Two Weeks Left of the Bingo Challenge!

I've been hearing about lots of grandparents and babies/toddlers who have heard some violin playing. Many 100 charts are leaving lessons and being returned. There is listening in the car and before bed time. Students are asking for help and are helping others at school and at group class. I love everything that I am seeing and hearing. What wonderful Suzuki students!

You all have a bit of an extension on your Bingo cards as they are now due at the Halloween Group class on Tuesday October 28th. We will find out the winners the week after.

Here are a few suggestions to help you all complete your Bingo Cards!

Check out the Don Wright Faculty of Music Concert Series or their main page HERE with for free concerts and student recitals at Western University. Just show up and enjoy. You can see some great things at these recitals!

Also, any performances at school counts towards concerts as well. Maybe a music group plays for the school in the auditorium, or the school band plays, or a dance group performs or the choir performs. You may count any of those as a concert.

When we listen for 3 hours in a day, this is background listening. It's not finding 3 hours to just sit and listen. Put it on in the morning getting ready for school, listen in the car on the way to and the way home from school. Listen during dinner, listen during homework, listen before bed. Have you reached 3 hours yet? (3 hours while we are sleeping does not count toward this). See who is the first to remember to turn on the CD when they get home from school. Pretty soon it will be habit.

Many lessons are available to observe! Come early for your lesson or stay late to watch and learn from someone else. Don't have extra time in your schedule but your children come back to back for lessons? Agree ahead of time that a few minutes will be spent observing quietly the siblings lesson rather then reading a book or doing homework, etc.
Know you'll be in the area and have a few minutes to spare? Let me know and we can arrange an observation time. By the way, you are always welcome to do this. Sometimes seeing another lesson and watching a lesson from a different perspective may give you new ideas or inspiration about your own situation. We all do incredible learning through observation. It's so simple yet often overlooked.

I hope everyone is completing some walk/run boxes this weekend! Anyone read any good books lately? I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Recital Update and Something Fun!

It is confirmed that our first recital of the school year is now on Saturday October 25th at 3:30!

Those unable to make this change work will perform at the Mini Recital at our Halloween group class on Tuesday October 28th. More details on our Halloween group class shortly.

Here's what you need to know about rehearsals:

1. Everyone must be present at the rehearsal group class on Tuesday October 21st. Failure to do so or not giving me a heads up will result in not participating in the recital.

2. All students playing a Book 1 piece will rehearse with piano at the recital group class.

3. All students playing a piece in Book 2 and up will rehearse with piano (Nancy) on Saturday October 18th at 3:00 or Sunday October 19th at 1:00. This rehearsal will take place at Nancy's house. We can confirm the address in person.

On another note, I received a great recommendation from Dave Nuttall! Everyone check out the youtube sensation Lindsay Stirling, an incredible violinist and arranger.


I just watched her Zelda video; that took me back to my childhood. What a performer! I love the diversity of what she plays. What we do as violinists is never restricted to our Suzuki books. You can play anything you want to on your instrument with a little bit of imagination, creativity and perseverance.

The Musical Bingo Challenge Starts!

You all have your work cut out for you this month with our BINGO Challenge! Get going trying to fill in as many BINGO squares as you can. Play for a grandparent, polish a piece, read a book, help someone at school, listen to your Suzuki CD, and practice! Be sure that you can support and explain each square you complete.

Check out the Fiddle page. New tunes are up for the Fall Fiddle Class to start listening to and learning. Everyone is welcome to access this page and listen to the tunes and try to learn them. Hear one you like? Let me know and maybe we can work on it in lesson!

Parent Ed session this Tuesday during group. Thank you in advance to my parent and student volunteers!

I am so proud of all the goals that are being set! So much independence and thought have been put into these goals and how we might achieve them. What a great skill to have and develop!

Lastly, it's time to start thinking about a performance piece for the first recital of the year on Sunday October 26th at 2:00 at Siloam United Church. Everyone must be present at the rehearsal to this recital on Tuesday October 21st (Group Class).
Many people are pushing to complete book graduations and many are taking advantage of this first recital to choose a review piece to perform while we prepare a more challenging piece for the next recital.
Going back to pieces we've learned and performed a while ago gives us the chance to reflect on how our skills have grown. The success we achieve in playing something that is so comfortable builds our performance confidence and allows us to more successfully complete our trickier pieces because of this confidence. This is the Suzuki method at it's best: Success Breeds Success!
I look forward to helping everyone prepare for a successful recital!

Want anything from the Practice Shoppe?

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to be making a Practice Shoppe purchase in the next week. If you'd like anything please let me know and I will put it in my order so that you don't have to pay shipping.

Go to www.thepracticeshoppe.com and send me an e-mail or comment below what item and how many.

They've got everything from dice, timers, flashcards, practice buddies, jewelry, stickers, and much much more to make practice time fun and motivating.

If you haven't done so already, check out the practice shoppe's free downloads which offers tones of free practice printables like games, charts, schedules, etc.

New Challenges Await

Don't miss group class this Tuesday September 23rd as a new challenge awaits! Although you will receive more details in your lesson, you won't want to get a late start on this challenge. See you all Tuesday to find out more!

Set those goals! I have my own goals I've set for myself for this year and now I want all of you to do the same! Please help your child decide on one goal to set for the violin. Maybe its practicing everyday, improving tone, learning vibrato, polishing a challenging piece of music, learning a new fiddle tune, the possibilities are endless. There is no right or wrong in what you choose as long as it is something you really wish to achieve. The ability to set and achieve goals is a skill that will help us excel in all areas of our life.

Updates from this week:
The first group class of the year was a success! Everyone had great ideas about posture, tried their best even when they didn't know the piece being played, I think we can agree that when we play Vivaldi we've got to work!, and that we could improve on our teamwork in building musical alphabets! :) I look forward to this class growing, for everyone getting to know one another and for everyone to enjoy getting together once a week to make music. That's what its all about, coming together with a common interest, working together, being kind to one another, and enjoying this time spent away from the rest of our busy lives to just play music.

The first Suzuki Music Class for Parents, Babies and Toddlers was also a success! I`m running a trial class Wednesdays 9:30 - 10:30. There was lots of singing voices, actions being tried, instruments being played, smiles and intent watching. Please keep spreading the word about this class to any new mothers. Also, look out for my new ad in the London magazine, Mom and Caregiver!

Eldon House pub night sold out | The London Free Press

Eldon House pub night sold out | The London Free Press

Click the link above to see the article written about the group I play with, Celtic Shift.

I'd like to apologize to Priya McHardie for not giving her photo credit. She did a wonderful job photographing my wedding May 2013, and this was a picture taken of Celtic Shift after we played at the reception. Thank you Priya!

It was a great first week of lessons. Everyone seems focused and ready to start another year of music and learning! I look forward to seeing everyone together for the first group of the year on Tuesday September 16th, 5:00-6:00 at Siloam United Church!

And Now What You REALLY Need to Know... Important Changes Ahead!

Dear new and returning Suzuki families,

Group class is cancelled for Monday September 8th. 

This class will be made up in the new Calendar of Events (you will all receive this soon). 

All recital dates will remain the same except for November 30th which is now December 7th.

All private lessons will continue as normal next week.

Group class will now run on Tuesdays from 5:00-6:00 at Siloam United Church at 1240 Fanshawe Park Road East. 

I will confirm when group classes are starting in the next few days. Probably Tuesday September 16th. All recitals will be at Siloam as well.

I appreciate all of your patience and understanding and will try to make this transition as simple as possible.