Piano Key Lessons

Parent-Teacher Discovery Zone by Lisa Stang Goldman

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 21:50:08 GMT

Parent-Teacher Discovery Zone by Lisa Stang Goldman

When sitting at a lesson, have you ever stopped taking notes because, for a fleeting moment, one of the following thoughts jumped into your head?

Gosh, we've been playing this Book One piece for fifty weeks now. I hope we get something new!
I didn't catch that last remark. I'll get the information from my child at home.
My child is in Book Four, so I don't have to take notes anymore. S/he will remember.
We all read music so I don't need to wrist anything down anymore.
My child has gotten all set up and has learned Twinkle. The rest is just learning more songs.
Again! This is so boring -- another lesson on placing the second finger high and low...
Why are we doing this again for the 100th week in a row?
It sounds okay to me; we'll skip this detail at home.
This is so frustrating -- I don't understand any of this; my kid will understand.
I played a string (or other) instrument in high school so I already know this.
I can remember this. I don't need to write it down.

Often what is important to the teacher isn't obvious to the parent. Even intelligent parents with the best intentions do not always posses an understanding of necessary skills vital to good playing habits, or knowledge of how they develop over time. With great confidence, a parent should be able to say, "That note sounds flat. Slid your finger a bit closer to your nose," instead of saying, "Hey, that sounds awful. Fix it!" Parents must be taught by their teacher when and how to isolate critical skills and troublesome areas. They must know why the skill is important, how to practice it, and how to nurture it into a mastered skill over a period of time.

Parents should insist on highly detailed information from their teachers. Your teacher's style may not be to stop, look at you, and say, "Play the first two beats in measure 31 five times a day, with your left hand doing this and your right hand doing that simultaneously on the first beat..."

Well, you understand what I mean. It is okay if it is not your teacher's style, but what if you still want to understand better without interrupting every two minuets?! This is not about telling you how to organize your notes but will give you the ability to get the information you need to do your best job at home.

Right now you may feel that you are about to receive a lot of tedious information, and it is making you nervous because it seems so complicated. Until you get the hang of things, here is a quick fix. For starters, discover these three zones of understanding:

Visual: How does it look? Is there something you can see to fix?
Verbal: Can you describe it for me in nonmusical terms?
Aural: How does it sound?

Here is an example of these zones of understanding with a violin Pre-Twinkler who is learning to place the bow:

Visual: a tape marking the Kreisler Highway.

Verbal: "Keep all the hairs of the bow over the highway."

Aural: an example of how it sounds, both correctly and incorrectly.

Now it is possible that your teacher has spent too much time in practice rooms and not enough time learning good social skills, or your teacher may be very engrossed in working with your child and fail to stop periodically to inform you of details. Your teacher may communicate details in a variety of ways that your are not used to. It is the job of both parent and teacher to find common ground to decipher what is important. Watch for gestures; a glance at the parent while demonstrating a skill may really mean, "Please write this down!" Perhaps you will hear the same phrase go by -- something like, "Try doing this with...." the "with" in this instruction is probably something you will need to focus on and write down. Listen for these phrases to go by: "Try it like this....," "Do it with....," "Can you do it without...," "When you play this,...," "Instead of....," "Listen for....," These are all polite Suzuki teacher-isms. Zero in on the skill being demonstrated. Whenever you are unsure of what is happening, ask. The more detailed the question, the better explanation you will receive. Make it your business to understand what is "physically" happening.

Here are some sample questions to ask to clarify what the teacher expects of your child.

Which review pieces should we play?
What specific skill should we focus on in each review piece assigned?
Ask for an example/demonstration of the teacher's expectations of what the student should sound like in a week. (This is not to be confused with the finished product.)
Where in the music is this? How it is notated?
What new material are we learning in this piece? How does it continue to develop later?
Do we need a metronome tempo?
Are there any new musical terms?

Over a period of time your notebook should list the sequence of events that develop specific skills for each piece. You will know what new rhythms, bowings, fingerings, etc., are being presented in each piece. (It's good to look at these when reviewing.) Once in a while you and the teacher may want to discuss possible short-term and long-range goals. Above all, if you encounter great frustration, ask your teacher to move in smaller steps.

Knowlegde is power! Seemingly insignificant details may be essential to reach mutual goals. Vague information gathered from the weekly lesson will result in shapeless practicing with very little accomplished. By obtaining these technical details, there should an expected result. With the examples from the zones fo understanding, both the parent and the child will benefit and return to the lesson prepared, completing the circle of success.

Dear Beginning Parent,

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 21:22:12 GMT

Dear Beginning Parent,

I have sat in your chair, for I have twice been a beginning Suzuki parent. Now that I've put in a little more time at lessons and practice, my perspective has changed a bit. While being a more experienced Suzuki parent has not changed my initial response to what my child is doing, it HAS caused major changes in my expectations and what I do with reactions. (Usually!)

If your child is like every other child I've ever known, he or she will definitely learn to play the chosen instrument. Along the way, he will most certainly do one or more of the following:

Lie down on the floor when everyone else is standing up.
Stand up when everyone else is lying down.
Declare she hates the violin (and/or you)!
Have an attention span of 5 to 10 seconds.
Deliberately do things "backwards".
Interrupt a lesson with a rambling discourse -- definitely not on music!
Seem more interested in the mechanics of the instrument than in playing it.
Feel more sleepy, hungry, angry, or lazy than he does musical.
Resist and test your ideas about habit building, especially about practice.
Get to a lesson and do absolutely nothing he worked on at home.
Make pronouncements to the teacher regarding your practice or lack of, listening or lack of, family problems and secrets, etc.

It's funny; I can appreciate these actions and reactions in the other kids in the class. As a matter of fact, I think they're cute and funny and that the kids are making terrific progress. With my own kids, I want to bite my tongue, hide my face, duck my head and maybe YELL! However, over the years I am learning that my kids sense it when I feel that way, and they become nervous and less confident. What they need most from me is:

My interest. I'm here; I care.
My faith. I believe he or she can learn to play the violin, cello, piano.
My enthusiasm. This is a neat thing to do.
My respect. For him -- his very real efforts, his concentration, his personhood. For his teacher -- her ideas, advice, interest, ability, training.
My enjoyment of every step along the way.
My acceptance. Indicated by a pleasant expression on my face at lessons, class, and practice.
My praise for every small success.

This is the habit-building I'm still working on every day. My expectations for my children are high because I want so much for them, but my image of myself is also involved. I want the teacher and other parents to see me as a good, effective parent. I try to remember that our teacher sees my child working very hard and is appreciating his efforts -- not criticizing him or me. Our teacher has worked with many children, and she is not bothered by behaviour she has seen many times before. So I try to restrain my motherly sigh and roll of the eyes.

My goal for this year is to relax -- and try to enjoy my own child as much as I'll enjoy yours. I hope this will be your goal, too. Welcome!

(From the Lexington Talent Education Association Parent Newsletter.)

The Home Practice Environment Scale

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 21:05:11 GMT

The Home Practice Environment Scale by Pam Kemp

A major concept of the Suzuki Method is that a child's ability can be nurtured by immersion in an inspiring total environment -- physical, aesthetic, interpersonal. Rather than putting primary emphasis on talk-teaching, Suzuki teachers and families are encouraged to draw forth ability through a child's consistent exposure to excellent models in an environment which fosters learning.

Take the Kemp Home Practice Environment Scale to discover how your child's home practice environment measures up. For each statement, circle the most honest response:

N = Never. S = Sometimes. R = Regularly.

I assist my child in home practice. N. S. R.
I play my child's Suzuki recording or CD. N. S. R.
I make sure prior to the start of the home lesson that all needed supplies are available: printed music, notes from the studio lesson, recordings, metronome, etc. N. S. R.
I concentrate my efforts at home on the main teaching points from the lesson. N. S. R.
I arrange a quiet, distraction-free environment during home practice. N. S. R.
I maintain a "calm center" when I am home teacher, even if I've had a rough day myself. N. S. R.
I emphasize positives in my child's practice. N. S. R.
When I correct in home practice, I do so descriptively, not judgementally. N. S. R.
I look forward to practicing with my child and communicate my pleasure. N. S. R.
I continue to learn and strive for excellence. N. S. R.

Scoring N= 0, S= 1, R= 2

(Add your points for your total score.)

A Parent's Prayer by Shinichi Suzuki

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:50:07 GMT

A Parent's Prayer by Shinichi Suzuki (excerpt from Ability Development from Age Zero)

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How Does Practicing Help? By Kalman Novak

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:44:55 GMT

How Does Practicing Help? By Kalman Novak

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Building Blocks to a Great Relationship

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 16:29:51 GMT

Building Blocks to a Great Relationship by Alice Joy Lewis

A ccept your child unconditionally,

B elieve in your child's ability.

C ommunicate with your child. Use words and actions to build bridges, not walls.

D iscipline yourself to make a positive from a negative situation.

E njoy your child.

F ind encouragement in musical development of other children.

G ive your child responsibility which can be handled.

H elp your child with words of encouragement.

I solate tasks to be accomplished in practice. Help your child do one thing at a time and do it well.

J oin your child in having fun.

K eep from over-identifying with your child.

L isten to music daily!

M odel the behaviour you want to see in your child.

N ever underestimate your child's potential.

O bserve the way your child learns and provide help when needed.

P ractice with a thankful spirit, appreciating your opportunity to learn with your child

Q uestion your child. Draw him/her into personal involvement in practice

R ecognize and seize the opportunities for your child to be inspired to grow and develop further.

S hare frustrations and successes with other parents.

T ake your child to concerts frequently.

U nderstand that learning isn't always easy. We learn from mistakes too.

W rite lesson notes so that you and your child can work together at home to accomplish goals set by the teacher for that week.

X is often an unknown quantity. What else would you like to add to this list?

Z ip it all up with LOVE. Love gives zest to life and to our music-making.

The Parent's Role in Suzuki Education

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 16:17:02 GMT

The Parent's Role in Suzuki Education

The Suzuki approach relies strongly on the cooperative relationship of teacher, parent and student in a pleasant, yet disciplined environment. To ensure a successful, enjoyable experience for all, parents must be committed to providing enthusiastic support for the process of learning to play the instrument.

Since Suzuki's approach is modeled on the way children learn to speak their native language, it involves listening, observation and imitation of parent and teacher. The teacher serves as mentor to both parent and child in their student of the instrument, teaching the child at the lesson and guiding the parent in developing techniques for teaching the child at home.

The parents' role involes:

1. Committing themselves to their own on-going education about the Suzuki approach.

Read books suggested by the teacher, talk with other parents, and attend parent classes or talks.

2. Create a musical environment.

Play recordings at home on a daily basis, including recordings of current pieces and other good music. Observe lessons of other students; attend group lessons, recitals, and concerts within the Suzuki program and in the community. Make music part of family life by singing, playing with and for friends and family, attending concerts, etc.

3. Learning the fundamentals of playing the instrument and taking care of it.

In the beginning, one parent often learns to play before the child. This helps create the child's desire to play, helps the parent understand what the child is expected to do, and gives the parent first-hand knowledge of the challenges involed in learning to play.

4. Attending lessons with the child and assisting with practice at home.

You need not be a trained musician in order to be a good "home teacher". With the teacher's guidance, the parent helps the child with all aspects of learning the instrument. The parent pays careful attention at the lesson so that s/he can follow the teacher's instructions at home during the week.

5. Creating a total environment of affection, support, encouragement, and understanding.

Work with the teacher to provide an encouraging environment for the sake of the child.

The most important ingredient for success is the parent's willingness to devote regular time to work closely with the child and the teacher. This requires a commitment from the entire family and may mean rearranging some family priorities in order to receive the full benefits of participation in a Suzuki program.

Suzuki and the Talent Education Method

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:53:21 GMT

Suzuki and the Talent Education Method

Shinichi Suzuki's Legacy

Shinichi Suzuki was a violinist, educator, philosopher, and humanitarian. Over the past fifty years his work has had a profound influence on music education in his own country and throughout the world.

Suzuki based his approach on the belief that, "Musical ability is not inborn talent but an ability which can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability, just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. The potential of every child is unlimited." Suzuki's beliefs and the method he developed have now reached thousands of teachers, children and families in many nations.

Origin of the Talent Education Method

Born in 1898, Shinichi Suzuki studied the violin in Japan for some years before going to Germany in the 1920's. After further study there, he returned to Japan to play and teach. He taught university students, but became more and more interested in the education of young children.

Suzuki realized the implications of the obvious fact that children of all nationalities easily learn their native language. He began to develop a method for teaching violin modelled after that way in which children learn language and called it the Mother-Tongue Approach or Talent Education.

Development of the Method

Suzuki's work was interrupted by World War II, and after its end he was determined to bring the beauty of music to the bleak lives of his nation's children. He began teaching at a small school in Matsumoto, working to develop a sequential repertoire that would present musical and technical points in a logical manner. Within a few years Suzuki's students were amazing listeners with their abilities.

The Talent Education movement grew as other teachers studied with Suzuki and began to teach throughout Japan. The program expanded as teachers of different instruments became interested in Suzuki's approach, and materials were developed for cello, piano and flute. Over the years, thousands of Japanese children have received Suzuki training at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto and the branch schools in other cities.

Introductions to the U.S.

In 1958 a Japanese student at Oberlin College brought a film of Suzuki's young students performing in a national concert. American string teachers became intrigued with the results of Suzuki's method and began to visit Japan to learn more about his work.

Interest intensified in 1964 when Suzuki brought a group of students to tour the U.S. and perform at a joint meeting of the American String Teachers Association and the Music Educators National Conference. The method began to flourish int he U.S. with visits fo American teachers to Japan, performances of Japanese tour groups, and the growth of hundreds of Suzuki program across the country.

The Suzuki Method Today

Dr. Suzuki did not develop his method in order to produce professional musicians but to help children fulfill their capabilities as human beings. As he said, "Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens, noble human beings. If a child hears fine music from the day of his birth, and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heart."

In the years since he began his work, Dr. Suzuki inspired thousands of parents and teachers in more than forty countries in Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa and the Americas to nurture loving human beings through the mother-tongue approach to music education. In the supportive environment fostered by the Suzuki method, children learn to enjoy music and develop confidence, self-discipline, concentration, and the determination to try difficult things -- qualities that are sorely needed in our time. As Pablo Casals remarked through his tears after hearing Suzuki children play, "Perhaps it is music that will save the world."

SPECIAL FEATURES

Suzuki realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease, and applied the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music. The ideas of parent responsibility, loving encouragement, listening, constant repetition, etc., are some of the special features of the Suzuki method.

Parent Involvement

When a child learns to talk, parents function very effectively as teachers. Parents also have an important role as "home teachers" as the child learns an instrument. In the beginning, one parent often learns to play before the child, so that s/he understands what the child is expected to do. The parent attends the child's lessons and the two practice daily at home.

Early Beginning

The early years are crucial for developing mental processes and muscle coordination in the young child. Children's aural capacities are also at their peak during the years of language acquisition, and this is an excellent time to establish muscial sensitivity.

Listening to music should begin at birth and formal training may begin at age three or four, though it is never too late to begin.

Listening

Children learn to speak in an environment filled with language. Parents can also make music part of the child's environment by attending concerts and playing recordings of the Suzuki repertoire and other music. This enables children to absorb the language of music just as they absorb the sounds of their mother tongue. With repeated listening to the pieces they will be learning, children become familiar with them and learn them easily.

Repetition

When children have learned a word, they continue to use it while adding new words to their vocabulary. Similarly, Suzuki students repeat the pieces they learn, gradually using the skills they have gained in new and more sophisticated ways as they add to their repertoire. Introduction of new technical skills and musical concepts in the context of familiar pieces makes their acquisition much easier.

Encouragement

As with language, the child's efforts to learn an instrument should be met with sincere praise and encouragement. Each child learns at his/her own rate, building on small steps so that each one can be mastered. This creates an environment of enjoyment for child, parent and teacher. A general atmosphere of generosity and cooperation is established as children are encouraged to support the efforts of other students.

Learning with Other Children

Music promotes healthy social interaction, and children are highly motivated by participating in group lessons and performances in addition to their own individual lessons. They enjoy observing other children at all levels -- aspiring to the level of more advanced students, sharing challenges with their peers, and appreciating the efforts of those following in their footsteps.

Graded Repertoire

Children do not practice exercises to learn to speak, but learn by using language for communication and self-expression. With the Suzuki method, students learn musical concepts and skills in the context of music rather than through dry technical exercises. The Suzuki repertoire for each instrument present a careful sequence of building blocks for technical and musical development. This standard repertoire provides strong motivation, as younger students want to play music they hear older students play.

Delayed Reading

Children are taught to read only after their ability to speak has been well established. In the same way, Suzuki students develop basic competence on their instruments before being taught to read music. This sequence of instruction enables both teacher and student to focus on the development of good posture, beautiful tone, accurate intonation, and musical phrasing.

Remarkable Life Force

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:11:08 GMT

Remarkable Life Force by Shinichi Suzuki

There are branches of Talent Education throughout Japan. Any child can enter without any test, because our principle is based on the premise that talent is not inborn but that every child acquires ability through experience and repetition. For the sake of our children let us educate them from the cradle to have a noble mind, a high sense of values and splendid ability. At our institute we use violin playing to develop these qualities.

All teachers of our Talent Education branches follow this course. Together with parents they spare no effort in guiding children to become noble human beings.

At one branch there was a six-year-old girl who had suffered from infantile paralysis. She was not able to control the right side of her body. When playing "Twinkle, twinkle, little star," just as she got to the last two notes of the first phrase, her right arm and hand would involuntarily give a violent twitch so that the bow flew out of her hand.

Mr. Yego, the teacher was very distressed. He asked me for advise. I simply gave the following answer: "Both teacher and parents should accept the fact and keep on." The teacher patiently went on with lessons, and every day the mother picked up the bow innumerable times. It must have been very hard for her. But the great love and persistent endeavour of both mother and teacher won. The time came when the child was finally able to hold the bow throughout the entire piece.

Don't rush, but don't rest. Patience is an important faculty for achievement.

Ability is one thing we have to produce (or work for) ourselves. That means to repeat and repeat until a matter becomes a part of ourselves. But to have this energy -- there lies the problem. There are many people who resolve, "I will achieve this, or that." Anyone can easily say that, but not all carry out their intentions. They start maybe, but don't really go on and don't put enough strength into their efforts, leaving things half done. There are only a few who go through with their purpose and accomplish things. Whatever work it may be, the way to success is to stick to one's intentions to the very last. Everyone can do it; it depends only on one's will.

Excerpted from Nurtured by Love By Shinichi Suzuki.

Grow a Fine Seedling

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 14:57:10 GMT

Grow a Fine Seedling by Shinichi Suzuki (translated by Kyoko Selden)

I have taught violin to many children, not to foster outstanding musicians but to help them develop fine ability through the violin. I always tell the parents:

I am not instructing children with the intention of turning them into musicians. I am only making efforts wishing that your children will become people with fine and active brains, beautiful hearts and good personalities. Whatever field your children may go into in the future, I am confident that fostering strong seedlings now will help them succeed in their chosen paths; so whether or not they become musicians, please strive to the utmost. Even if they don't become musicians, those who have developed so beautifully will be people who can demonstrate fine abilities in many areas.

Once a woman brought me a child and said, "I would like my child to learn the violin as a hobby and as part of cultural upbringing. I have no intention of making him a musician; it will be fine if you train him just so that he can play a little."

"It's beyond me to adjust myself so that he'll be able to play a little, so I'm afraid I cannot take your child," I joked, and told her about the importance of training the mind: as long as she wants him to do it, she ought to guide him so that he will do his very best.

No matter what you have your child study there is no distinction between a specialist and an amateur. What is necessary is precisely to beautifully foster human abitliy. It simply depends upon how you think about it.

Listening to Great Music

MF033303 — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 21:10:38 GMT

Listening to Great Music by Christine Goodner

The Suzuki method teaches children to play music the way they learn their native language. Think back to when your child first learned to speak. What kind of environment was around them that helped them learn to speak and understand their first language?

Likely they heard their parents, and many other people around them, speaking to them all day long. They were immersed in the language from the time they were born and they slowly, with practice, learned to understand and speak the language themselves.

Along these same lines, it is widely accepted that the best way to learn a new language, as a student or an adult, is to immerse yourself in the culture so you are surrounded by the language. In this way, new language learners learn to speak out of necessity to get around in their new surroundings.

Creating this same environment of immersion with great music can produce similar results for Suzuki students. Listening daily is one of the cornerstones of the Suzuki method for this very reason. Suzuki noticed that while he struggled to learn his second language, young children who grew up in the culture learned their native language with ease.

Many years later, we know from the field of linguistics that children’s brains are taking in information and making connections based on the language they hear from birth. Listening to great music, especially on the instrument your child is studying, helps give them the same sort of information to process what music sounds like and how they want their music to sound.

One of the basic assignments you will have as a parent is to play your child’s Suzuki recording for them each day. This is important for their development as a musician and will have a huge impact on how easily they will learn to play their instrument well.

Students I teach who listen to their Suzuki recordings regularly learn at least twice as fast as the students who do not do enough listening. When a student is struggling to make progress, this is the first question I ask. How much are you listening?

Student who listen enough have a clear picture in their heads of how the piece they are learning sounds. They can sing or hum the tune to the next section at any given point. They also have a clear picture of what a good sound is for their particular instrument and understand when further work is needed to improve it.

This inner knowledge makes learning new music so much easier and cuts back on frustration. Make listening on a daily basis a habit in your home from the start so your chid can have this advantage for learning music easily.

Make Listening a Priority

I hear from many families that it feels hard to fit listening in daily, or that it’s easy to forget to do it. As a parent myself, I understand there is a lot to fit into each day of your family’s life already. However, just realizing how important this habit is to your child’s success should help make this task a priority.

Besides practicing each day, this is the most important thing you can do. In fact, I would argue that it may be even more important than practice on any given day. Listening gives students motivation and a goal that can spur them on to practice and make learning feel more effortless. On the practice charts that my students take home with them from lessons each week, this task is on top of the list because I want them to see it as a top priority.

My colleague Lauren Lamont agrees: “Getting parents and students to listen to the recordings is sometimes difficult, but it improves their learning by one hundred ten percent!” She recommends fitting listening in whenever possible and to come up with listening games like listening for a specific note your child may recognize to keep them engaged.

Passive Listening versus Active Listening

When you first start lessons, it is likely that most of the listening your child is asked to do will be passive listening. That is, listening to the music as it plays in the background while your child is doing other things. For example, listening while playing, eating, riding in the car, doing homework, or any other everyday activity you can think of.

The music can just be played on a low volume so there is no need to sit and just listen with total attention.

As you child advances, they will likely be given more active listening assignments. For example, pulling out the sheet music for a piece they are working on and following along with the printed notes while they listen. Or, listening to a few different recordings of the same piece by multiple performers to hear all the different ways a piece can be played.

There are some things you can do to make listening more active even for beginning students. Creative movement, drawing pictures of what the music makes the child think of, and making up a story to go along with the music (or even lyrics) are great ways to get students to listen carefully and notice the style, speed and mood of pieces they are listening to.

Parent Jo-Anne Steggall has a great example of this: “Our youngest loves dinosaurs. She makes up her own lyrics to the recordings that all involve dinosaurs. It is so much easier to remember how it goes when she can sing some words that are meaningful to her.”

I shared in an earlier chapter that I used to march around the room to my Suzuki recordings as a child. Some of my students have come to lessons having made up their own song lyrics to a new piece they are learning. The ideas could go on and on. Use your creativity and your child’s interest to come up with ideas that work for you.

The Bigger Picture

If we want to learn anything new as adults, it is a good practice to find people who have already done it and to learn from them. That is the principle we are teaching our children as part of the bigger picture when we listen every day. Not only does listening teach students how their pieces sound and how their instrument, when played well, sounds, but it also teaching them to seek out someone who has learned something well before them to understand how it is done. We do this as adults by finding a personal trainer if we want to get in shape, or watching a video online, or reading a book or how-to guide. We don’t expect ourselves to learn how to do something without some guidance.

Your teacher will give you guidance at your lesson each week, but it takes daily guidance to do what we are talking about. Remember our language learning analogy: we won’t become fluent in a language we only hear modelled once a week.

My Own Children

I knew my own children were true Suzuki kids when I watched their approach to musical theatre in high school. As soon as the musical was announced for the next school year, they would go find the music. They went straight to the library (or online), got the music, and started listening to it over and over until the whole family could sing it — long before auditions ever took place.

I didn’t have to prompt them or suggest it. They knew this is how you easily learn new music: listen, listen, listen. It didn’t feel like a chore; they were excited to do it so they were prepared when auditions rolled around. Once the show started, it wasn’t stressful for them to learn any lyrics or music because they had listened so much. It was already ingrained in them by the time rehearsals started.

Practical Ideas for Fitting in Listening

So exactly how do families fit in their daily listening habit?

Play the CD in the morning as children are getting ready for the day.

Play it in the car as you are driving to and from various activities throughout the week.

Play it at night as your children are falling asleep.

Use it as a soundtrack while doing other activities like playing or reading.

I heard about one family that required it as the background listening any time their child played video games, which is a great idea!

These days, our music can be easily put on our phones and other devices to be taken with us wherever we go. This is such an advantage. When I was young, we only had the Suzuki recording on a record player in my parents’ bedroom so I would hang out with them there at night to listen. We did it, but it sure wasn’t convenient like it can be today.

The families in my studio often have success if they have the habit of hitting play at the same time as another activity that happens each day, and is already an established routine. If you go to the kitchen to make breakfast and hit play each time, or every time dinner is being prepped the music comes on, it actually becomes hard to forget to do it. Find what activity you can group listening up with that works best for your family and make it a habit by doing it every day. Eventually, you won’t even have to think about it or remember to do it. It will become automatic, which is the best way to ensure it gets done. If listening is piggybacked on another activity, it is easy to make it a habit long-term.

As Children Get Older

The goal is that when our kids become teenagers, perhaps late teens, they will see the power of listening for themselves and will do this without prompting. It does usually happen for my students at some point. Over time, students start to realize how much easier it is to learn new music if they have listened to it first. Then they will start to be the ones driven to do the listening assignments themselves. I would recommend that you see it as a parent-driven activity until that happens.

Listening to Create a Mental Roadmap

One of the powerful things that happens when a student listens enough to a piece they are learning on the recording, their brain starts to form a clear picture of what comes next in the piece. This helps alleviate the struggle of learning the form of the piece, or how the pieces fit together. It takes out the guesswork and makes learning easier.

As a teacher, the difference between teaching someone who has listened enough and someone who has no clear idea of how a piece should go is night and day. There is a dramatic difference for beginners that becomes even more apparent as students progress in the repertoire. It always pains me to see a student struggle when I know the solution Is often as simple as more listening. I do understand that it is not always easy to form this habit, but it is such a simple way to make learning easy that it can’t be emphasized enough.

There are parts of learning a piece like the style, the mood, and what the piece sounds like when it is in tune that take a long time to explain one by one to students. Everything has to be broken down into small, incremental steps. If the student already understands these details through their listening assignments, then they already have a basic understanding of how these things happen in their piece, and we can just work on how to play the music well instead.

Parent and Suzuki teaching Jody Morrisette shared that her children light up when they begin a new piece and realize that they recognize the song already (from the recordings) and know what to expect. I have found the same to be true for students I work with.

Another teacher shared with me that younger siblings in her studio will often say they have already learned a piece they’ve heard a sibling play. They haven’t actually learnt how to play the piece on their instrument, but they feel they know it because of how much listening they have done. I can certainly say from experience that these siblings also tend to learn more easily because they understand how the piece goes inside and out.

I would state my recommendation for regular listening this strongly: to not listen enough to the recordings is to handicap a student and make it hard for them to be successful. I know it can feel like a chore to listen every day, but the effort it takes to make this happen daily is worth it!

Final Thoughts

The Suzuki method teaches very young students to play their instruments using the same principles by which they learned their native language. A huge part of being successful at this is knowing how a piece, or instrument, should sound in the first place.

Focus on becoming a family that listens to great music as part of your family culture. You have the opportunity to have a huge impact on your child’s ability to progress and feel confident learning new music by making sure this simple activity happens. Classical music doesn’t have to be your own favourite genre to listen to, but you can likely learn to appreciate it as you see all the effort your child puts into learning how to play their instrument.

One of the saddest things to me was a former student of mine whose parents rarely came to recitals, did not enjoy listening to her practice, and didn’t want any classical music played in the house because they didn’t like listening to it. The fact was, their daughter was really passionate about it — it was part of who she was. What kind of message does this send to a child?

Embrace the journey your child is on and who they are becoming through studying an instrument. Chances are if you listen to many different performers and styles, you will find one you can connect to as a parent and your child will certainly benefit from all the exposure to great music.

I think Suzuki flute teacher trainer Kelly Williamson sums up the importance of listening very well: “Without a doubt, the students who listen regularly to the reference recordings — and a variety of other music — are the most successful. They learn their pieces more quickly and more easily. They play with better intonation. They play with more expression and better phrasing; on the flute, even the quality of their articulation is affected because students who listen are thinking in lines, instead of note by note. They are motivated to learn future repertoire pieces because they have been looking forward to learning them for a long time. The students who do the best of all are the ones who, in addition to the above, are regularly taken to live performances by their parents. One of my students came to an orchestra concert the other day and had her picture taken with me right afterward in the concert hall — as her mom clicked the camera, I was conscious that this kind of experience is part of the ‘glue’ that helps to hold the whole vision together, and helps my student to see herself as a present and future musician.”

Important Ideas to Remember in Your Role as a Suzuki Parent

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 20:04:54 GMT

by Teri Einfeldt

1. Dr. Suzuki always said “character first, ability second.”

The Suzuki experience is about your child first, playing the instrument second. Watch how your child learns, nurturing your child’s spirit and building his/her self confidence, yet instilling a sense of achieving excellence at every level.

2. No one enjoys doing something they do not do well.

It is important for the teacher and the parent to work together to provide the motivation for the child to reach a level where he/she is capable of appreciating his/her progress. It is normal for the motivation level to shift back and forth between the parent and the child.

3. There are going to be good practices and there are going to be bad practices.

If your child is not happy about practicing on a given day, it generally has nothing to do with the instrument. It may be the first thing they have been asked to do on a daily basis that involves “homework”. They may have had a bad day at school. They may be reacting to something you did earlier. My advice is always try to end the practice before it starts to deteriorate.

4. Be consistent and try to practice only on the days that you eat.

Each day you skip makes the next time you practice more difficult. Shorter, focussed, and consistent practices in which goals are well defined work best.

5. The three most important components of this method are parent involvement, listening and reviewing with a purpose.

Remembering that the Suzuki Method is based on the concept of language learning, it is important for you to remember your involvement with your child while learning to talk. Ear training, repetitions, and cumulative vocabulary words were of the utmost importance.

6. Our ultimate goal is for the child to experience intrinsic motivation as well as eventual independence.

It is really important to involve the child as opposed to just tell or teach him. I would not recommend this from the very beginning, but soon after, try and gradually involve him/her in assessment/ learning process. Help to train his/her ear to recognize the differences between that which is good and that which is undesirable. Stickers and rewards are extrinsic motivators, which should be used sparingly.

7. Learning the notes to the newest piece is not as important as strengthening the child’s technical foundation through review.

If you learned an instrument as a child via the traditional method, more than likely you had many books you carried to your lessons that contained etudes. We use review pieces to reinforce technical and musical concepts much the same as the traditional method use etudes.

8. Music lessons and practices in general are filled with life lessons.

Allowing your child to quit or change instruments during the early stages is sending the wrong message. There will be other difficult things in life and we need to learn how to cope with the challenges and embrace the concept of working step by step to achieve a goal. Here we are identifying a problem or a goal, breaking it down into small, achievable steps, repeating the tasks many times and celebrate each small accomplishment.

9. Never have your child play his/her newest piece at a solo concert or master class.

High stress situations for the children need to be handled with playing a piece they are confident with playing. It is important to remember the entire world does not know the order of the pieces. This is not the time to have the children demonstrate how far along they are in the books.

10. Allow your teacher to control the lesson unless your opinion is invited.

Hearing more than one voice in the lesson is confusion to the child. As the home assistant, your job is to understand the assignment in three ways:

a. How it is to be done

b. How many times it is to be done and with what outcome

c. The results to look for that match your teacher’s concept of excellence

11. Communication with your teacher is imperative.

If you feel uncomfortable or troubled by anything that is happening along your Suzuki journey please take the time to discuss it with your teacher. Often times discussing something when it first starts to bother you will bring a more satisfactory resolution to the problem. It is always better to discuss something about your child with the teacher when the child is not present.

12. Never compare your child to someone else.

We are working towards bringing out the best in each child, and having them work towards reaching their own fullest potential. This is one the least motivating things you can do to your child and has a deep-seated lasting affect.

13. Do only what the teacher asks. Do not go ahead.

There is always a reason your teacher does not move ahead. We are more focused on teaching your child to play his/her chosen instrument well, than what pieces he/she is playing. It is how well he/she plays the instrument that will be most fulfilling, as she becomes a member of a small or larger ensemble. This in turn will in-still an even greater sense of self-confidence within each child.

14. Enjoy each step of the journey. Do not focus on the destination.

Small successes should be celebrated at every turn. All small steps lead to accomplishment of the larger goal.

Parent Resources

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 20:04:54 GMT

PARENTS AS PARTNERS

Parents as Partners is an online program hosted on the Suzuki Association of the Americas website. This event exploring subjects like teens, courageous conversations, performance excellence and practice. Talks average 10 minutes each, including talks under 3 minutes. Talks will be available online 24/7 starting in January.

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO SUZUKI INSTITUE

The Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute (SOSI), features a day of learning for students. Held yearly, events include a master class, repertoire group class, theory for pianists, pre-reading class and a recital performance opportunity. Each year the clinicians and material discussed is revised for continued musical development.

Click here for more information.

SUZUKI ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO

The Suzuki Association of Ontario (SAO) is a non-profit provincial organization of Suzuki teachers. The Association has its mandate to support and promote Suzuki talent education programs across Ontario. Its goal is to build a Suzuki community throughout the province by facilitating communication among teachers, parents and students.

Click here to get more information on the Suzuki method, it's history, benefits and the parent's role in the method.

SUZUKI ASSOCIATION OF THE AMERICAS

The Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) is the organization officially licensed by the International Suzuki Association to support, guide, and promote Suzuki education in North, Central, and South America.

A nonprofit organization, the SAA was founded in 1972. Its membership of approximately 8,000 is a coalition of teachers, parents, educators, and others who are dedicated to making music and early childhood education available to all children throughout the Americas through the Suzuki Method.

Click here to get more information on student summer institute events, parent discussion board, articles for parents, Parents as Partners videos as well as a store where you can purchase additional learning materials.

Printed Mateiral

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 20:04:53 GMT

Beyond the Music Lesson - Habits of Successful Suzuki Families by Christine E. Goodner

Suzuki teacher and author, Christine Goodner, explores what it takes to make music lessons work in our busy, modern lives. Using exclusive interviews, current research, and Goodner's own experience as a student, parent, and teacher, this book gives practical advice, specific ideas, and big-picture concepts sure to help every parent who reads it.

Whether you are just beginning music lessons with your child or are an experienced parent looking for extra ideas and support, Beyond the Music Lesson will inspire you with new insight, motivation, and ways to make the process more successful in your own family.

Chirstine Goodner is a dynamic and experienced Suzuki teacher with over 18 years of experience in music education. Her unique blend of expertise in music, child development, and leadership gives her a holistic approach to working with teachers, students and their parents. You can read more of her writing, and find updates on new projects on her blog SuzukiTriangle.com.

Christine's book can be purchased here .

Nurtured by Love - The Classic Approach to Talent Education by Shinichi Suzuki (Translated by Waltraud Suzuki)

In this book, world-renowned violinist and teacher Shinichi Suzuki presents the philosophy and principles of his teaching methods for developing the natural abilities of every child. He illustrates by examples the amazing success of his work with young pupils at his music school in Japan, which has attracted the attention of educators from every major nation.

Professor Suzuki presents convincing evidence to substantiate his view, basic to his method called Talent Education, that every child is born with ability. Accordingly, a child's slowness in any subject indicates a deficiency in his environment, educational or otherwise.

According to Professor Suzuki, the greatest joy an adult can know comes from developing a child's potential so he can express all that is harmonious and best in human beings. In Nurtured by Love, the author relates many meaningful experiences in his career and the circumstances which brought about his discovery of the Talent Education method.

Suzuki's book can be purchased here .

How to Get Your Child to Practice...Without Resorting to Violence!! Written by Cynthia Richards

Music is an essential part of human life. Everyone responds to some kind of music. It is a way to feel and express our emotions, to communicate with others, to develop and refine our talents and sensitivities, and to relieve stress. It brings beauty into living.

Many people begin a musical education but few become truly proficient. In this enjoyable and informative book, Cynthia Richards draws on thirty years of experience in teaching music to young people and helping them succeed. She reveals the techniques that work and the traps that can defeat the entire process. She teaches how to use practicing as a means of building parent-child relationships rather than damaging them.

Cynthia's book can be purchased here .