What you need to know for lessons Fall 2014!

Lessons start back in a week! I am so excited for the start of another year of music and to see how we can all push ourselves to learn new things, be open to new ideas, and continue to work hard to achieve our goals. Here's what you need to know as you head into the first week of school.

1. Figure out your new schedules - once you figure out how your time is laid out this week, start to schedule in when you want to try to fit practice. Don't just think about it, write it down. Not only are you more likely to remember it if you right it down, but putting practice directly into your calendar creates an appointment or a block of time you cannot break.
2. First Group Class is on Monday September 8th, 5-6 at First Saint Andrews Church. I look forward to hearing about what everyone did over the summer!
3. Private lessons start that week as well. I have confirmed with hopefully all of you as to your lesson times. If you are still unsure, call or e-mail me. 
4. Keep in mind that I have a NO MAKE UP POLICY, meaning that if you miss a lesson, I am not required to make it up. I have been lenient with this in the past because I have had the time available for make-ups. This is no longer the case. If I miss a lesson, I will make it up at a convenient time for both of us or during my make up week May 4th-9th. So please take care of your scheduled lesson time and do not take it for granted.
5. NEW Policy - Electronics Off and Away During Lessons. This goes for private and group lessons. Once again, I have been lenient on this rule in the past, but am cracking down this year, because I think it is just too important. This goes for parents and students. Students waiting for lessons may read a book, do homework, colour a picture, etc. Parents must keep their phones out of sight at all times. Don't let the nothingness of whats happening on your phone distract you from the incredible learning moments of your children. 
6. Fiddle Class registration will be out the 2nd week of lessons. Class will run for 8 weeks on Saturdays from 1:30-2:30. Must be playing Perpetual Motion or higher. Fee: $80.
7. Suzuki Early Childhood Education Class for Parents, Babies and Toddlers is running Wednesdays 9:30-10:30. Please tell any new moms about this class. 1st month is free off of tuition!
8. Change to Calendar of Events - There will be regular lessons the week of Halloween (October 27th - November 1st). There will not be lessons the first week back in January 5th-10th. There will still be group Monday January 5th, but I will be absent (Sharon will teach this class). Therefore, there are 3 weeks off lessons over Christmas. 

So I gave in and put up my Fall decorations. My cat Cordelia always likes to help with projects and then claim the changed space as hers. Consequently, she had the same composure as last year!

Cordelia Fall 2013

Cordelia Fall 2014

Have a wonderful long weekend! See everyone in a week!

How to Prepare for Back to School!

Does anyone else have blogs they follow online? I love the accessibility of sharing your ideas and finding inspiration from others online. Not to mention all the FREE schedules and charts you can find online! Basically anything you need to organize, there is a free printable to go along with it to make your life easier. Convenience for me is huge. Things rarely get done if it's not convenient.

Tons of moms online are talking about back to school. Ways to prepare, stay on track, stay organized, and even staying creative in the art of lunch packing if you're into that sort of thing (I'm not sure star shaped sandwiches and fruit cabobs will ever be a part of my future kids lunch bag routine!). But, maybe you'll find something to make an area of your life or your home more convenient. Convenience to me means getting things done as quickly and as easily as possible which = happiness!

How can we make our practice time come September convenient? Now, getting it done as quickly and as easily as possible does not mean we rush our pieces! A quick practice can be concise, and an easy practice means having a plan and sticking to it. We must accept challenges and persevere. Here are some things to remember and consider to get the most out of your practice time:

• TAKE LOTS OF NOTES in lesson.
• ALWAYS ASK the teacher to clarify or explain differently if you do not understand what is being asked
• Practice how teacher showed you to practice in lesson. There is a reason why we do something a certain way in lesson. This must be replicated at home to get the best results.
• buy a VIOLIN STAND and place it in a safe place. If the violin is already unpacked, it is so much more convenient to just pick it up and play!
• schedule practice time into your busy lives and try to keep the time consistent. Make a schedule!
• Set a timer! If you're crunched for time, do as much focused and concise practice you can do until the timer goes off.

Also, if you don't already have a calendar you live by to keep track of your day to day appointments and things to do, start experimenting with some NOW! I love Google Calendars. I couldn't live without it and having it online gives me access to it anywhere. I love how neat and organized it looks and you can plan and see weeks, months, years in advanced. Maybe you need a big wall calendar or a book agenda. Maybe creating a binder with monthly, weekly and daily calendars will be what keeps you on track. We all have our own way of needing to keep track of the days. I've tried other methods but always come back to the simpleness of Google Calendar. Find out what you need to get the most out of your day. That means no more surprises and no more forgetting which = no more stress. Eliminate the stress by seeking out convenient solutions.

Here are some blogs I use, mostly for home decor/organization, but there are lots of resources and ideas on raising a family, like how to handle finances to dividing household chores or what responsibilities are suitable for your youngest to your oldest and the importance of "electronic free" time. Take a look, maybe you'll find something that inspires you to change an area of your life for the better:

Organizing Junkie

Sunny Side Up

I Heart Organizing

Organizing Made Fun

Fun, Cheap or Free Queen

Practice Makes it Easy 

This last one is affiliated with the Practice Shoppe I've been mentioning. Lots of great ideas for practice time.

There are hundreds more out there. Are there any blogs you already follow? Tell me about them in the comments!

Practice Shoppe Purchases

So about 2 months ago now, I placed an order with The Practice Shoppe which is a great online resource for practice accessories. My purchase arrived within 14 days. It was sent from Salt Lake City Utah, so keep shipping time in mind when you make your purchases. It came in a nice little box with everything wrapped and secure. Here's what I purchased:

1. Fingerboard Tapes (in red, blue, gold and silver). 

No more cutting and hopefully will last longer!

2. Cube Timers

3. Bow Hand/Violin Hand Tattoos for Pretwinkle Lessons

4. 20 sided dice for repetitions

5. Music Bracelets for Prize Box

6. Music Necklaces for Prize Box

7. Red Musical Cat Washi Tape (because I can't resist anything with cats or red).

If you haven't already checked out the Practice Shoppe, do so right now! They've got tons of free printables and maybe you'll find some new toys or gadgets that would make good stocking stuffers...

Yes, I am already anticipating the holiday season. I love that the stores already have their fall decor out. I may have purchased two new pumpkins at Homesense the other day. On the other hand, let's all try to enjoy the rest of summer before we head into the busyness of the next few months. The music festival at Goderich this past weekend was great! Picked up a new CD of the Cape Breton duo Cassie and Maggie MacDonald and even more inspiration and ideas. Hope you've all been filling your days with things that motivate and inspire!

We Can Do Anything When We Start Small

Something I find I am constantly telling my newest to most advanced students is to start small. Not until we master the small chunks can we hope to add on. We must enjoy the process and the journey and not be worried about how quickly we get to the end result. All good things take time.

This concept seems to be easier said then done, and yet holds the key to every aspect of our lives. 

Start small, don't rush and make it daily.

I have been working my way through the Suzuki Piano Books. There are times I hit a wall and just feel like I'm not improving at all and each time I play the pieces they come out sounding exactly the same. Why? I am enjoying playing the pieces from start to finish but am forgetting to isolate the small sections that I could master more fully in order to bring the whole piece together. 

Even though I teach the starting small concept daily, it can definitely be difficult to facilitate, mostly because playing the piece from start to finish is so much fun! As soon as we isolate the small chunks to practice though, we are eliminating any road blocks or hiccups from the finished product. We are fully mastering the piece.

Start small, don't rush and make it daily.

Not rushing is just as important as starting small. We cannot expect that after one practice session on the small chunk will we be ready to put it back into the piece and have it be flawless. We must give it time to settle. Consider this:

Can we expect that after one run, we will lose those 10 pounds?

Can we expect that after a baby says "momma" for the first time that we can stop encouraging them to say it again and again?

Can we expect that after one crochet class that we can complete any crochet project?

Can we expect that after one watering we will have a beautiful blooming garden?

Absolutely not!

Things take time. This is definitely hard to except sometimes. We all want instant results. But that is not realistic and that is not life. Everything we do that is a step in the right direction, towards something good, takes times. It's interesting to note though that everything we do in the wrong direction towards something bad, can be instant.

Can we expect that after eating Mcdonalds we will get a tummy ache?

Can we expect that after saying one bad word in front of your child that this is the word they will repeat instantly?

Can we expect that if we don't go to that crochet class our skills will plateau?

Can we expect that with no water or sunshine that our garden will never flourish?

Why of course!

The bad things in life will happen whether we plan for them or not. What we do have control over are the good things. We must work for all the good things we want in our lives. Decide with it is you want, then start small, don't rush and make it daily. We can all find happiness if we start small, don't rush and make it daily.

I look forward to continuing to help teach everyone how to start small and not rush in their violin playing. I hope to hear about how you can use this concept in other areas for your life!