Parent Ed Night Fall 2019 Recap

Thank you Suzuki Parents for a great discussion last night! You submitted some important questions and as a whole had some informative answers. Thank you for your continued support in Amy's Violin School and in your child's music education. Your involvement is key to your child's success and is what makes this such an amazing Suzuki Music Community.

Here is a recap of what we spoke about last along with a few other ideas we maybe didn't get to. Use these as reference when needed and also seek out advise from your teacher and other parents when practice struggles inevitably happen.

1. How can I make practicing an advanced technique (or any technique) exciting for my child?

• not everything we work on should be exciting. It is important to let kids struggle and even fail. Technique takes time and we all want immediate results which is what can make the process of learning technique frustrating.
• repetition/progress charts are great as tangible evidence of our work over a period of time. From this, we realize what it takes to see growth and how much effort it takes.
• videoing our practice can also keep us motivated. Even though we sometimes can't see the differences we make week to week, keeping a video record can give us a true perspective of our progress.

2. It's easy to stay motivated to practice during studio challenges. How can I keep this going once the challenges are done?

• set up your own family challenge, something specific that your child needs to work on
• discuss these with your teacher so they can support your child's efforts towards a certain goal
• studio challenges are designed to inspire students to look at their practice in a different way. Not every child is motivated by each challenge. Some are really motivated. Pick and choose what you think will work for your family based on what we have tried in the studio.

3. How do I encourage my child to not rush through practice & how long should a student practice?

(these questions were not together when we discussed them, but I think go hand in hand. If practice is being done correctly, rushing shouldn't be much of an issue).

• there are many reasons a student might rush practice such as: it's fun to play fast, they are not sure what to practice or how to practice it, they are distracted, they want to get to their next activity for the day, etc.
• the main way to eliminate rushing is being clear on exactly what to practice and how to practice it. This normally then determines how long practice will be.
• if a student is still playing pieces or practice spots too fast, try setting a metronome or setting a timer saying that practice will be done after so many minutes but only if practiced slowly and accurately. 
• THE LONG ANSWER to how long a student should practice: Picture two students are the same age, playing the same piece and both practice for 30 minutes. The first student does run through after run through for 30 minutes while the other student takes out just the tricky parts and repeats them over and over again until they sound better. Which student am I going to be happy with their efforts when they come to lesson? 
• Run throughs are fun, but they aren't necessarily practice - they are just playing. When we have the discipline to tackle specifically the problem spots of the piece and do them over and over again, we are practicing productively. A lot of times, we are getting a lot more accomplished in a shorter amount of time as well because small repetition spots take a lot less time to play, even a bunch of times, then playing through our entire piece. It's the quality of the practice that is important and not the quantity.
• THE SHORT ANSWER to how long a student should practice: a very young beginner can start with 1 minute of focused practice. This is a success. If you can repeat this success and make it a habit and consistent, then you can grow from that. Students in Book 1&2 should be practicing around 30 minutes, Books 3&4 30-60 minutes and Books 5+ 60 minutes or more. This is still age dependent and practice sessions may need to be split up throughout the day to get everything done.

4. What should my parent role be in my teenagers musical life? How can I still be involved and yet respect their independence?

• Inquire, ask questions (and try asking them in different ways), show up, be available, and have one on one moments regular with them doing something you both enjoy.
• Even if you do all the things above, your teenager still might groan, tell you to stop nagging them, to leave them alone, say they don't want you there, etc. They have that right and they have the right to make mistakes and to fail.
• By always showing an interest and by showing up, no matter how much they push you away, they know that you will be there when they need you. When they are struggling they will know that they can come to you, not necessarily to fix their problems for them, but to support them in their struggles and to offer them guidance and support. This will carry this on into their adult life where one day they truly realize just how amazing you have always been!

5. When should we listen to the Suzuki recordings?

• daily - build a routine and a habit out of it, always turning it on at the same time or during the same activity.
• in the background, in the car, during meals, play, homework, bedtime, etc.

6. What are some ways to make practicing more convenient?

• setting a schedule that works for the student and the family and then commit to it.
• invest in a violin stand so that the violin is always out are ready to be played
• knowing exactly what you are going to play and practice can make picking it up and getting it done a lot simpler than sorting through practice charts and sheet music
• HAVE A PLAN AND COMMIT! 

7. Some weeks of practice go great and other weeks it goes horrible. Despite keeping things consistent, why can practice productivity fluctuate so much?

• because we are human. Our moods change, we get sick, we plateau, we just don't feel like it, the weather changes, we change! It's not always going to be easy and we need to learn how to ride the waves of progress in everything we do, not just violin practice.
• we develop strength, discipline and learn a lot more about ourselves when we can push through those times that our progress slows. 

8. Why should I recommend the Suzuki method over other traditional methods of learning the violin?

• the Suzuki method educates the whole child, not just their musical abilities.
• through listening and review, students develop an incredible ear for music. This makes playing the violin or any instrument they choose a very natural process. Because a student is able to play by ear, they develop a vast repertoire of pieces that they can play off the top of their head because they don't need to rely on sheet music. This is an incredibly free and fun way to play. 
• the skills learned through developing practice skills on the violin can be transfered to developing any skill because of how practice spots are broken down into small manageable pieces. 
• The Suzuki method, from birth, gives children the skills they will need and use in preschool, elementary, high school and essentially life.