Gift Ideas for Aspiring Musicians!

If you are still looking to get something for the musician in your family, here are some of my favourite violin accessories.

I shop at AMAZON.CA, Long & Mcquade and The SoundPost. 

Most of these items can be found on all websites. Check them all out to find the right price and shipping method for you.

Ingles Violin Stand

String Swing Wall Mount Violin Hanger

My favourite Rosin - Bernardel

Fun Rosin

Magic Rosin

Metronome (also Penguin & Owl)

The purest sounding E string

Coloured Manhasset Music Stand

The Suzuki Lifestyle on Early Parenthood

I recently came across these ideas I wrote out when Maggie was maybe 8-9 months old. I was navigating life as a new mom and trying to figure out who I was and what I needed (still a work in progress...). These concepts are such great reminders and what I've been reminding myself of as I continue to navigate all the changes this year has brought along with creating the best environment and lifestyle for my kids.

1. It's okay to let them struggle.

It is our instinct to want to protect kids from everything and to make things easy for them. But when we fail to give them the opportunity to be independent and to figure things out on their own, we are denying them the chance to grow and to learn and to be better human beings. It's okay to let them struggle and to let them know you will always be there. When we struggle it means we have more to learn. It's also okay for us as parents to struggle and to let our kids see us struggle! 

2. The importance of developing a schedule and routine.
One of the best ways to teach children is to be consistent. Children, even babies, find comfort in knowing what to expect and what is happening next. Routine creates calm and understanding and is a simple way to bring a family together and make the most out of each day.

3. Be flexible - The schedule and routine you create, won't always work.
Even though you've tried to stay consistent and follow the routine, things don't always go according to plan, especially with kids. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK AND JUST START FRESH TOMORROW. Do the best you can do in the moment, do the minimum, adjust the schedule when needed, and take it one day at a time.

4. Put aside the crying, the sleeplessness, the messiness, the chaos, and really just focus on what you have and the lifestyle you are trying to create.
As we ride the waves of having a newborn, a toddler, a teenager, etc., it is so important to live in the moment. As a planner, I like to look at whats happening in the next week, the next month, the next year so I can be prepared. But when we only look at what might happen, we become blinded by what's happening in the present. If we don't know whats happening in the present, we don't know what we need to change. It's so important to be there and witness everyday, to make small changes and to witness small changes, and to see our kids being kids!

5. Take care of yourself and prioritize your life, work, wants and needs.
It wasn't long after my first daughter was born that I realized if I didn't make time to do something just for me in a day, I was not being the best mother I could possibly be. I also realized that when I hustle and really focus, I can get a lot done in 10-20 minute chunks or a 1-2 hour nap - I just needed to learn how to prioritize my time differently. I think it is so important for my kids to see that I am still working and learning at being the best version of myself and that this process never stops. When we model to our kids the importance of taking time for ourselves, we are giving them the opportunity to learn to be more self-aware and to realize that being kind to ourselves is just as important as being kind to others.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

How I FINALLY Got My 3 Year Old to Practice EVERYDAY - PART 3

Part 3 - In Conclusion

Start by looking at any 'problem areas' in the day. What are the things that you should and want to be getting done daily but are things that you always seem to argue about? 

Discuss them together (even with your littlest ones) and refine them. Start with just a few and agree that these things will get done each day. 

What works for your family to EARN if you work together to get the list done? 

Maybe a morning routine doesn't work for you, so try an afternoon or evening routine. 

Maybe after school the expectation is your child washes up from the day, empties backpack and practices violin. Or an evening routine of put on pajamas, brush teeth, practice violin. 

Maybe instead of earning screen time it's playing a video game or using the ipad/computer or going out to play with friends. 

Maybe you collect your days and earn an ice cream on the weekend or a new book to read at the end of the month. 

Maybe you try a combination of all of these until you figure out whats feels right for your family!

The list won't always be easy. But there is no better time to COMMIT then now! Post the list on your phone, on the fridge, at the kitchen table. Talk about it when you get up in the morning and before you go to bed at night. Make sure everyone agrees and is on board and works together to get things done. Set the expectation and then encourage each other! 

I can't remember the last day we didn't practice and the heavy load on my shoulders has disappeared. It is definitely not easy, but when it directly benefits our children and the joy we all feel by the end of the day having worked together rather than butt heads, it is a pretty good reason to continue to make small lifestyle changes.

How I FINALLY Got My 3 Year Old to Practice EVERYDAY - PART 2

Part 2 - Creating a Routine

I think it is SO IMPORTANT to not over schedule, over organize and over expect of our children. However, I do think structure is important and teaching children about scheduling, managing time, staying organized and working hard are invaluable skills. 

My daughter has a morning routine of the following:

• get dressed
• brush teeth/hair
• practice violin

That's it. Three items for my 3 year old. Maybe when she turns 4, I'll add a fourth. These three things however have been problem areas in our mornings. So what works for us is if she completes the list (by a certain time), she earns screen time (20-30 minutes or so) and/or a big activity (something that requires A LOT of clean-up). If we don't complete the list, there is no screen time that day. These days happen and we don't make a big deal about it. I find that the next day though she's on top of getting her list done first thing so she can watch a show or do a bigger activity. 

Other days we get the list done but we don't have a chance to get to our show because we get busy with play or go out for the day, and that's okay too. Right now, screen time is just an incentive (one that currently works for us) - it's an opportunity she can earn and use if she chooses. The goal is to create these daily habits that she can carry with her throughout her life. If we can work to do something positive together in the morning, then we earn many positive things from it.

As soon as we all became clear as a family on what happens every morning and when screen time happens (this was also huge as screen time can too easily be given out all day if we aren't careful!), the arguing became less and less.  My daughter is now in charge of what she wants to get done and when (within reason). If it doesn't get done, we don't argue about it because we all know the consequence. 

I also make sure to model myself doing everything on the list - it certainly sends the wrong message if I expect her to get dressed, brush teeth/hair and practice if I wasn't going to do those things (getting dressed with a newborn was something I wasn't always doing, I suppose along with everything else on her list!). Setting that expectation for myself made a world of difference in my mornings as it made me feel more prepared to tackle my day.

Part 3 - Coming Soon

How I FINALLY Got My 3 Year Old to Practice EVERYDAY - PART 1

Part 1 - The Hard Truth & Getting Organized

I have been struggling with daily practice with my daughter ever since she developed an interest at 18 months. Being a Suzuki violin teacher who believes in daily practice and expects my students to practice daily, I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders not being able to produce daily practice myself at home with my own daughter. 

There was always some reason why it didn't happen - busy with other activities, sick, too tired, but mostly I realized I just forgot. The day would get away from me. I wasn't making it a priority. I also quickly realized this must be the struggle of other parents. I soon was on a mission to find a solution.

I came across the 'Block Schedule' a while ago and implemented it into my lifestyle immediately. IT WAS A GAME CHANGER! I won't go into detail about it yet, but if you want to learn more check out the video HERE and follow Jordan Page HERE. I have been following her for years getting advice on budgeting and productivity which has made such a positive impact in my life.

Although my daughters practice doesn't necessarily follow the blocks I have set up for myself for each day, once I got MY life organized and MY priorities in check, it was much easier to organize MY DAUGHTERS activities and make the expectations we have as a family clear. 

The fact the I was struggling to practice with my daughter really had nothing to do with my daughter, but everything to do with me.

Part 2 Coming Soon!

How I END Practice with my 3 Year Old

This is how we end every practice each day. 

NO MATTER WHAT. 

We take a bow and hug each other. 

No matter how frustrated (most days- from both of us), silly, happy, calm, angry, etc. our practice is.  When we practice together we are strengthening our relationship. We owe it to ourselves and to each other to appreciate our hard work and the time we are investing in one another.

It reminds us that hard work is positive and that we can accomplish anything, especially when we work together. Such a simple act of kindness can make our days extraordinary.  

Amy's Violin School is 10 Years Old!

2020 is turning out to be many things. The world is changing and our individual lives are changing. We've all had to grow and adapt, learn new ways and let go of a lot. Every day we get through though, is one more day that is making us stronger.

I've made a conscious effort the past couple months to listen more (it's definitely been a popular theme) and realised I could be a much better listener. As I've been listening, I've learned so much and feel so much more purpose and understanding. When I listen, I am inspired. I hope to pass on some of that inspiration even if in a small way through Suzuki Violin Lessons this year.

Amy's Violin School is 10 Years Old! Private Lessons, Group Classes, Recitals, Small Steps Class, Parent Ed Events, Practice Charts - EVERYTHING is ONLINE. Who would have thought. Even though I am anxiously awaiting the day we can all play in person, I am embracing what I do have control over and planning on making the most out of this year. I hope you all will join me in celebrating each other and the work we are committing to in learning the violin and learning more about ourselves in the process.

Here are a few reminders before the 2020-2021 School Year Starts!

As always, all private lesson and group class dates are listed on the Calendar HERE.

We have two upcoming RECITALS on October 25 and November 29th. Stay tuned for how we will make these recitals possible. Check out the 2020 Year End Virtual Recital HERE!

I am running a 15-20 minute SMALL STEPS CLASS (ages 0-3) Saturdays at 9:45. Please tell your friends with little ones and have them email me at amybarten5@gmail.com to inquire or CLICK HERE.

Also, Parent Ed Events will be replaced with blog and instagram posts. I will be posting short topics for you to browse when you want some inspiration.

If you need your violin tuned please let me know and we can arrange a front yard distanced tuning session! Or, we can arrange a ZOOM meeting specifically to help you tune your violin at home. Let me know!

I will be using Google Classroom to share lots of videos and resources as we continue with ZOOM Lessons. Take a look around the Classroom in the next week and see whats there!

Looking forward to starting the school year with you on September 14th!

My girls say hi!

Happy World Fiddle Day!

Check out these amazing musicians!

Year End Recital Repertoire

Each student is responsible for being able to play all the pieces in the list below that they know. 

All pieces will be performed as a group. 

Book 1

Twinkle Theme

Mississippi Hot Dog

Lightly Row

Go Tell Aunt Rhody

May Song

Perpetual Motion

Book 2

Chorus

Witches Dance

Book 3

Martini Gavotte with Harmony

Book 4

Seitz #2

Book 5

Country Dance

Other

Wishing

Suzuki Medley (Concerto A'La Potpourri)

Fiddle Set

Small Steps Class

There will be MANY opportunities for harmonies and 4 part ensemble work which will be announced and assigned once we are back to lessons on April 14th.

Introducing Adriana Ivy & Other Updates

I'm into week 3 of Maternity Leave and even though I am sleeping way less than I was when I was pregnant, the lack of pregnancy symptoms has left me feeling more energised than I have in almost a year. That's not to say that life right now is not complete CHAOS, but I'm taking the chaos one day at a time and anxiously awaiting Spring and getting back to being active with my two girls!

Regardless of what challenges we all may be going through in our lives right now - I think we can all remind ourselves to take things one day at a time. I keep reminding myself everyday that one day I will sleep again. It will happen! Things will get better. Just one day at a time.

I have yet to schedule a MAKE-UP GROUP CLASS as my calendar for March is getting slightly busier than I anticipated, so stay tuned. If I don't make-up the class in March, I will do so in June after the Year End Recital.

I have also decided that I am going to EXTEND my Maternity Leave by 1 week. Therefore, I plan on starting back after Easter Monday on Tuesday April 14th. There is no Group Class that day so Monday students please let me know if you are available to come for lesson on the Tuesday.

We will discuss on an individual basis whether you would like a refund for this class ($25/half hour) or we can transfer it to a summer lesson (dates for summer lessons will be released in May).

In case you were wondering more about Baby Adriana's arrival - as many of you know, I was scheduled to be induced on Tuesday February 25th since I was a week overdue (felt like months!). I woke up that morning with minor contractions which I was thrilled about considering NOTHING was happening up until that point. Contractions continued throughout the day as we waited for a call from the hospital. Finally we got a call at 7:00 pm. After even more waiting, they broke my water at 11:00 pm and after a whirlwind of mishaps, Adriana was born 4 hours later at 3:00 am February 26th weighing 8 lbs, 2 oz. We have both been healthy and adjusting to a new life at home. I can't believe I have 2 daughters!

Thank you for all the kind wishes over the past 2 weeks! Keep checking in as I'll be posting Year End Recital Repertoire shortly on the blog.

Questions about Maternity Leave

We've been re-organising and prioritising our lives as a family with the new year and I finally have computer access outside of my little office in the basement (definitely can't do everything from a cell phone - including write blog posts). It's been awhile since I've posted regular and it's one of the many things I've been missing and have neglected doing since being pregnant.  Although change is immanent, I'm hoping to get back to a lot of what I love over the next few months as we welcome baby #2 to the family and I start to feel more like myself again.

As we all prepare to have a break from regular lessons, I just wanted to clarify a few questions that have been coming up in lessons.

When does Maternity Leave start?

Maternity leave starts whenever the baby decides to show up. Once this happens, I will send out an email right away announcing the start of my maternity leave, so please check your emails/instagram accounts regularly, especially before you head out for lesson. Once I know when my maternity starts, I can be more specific on when lessons will resume.

You can access all up to date lesson and group class dates on the Calendar HERE. I will also try to send reminders of dates or date changes through email, blog posts, instagram and in person.

What happens with tuition payments during maternity leave?

Tuition payments remain the same. I have worked into this years calendar a 6 week gap. I have done this by starting lessons a week early, only taking 2 weeks over Christmas instead of my usual 3, overlapping my maternity leave with a 2 week march break and extending the school year well into June. If I decide I need more than 6 weeks off with the baby, then we will discuss on an individual basis a refund or transferring lessons to the summer.

Please note the change to summer lesson policies (as of 2019):

With this years registration I announced a change to the 2 summer lessons that have previously been included in tuition. I have worked these 2 summer lessons into the school year giving us a 35 week tuition period spread out over 12 months. Therefore, summer lessons are no longer included in tuition. If you would like to sign up for summer lessons you may do so in May when registration is released. Otherwise, lessons will start back up again in September.

When is the next group class?

The next group class is scheduled on April 21st. However, since I had to cancel a group class in January, I may schedule a make up class part way through my Maternity Leave so that we can all check in with one another. Otherwise, any cancelled group classes will be made up in June.

What should we do during the 6 weeks off?

Reference the blog post I did HERE on some things to try during the break. Please don't hesitate to email/text me while I'm off! It is not a bother to me at all, in fact the distraction will be appreciated - if i'm busy I just won't respond right away. However, I would much rather take a few minutes to answer your questions and send you feedback/video examples and keep you motivated to play, then have you do nothing over the break because you just didn't know what to do.

Have additional questions? Don't hesitate to ask!

Musical Performances, Camps & Institutes

Live performances are incredible motivators for any musician. Check out the following performances coming up as well as some great summer festivals to plan for!

The Next Generation Leahy - at the Aeolian on Friday March 20th, 8:00

SUNFEST - July 9th to 12th, FREE at Victoria Park

Canterbury Folk Festival - in July (exact date TBA), FREE in Ingersoll

Home County Folk Festival - July 17th to 19th, FREE at Victoria Park

Goderich Celtic Festival - August 7th-9th, tickets $25-$40
Goderich Celtic College & Kids Camp - August 3rd-7th, tuition $225-$360

• immerse yourself in traditional music and instruments for a week! Bring your main instrument and learn traditional celtic music or learn a new instrument or style of dance. Taught by incredible musicians and live performances every evening and into the festival weekend.

Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute - August 9th-14th in Kitchener

• immerse yourself in Suzuki studies, lessons, group classes and performances for a week. Meet other Suzuki students, different teachers and walk away with new inspiration for practice and playing the violin.

Other Suzuki Institutes around the world can be found HERE.

Western University offers many often free performances throughout the year.
Other music venues in the city include Aeolian Hall, London Music Club, London Music Hall.

Many of you have been to the TSO (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) and various plays around the city recently. So amazing to hear! Keep providing yourself and your kids incredible opportunities to witness other musicians and artists. Please talk to me if you have any questions about the performances I have mentioned and please pass along any other performances you would recommend or hear about!

How to Keep Practice Going While I'm on Mat Leave

Baby could arrive at any moment as I approach 38 weeks. I thought I'd share a few ideas on how we can all stay in touch and keep practice going during the 6-8 weeks I'll be off for Maternity Leave.

First of all, if you have any questions or concerns about what to do with practice during this time, please review the following ideas below first and don't hesitate to talk to me so we can find a plan that will work for your family.

#1 - I am always available through e-mail/text at 226-377-3667 and amybarten5@gmail.com. If I don't get back to you right away, I will shortly. Send me questions, text me a picture or a sound clip of the spot in your music you are working on. I will help you out anyway I can.

#2 - Attend the make-up Group Class (TBA) and keep an eye out for any Drop-in Classes I might schedule. The make-up Group Class will be a great opportunity for us to play together as well as ask any practice questions you might have face to face.

#3 - Schedule a weekly check-in with me. Similar to #1, although this is a commitment that you are making for yourself, to check in with me maybe at the same time every week. Once again, send me questions, videos, audio clips and I can send you feedback on your progress.

#4 - Be disciplined and keep your practice schedule the same even though you are not coming to lessons once a week. I will also be releasing Year End Recital Repertoire on the blog soon so there will be lots to work on. The Year End Recital is scheduled for Sunday May 31st at 2:00.

I am hoping to be back at lessons in April depending on how both baby and myself are doing. If I need to take more than 6 weeks off we will discuss refunds or transferring the lessons to the summer. I'm sure we can work something out that will suit both our needs. Thanks for your flexibility through all the changes this year!