Character First

“Character First, Ability Second” ~Dr. Shinichi Suzuki One of the things that makes the Suzuki philosophy truly unique is its emphasis on Character First. This is another episode of the Suzuki Essentials series. I’m going to be honest. This is one of the reasons that I was drawn to the Suzuki philosophy. My own history is that I didn’t learn to play from a Suzuki teacher. But as a university student studying the Suzuki philosophy I saw the benefits to have parental involvement. Nurtured by Love was the thing that stood out to me. After many years of teaching violin, …

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My Child Won’t Let Me Help

Your child is playing, you see that finger going in the wrong place. Your teacher has specifically asked you to work on that. You go to try and correct or help your child, but they just get angry and won’t let you help. How will this ever work? What to do when your child won’t let you help. I think every Suzuki parent has this experience, so the first thing I want to say is YOU ARE NOT ALONE. For whatever reason, this is one of those things that parents feel is only their child. It’s easy to look over …

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Build Your Practice Toolbox

Do you ever feel scattered during practice? Does not having the right materials waste practice time? Today we are going to organize your practice environment and go over what tools you need at your fingertips. No matter what age of your child, it’s important to have a practice toolbox. When they are young, you are modeling how to keep your important tools in place. When they are older, you’ll just be helping them create and maintain their toolbox. What do I mean by toolbox? I’m simply talking about a basket or box where you keep any of the things that …

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Game Board Practice

Today we are using game boards in our practice. Watch the video! I’m using the Chutes and Ladders board, but Candy Land would also work well. Get creative and you can convert almost any game into something you can use for practice. This can quickly go down the rabbit hole of complicated. If that’s something you enjoy, embrace it and delve deep. However, it doesn’t have to be that way and today we are going to focus on 3 simple ways you can use these tools for practice. Count the Number of Tasks You Do This is simple. For each …

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7 Habits of Successful Suzuki Families

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel! Learn what habits families cultivate in order find success in the Suzuki philosophy. Take Notes During Lessons Have a practice notebook that you write down notes during the lesson. The obvious reason is so that you can remember everything you need to do during the week. Many teachers are not only encouraging note taking, but audio or video recording as well. Remember that nothing is too small to write down. You may also want to write down the way your teacher says something or the language that is being used. Using the same …

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100 Day Practice Challenge – Sign Ups Here!

It’s here! The 100 Day Practice Challenge Course is ready for you to sign up. Sign ups are available from now until January 20, 2019, so get your spot now. ETA: Signups are done, but you can be alerted for the the next 100 Day Practice Challenge. Have you participated in a 100 day practice challenge before? Has it been intimidating? What do you do about sickness? What if we forget a day? What if we travel during our 100 day practice time? Let’s talk about this and how to make a 100 day practice a successful experience. I’ve been …

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100 Day Practice Challenge

ETA: Sign ups are done for 2019. Please subscribe to the email list below to be alerted for the next Practice Challenge! I’m so excited to begin the new year with big goals. Have you ever participated in an online group challenge? Almost every year I’ve enjoyed challenging myself while connecting to people online. As I was thinking about the new year, a 100 day practice challenge felt like just the right way to start 2019. Ready to Sign Up? We start January 7, 2019 so mark your calendars. We’re going to be doing some great things with our 100 Day Practice Challenge. Here are some of things you have to look forward to. Exclusive Facebook Group to connect with other …

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Teens: What Do Parents Do During the Lesson?

You’ve made it! You have a responsible practicing teen that only needs occasional reminders. So why does the teacher encourage you to keep coming to the lesson and what are you going to do while you are there? Your roll as Suzuki parent has changed quite a bit over the years. You’ve gone from practice partner to practice supporter. You no longer have to worry about them rolling on the floor during lesson or dropping the violin because of distraction. However, you still have an important roll towards the development of your child. Watch the video here: I want to …

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Vio’s Violin – Interview with Kenesha Ryce

When I learned about Vio’s Violin by Kenesha Ryce, I knew immediately that I wanted to do an interview with her. Then when I received my copy, I knew I needed to share a copy with a lucky winner. See our interview here: Find the giveaway on our Facebook page until 12/5/18. Get your own copy here:Amazon (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2Q2yMM7We Imagine Music: https://weimaginemusic.com/ Happy Practicing!

Do I have to keep listening to the Suzuki Recording?

Have you been listening to your Suzuki recording for years and it just doesn’t feel important anymore? How long do you need to listen to the same recording anyway? Find out some ways to keep listening interesting and really focus your listening time. The short answer is yes, you still need to listen to your recording. As a teacher, the first thing I check for if I’m not seeing as much progress as I should is if they have been doing their listening. You can think of listening as giving the student a way to check their work. They will …

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