Parent Ed Recap

Thank you to everyone who made it out to Parent Ed night! It was so nice to see you all there and I hope you walked away with something valuable. Please continue to take advantage of these nights and the opportunity to hear from a teacher who has had one on one experience with Shinichi Suzuki.  

Here is a recap of some of the things we talked about...

Parent Fundraiser Committee:
We are looking for a parent committee (4 or 5) to help organize annual silent auctions at our February recitals. As Suzuki teachers, we believe in the importance of ongoing education and training so that we might provide the best education for you and your children. The semi-annual Suzuki conference in Minneapolis is an incredibly inspiring (but very expensive) experience. With your help, we are hoping to get some donations through a silent auction to help fund these trips. Please speak to Sharon or I if you are interested in participating. (Thank you to those who have already offered help! It is greatly appreciated.)

On Performing:
In light of the upcoming recital on December 2nd, we talked a lot about performance preparation and this idea of the whole spectrum of performing which includes 7 realms:

Physical - the connection between our body and the instrument. The formation of muscle memory and developing a naturalness to our posture.

Inward emotional - how we feel when we are playing, the positives and the negatives. Are we worried about that one shift or getting those 4th fingers in tune? Or are we letting the music take over and playing from the heart and playing for fun?

Aural - because we listen regularly to our repertoire, we know how all the songs go; we can hear them in our minds. When we play, we must play from what we internally hear and compare that to what we externally hear. 

Mental - knowing the road map of the piece; endings, repeats, accidentals, etc.

Outward emotional - who are we playing for? A favourite stuffed animal, mom/dad, grandma/grandpa, the family pet?

Visual - not much visual in violin playing as we focus more on how things feel and sound.

Spiritual - playing for our individual religions/spirits, or playing in the spirit of the composer.

There is so much to be considered in a performance situation. From the pieces we pick, how we prepare, and how we approach the actual performance. Let's continue to encourage kids to always try their best,to realize that there is no such thing as perfect when it comes to music, to find joy in the pieces that come easily to them now, that maybe were a struggle before and to have fun!

One more thing...

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