Practice Games
Kathleen Schoen

Don’t Just Practice…Go Do Something!
Rebekah Hanson

Everything I Needed to Know about the Suzuki Triangle I Learned from a Dog
Meret Bitticks

Five Years Later—Where are They Now?!
Rebecca Martin with Suzuki parents Jen Blackenship and Julie Stibbards

Fun with Trouble Stops? What?
Shu-Yi Scott

Group Class: Creating an Environment of Community in Our Isolated Society
Mark Mutter

Guitar Hero?! VIOLIN Hero!!
Treesa Gold

Hands Separate Practice: Techniques and Tips for Success
Ellen Kogut

How to Make Sure Your Child Will Never Ever Set Foot on Stage to Perform Again!
Diana Galindo

If You Can Sing It, You Can Play It!
Mary Hofer

I’ve Been to the Lesson and Now What?
Brittany Gardner

Making Suzuki Feel Good in 2015
Liza Barley

Music for 1000 Children
Tammy Linn

Musical Elements from Twinkle to Mozart
Holly Smardo

Musical Rewards
Darbi Green and Connie McCullough

No Time to Practice?
Kathleen Bowman

Nurtured by WHAT??? When You Are Not Feeling the Love During Practicing
Zachary Ebin

Orchestra and the Suzuki Student
Daniel Gee

Overcoming Practice Challenges . . . I Promise You’re Not Alone!
Christine Wilson-Goodner

Parent to Parent: Creating the Link of Community for All
Janelle Severson

Partner Up!—Get the 411 from Suzuki Parents
Lucy Shaw and Suzuki parents

Playing By Ear…Unlocking the Mystery
Ed Kreitman

Practicing with Loops
Leo Kitajima

Recipe for Citizenship: Key Ingredients for Teaching Children to be Members of a Community
Katie Bast

Review that Works!
Julie Bamberger Roubik

Seven Secrets to Sanity with Suzuki Siblings
Rebekah Waggoner

Suzuki Parenting: An Exercise in Leadership
Janis Wittrig

Suzuki Training and Body Mapping: A Great Combination for Playing Better While Avoiding Injury
Kerry Travers

Take Your Teacher Home! Creative and Effective Uses of Video Recording in Your Individual Lesson
Lillie Mannis

Teachers’ Perspectives on Practicing with their Children
Amy Gesmer-Packman, Stacey Brady, Flori Muller, Heather Hadley  

Tech Talks V2.0—Studio Updates Available for Download Now
Ian Salmon

The Importance of Educating a Really Beautiful Human Spirit
Danette Schuh

The Practice Lizard
Suzy Perelman

The Value of Listening
Kelly Williamson

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences: Ideas in Practice 
Fernando Pinero

Three Important Words
Edmund Sprunger

Triangle Distortion: Confessions of a Suzuki Teacher who is also a Suzuki Parent
Andrea French

Want Consistent Progress in Your Practicing?? Use These Reminders to Help Your Child at His Lesson
Beatrice Blanc

Why ARE we doing Suzuki, anyway???
Joanne Martin

Work Together, Stand Back, and Admire
Beth Titterington and Sarah Beth Titterington Ibbett

Selected Talks from Prior PPO Years

Advice and Encouragement for Suzuki Parents
Brittany Gardner

Dry Ideas! Make it visual using the dry erase board
Lucy Shaw

Forget Soccer, I want to practice!
Zachary Ebin

Guarantees for More Progress During Practice
James Hutchins

Guarantees for More Progress During Practice, the Sequel
James Hutchins

Guarantees for More Progress During Practice, Part 3
James Hutchins

Is My Child Talented?
Kathleen Spring

Ownership
Ed Kreitman

Pardon the Interruption
Ed Sprunger

Pop your Ears!
Alyssa Hardie Beckmann

Prioritize!
Meret Bitticks

Raising Independent Musicians
Mark Mutter

Simple Suzuki Stretches
Joanna Binford

Tech Talks 2015: Bringing your Suzuki Experience Up-to-Date with the Latest Gadgets and Apps
Ian Salmon

Teens, Tenacity and Technique
Nicolette Solomon and Donna Davis

The Suzuki Triangle Relationship
Rebecca Martin and Suzuki parents

Time
Leslie Mizrahi

Violin "Advent" Calendar: DAY 31

DAY 31: 

100 day Practice Challenge

Happy New Year! Are you setting any goals or resolutions?
Why not start the new year off with the 100 day practice challenge!

Some students have already taken on this challenge.  
One student was set to reach 100 days during the Christmas break and a few others are not far behind! It isn't easy... some had to start over after 20 days. I am so proud of them and their determination to start again!
I can tell a big difference in their playing and motivation. Their review pieces are solid and the 'new' pieces are easier.

Print or make a 100 day chart. 
Practice everyday (consecutively).
Mark off everyday you practice. 

Exceptions:
You can count listening to the CD as practice if you are sick, break an arm, go on vacation where it would be unsafe to take your violin with you (camping,  hot/cold temps. -violin left in a car, etc.) or family emergency.  On days where it's late, you just got home, there's homework and dinner, etc. play through one piece and do better the next day.

P. S. 3 ways to get your child motivated to practice

100 day trophies will be awarded at the Studio recital.

If you've already reached 100 days go for 200 or even a whole year! 

Violin "Advent" Calendar: Day 29

DAY 29:

"Getting Started After a Break"

I found this post about getting back into a routine after a break... she refers to the summer break but since we've been off for 2 weeks with the holidays I thought these were great suggestions for us as well.

So how does one recover from a practice “break”?  Here are a few suggestions:

Listen to repertoire pieces daily, old and new. Nothing works quicker to bring back the spark in your student’s playing than hearing the songs that the student is learning. If you are going to take a trip that involves leaving the violin at home for a brief time, make plans to do some daily listening.

Daily practice. Even a short period of time or perhaps a few small daily practice sessions will be easy. The first few days will be the hardest because you will be working to overcome what I call "practice inertia" -- the tendency to continue moving (or not moving in this example) in the direction you have been moving. Merely set yourself a small time goal (5 minutes might be the starting point) and allow yourself and your student to expand that time period as the going gets easier. When you know that you are permitted to quit after 5 minutes, it becomes easier to stay the course and play for 10 or 15 minutes. From that point, you will find it easier to start focusing on a practice session to achieve particular goals rather than time.

Focus on posture. When we take a break, we may find it easy to fall into bad habits. We forget the correct way to do things, and we begin to do “easy” things, which are basically posture issues gone way wrong. Take the time to focus on correct posture all the time. I like to remind my students that it is as easy to perform a habit correctly as it is to perform it incorrectly. The bad habit merely feels easy when in fact it is not because it will involve major problems later.

Do lots of review. Review is a great way to ease back into a regular routine because it focuses on things that are already familiar. If your student has forgotten material learned earlier, then your student will become frustrated with new material for sure. Focus on reviewing earlier songs until your student remembers the correct posture and the earlier material. Then moving onto new material will be easier.

Set a schedule and follow it no matter what. Part of forming a good habit is to set a schedule for it and set up reminders so that you maintain the schedule. If you set up a schedule, then follow it. Make the schedule be a daily thing so that it remains easy to follow. I call this scheduling for the inertia factor. If you are already following a daily schedule, it is easier to keep following the schedule and harder to skip. See one of my earlier articles about the power of routine.

Keep it simple. Whatever you decide to do, keep your plans simple at first. It is easier to begin small and build a good routine and then later expand the routine than it is to be too ambitious and then become too overwhelmed to follow your plan. Start small and simple and grow from there.

Sometimes it is nice to enjoy the good weather and the summer activities. While you are enjoying your summer activities, keep in mind that one purpose of music education is to teach students life lessons such as discipline, perseverance, and skill development. Coming back from a vacation break can be a good time to reinforce these life lessons as you and your child get back on track. Give a nod to summer by keeping practices short and sweet, but also show your child how to get back on track with the rhythm of practice and learning.

~from Paula A. Bird http://teachsuzuki.blogspot.com/

Violin "Advent" Calendar: DAY 26

DAY 26:

Practice Challenges

Here are some fun practice ideas from The Musical Monkeys.
Check out their website for monthly practice challenges and ideas.

Inspire your child to practice!

Violin "Advent" Calendar: DAY 24

DAY 24: 

Snowmen

Snowmen chart

Can you finish the snowmen? Draw eyes, a nose, buttons and scarf for every correct repetition of bow exercises or practice spots in your pieces.  

Violin "Advent" Calendar: DAY 19

DAY 19:

O Come Little Children; A Christmas Hymn

 A few years ago my younger sister, Jenni, and I traveled to Germany to spend Christmas with our dad. Many Christmas traditions and carols come from Germany and there are Christmas markets in almost every town! 

 One night we were walking around a Christmas market enjoying the magical sights and I heard the familiar song of O Come, Little Children! It was exciting to be in a foreign country and hear a familiar tune!

  

Perhaps Dr. Suzuki heard it when he was studying violin in Germany many years ago and that is how it came to be in Vol. 1 of the Suzuki books!

This is the first song we learn that starts up bow. To help you learn the bowing follow these directions and bow in the air, keeping your bow very tall! (you'll notice that each line starts and ends with an up bow)

Up down with my bow 'til it comes to a stop,

Up down with my bow 'til it comes to a stop,

Up down with my bow 'til it comes to a stop,

Up down with my bow 'til it comes to a stop. 

Learn these words and sing them with the recording or while you do the bowing (air bow). 

 O come, little children, O come one and all,

To Bethlehem haste, to the manger so small,

God's son for a gift has been sent you this night

To be your redeemer, your joy and delight.

Learn the duet part and play with the recording, a sibling or friend!

Violin "Advent" Calendar: DAY 11

DAY 11:

"Do you hear what I hear?"

How often do you listen to the Suzuki recordings or your current piece?
Leslie Thackery of Practice Makes It Easy and owner of The Practice Shoppe shares some great ideas to make your listening more effective.

Practice Makes It Easy: Are you listening?: This post was contributed by the lovely Tabitha Ricks! This month's post is on the three types of listening. Edward Kreitman says t...

Practice Makes It Easy: The Playlist: I love my iPod. What I love most about my iPod that wasn't as easy or convenient with my good ol' portable DVD player or walkman is ...

What changes are you going to make at your house?

Violin "Advent" Calendar: DAY 10

DAY 10:

Practice Ideas

Use these ideas during practice this week. 

“6″ things a day—pick 6 things to practice. For example—10 perfect bow holds (counts as 1 thing), some drill work on the working piece, 3 review pieces, preview for next piece.

Birthday Candle—Light a birthday candle (make some type of holder) and have that be the length of the practice session. 

Violin Tour—take the student “on tour” —playing something different in each room of the house (the big tone produced in the bathroom is very exciting!), in a different place in the yard, or at different neighbor’s or relative’s homes.

Student as Parent—Let the student be the parent for one day of practice. This can have mixed blessings because a parent will often see his own behavior reflected in that of the child’s.

25 minutes = 25 cents—practice for 25 minutes, earn 25 cents.

Recital - Plan a recital for stuffed animals, friends, family, etc. and make a program and decorate it. Practice for a week in preparation and let the child decide the pieces that will be played, what favorite cookies will be served, etc. Set up a stage and make a spotlight!

Dice - Roll a dice to determine the number of repetitions of a piece or for drill work (ex—play this section the number of times you roll on the dice.) Or, roll the dice to determine the piece to play. Ex—1 = Twinkle variation A, 2 = variation B, etc.) Buy a package of math dice—these dice have more sides with higher numbers.

Deck of cards - like the dice game,, only use cards. Assign pieces to each card. Have child pick cards to determine the pieces to play and the order.

Draw a name—write the piece names on pieces of paper. Put in a hat and draw to determine piece to play and order. Or put practice item on paper (bow holds, scales, etc.)

Silly Cards - make silly cards and let child draw a silly card as a reward. Ex—stand on one foot, stick out your tongue, sing the piece, play pizzicato. For example, if child needs to play twinkle and draws “stick out your tongue,” must play twinkle with tongue out the whole time. It’s quite amusing.

Make a video—regularly video tape your child playing violin. You’ll be amazed at the progress they make.

Chip Game—use “chips” (pennies, marbles, any kind of token). Set a goal—for example, keeping thumb bent while playing piece or keeping a good violin posture for entire piece. Give child and parent 5 chips each. If child meets goal, gets a chip from parent. If misses goal, parent gets a chip. Keep playing until someone has all of the chips.

Violin "Advent" Calendar: Day 5

DAY 5:

Snowman Paper chain

Click here for instructions: Snowman paper chain

List each review piece on a strip of paper -add bow exercises, scale, arpeggios, listening, note reading, fiddle, etc. for more links.

Set a date (before your next lesson, before Christmas or the new year) to count down to and remove a few links each day.

For book 4 students and above... make a goal to review all the pieces in the Suzuki repertoire by composer (Bach, Seitz, or Vivaldi).