Last Tuesday was our Parent Ed Night. Thank you to all the parents for your ideas and for chatting with me about Amy's Violin School and all things practice related. For those of you unable to attend, here is what we talked about:
The NEW Credit/Debit Payments seem to be going smoothly. Although this is still technically a trial run for me, I am enjoying the convenience as well. We will see how it all works out by the end of the school year.
Make note in your calendar of the TWO WEEKS MARCH BREAK that I am taking this year. There will be NO Lessons from March 12th-24th. This week is made up for at the end of the school year (June 4th - 9th),
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| It's almost been a year! |
Even though I have a no makeup policy for lessons, I still like to try to make up any missed student lessons if I am able. I have been feeling very inflexible lately and have not been able to make up lessons as I have in the past. Bear with me as I work through this transitional stage of working while having an almost 1 year old.
I'm looking for a great performance opportunity that all the students could go to! I'm keeping my eyes pealed for something unique. If you see that a great band or performer is playing in the city, please let me know.
On to the Parent Ed Quiz:
How often should practice happen?
- we all unanimously said EVERYDAY/DAILY
What should the duration of practice be?
- although we agreed that this can depend on the child and the age of the child, it's more important to focus not so much on the duration of the practice, but the quality of the practice. If practice is focused and specific and done in small steps, you can accomplish a lot more in a shorter amount of time.
Why is review so important to developing our skills?
- establishes the foundation for developing new skills. Through developing this thorough mastery of pieces, we can find a different level of joy in playing pieces well. This in turn builds confidence and understanding and cements those basic skills.
How do you encourage repetitions to young children and/or teenagers/adults?
- make the repetitions small and specific. From counting fingers and beads, filling in charts, collecting stickers, the creative possibilities are endless for young children. Sometimes just the fact that they can hear themselves improving is enough to keep them repeating. For teenagers and adults however, we can start to loose the joy of repetitions. Even when we know how to do them and why we need to do them, it can be hard to actually implement them. Setting goals and small rewards for ourselves can go a long way. When we have something that we are working towards it forces us to look at the task and not just put it on our list of things we will get to, but to make a plan and execute it. Plus, there's nothing wrong with having a warm cup of coffee or a baked treat (something small that you enjoy) to reward ourselves for a job well done.
Why is listening so important to learning the violin?
- to develop our ears, pitch, to understand the repertoire and to understand the instrument.
What skills blossom through attending group class?
- performing, confidence, friendship, motivation, respect, leadership, teamwork, ensemble, listening, patience.
Fill in the Blank Quotes:
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Every Child Can Learn.
Environment Nurtures Growth.
Parental Involvement is Critical.
You should only practice on the days you eat.
Character first, ability second.
Knowledge is not skill. Knowledge plus 10,000 times is skill.
The fate of a child is in the hands of his parents.
Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear find music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.
