Are you ready for the year end recital?

1) Listening: As in any performance situation, listening to everyone perform shows respect and is a skill we want even the youngest to develop. Whether sitting in the pews or waiting to play on stage, with parent or without, everyone is expected to use their best listening ears.

2) Dress: The dress code for this recital is red TVSS t-shirt and black bottoms.

3) Preparedness: Please review the recital set list that was posted a couple weeks ago to make sure your child knows all the pieces they will be playing, and what the first piece is they will be playing (the most advanced to twinkle). Also be singing the Japanese song Wishing at home. Enjoy the process of trying to figure out the Japanese words best you can.


I thought this video was great; maybe some of you can relate to the boy who just can't stand still! There are a few other videos of Wishing on youtube, however I thought this one demonstrates some great Suzuki parenting and support!

4) Arrival: Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the recital start. Any later and there is a sense of urgency upon entering the church, and we want everyone relaxed, focused, and to have enough time to get tuned and find their spot in the pews. Late arrivals not only make everyone else tense but is disrespectful to everyone who planned to arrive on time and now have to accommodate the late comers. Don't let this be you.

5) Departure: Attendance throughout the entire recital is mandatory. Not only do we not want you to miss anything, but please show respect to your teachers and fellow class mates to support the work they have done to get this performance ready and to socialize with friends who you may not see all summer during the reception! Little ones who need a time out, please feel free to take them outside the recital area, but always come back in. A child who thinks they can fuss and then gets to leave the recital, will always fuss and never learn to wait and listen.

6) Opportunity: As discussed in group class, wonderful photographer and mother Priya McHardie will have a booth available at the recital to sign-up to get some musical photos done of your kids. A portion of the money she earns she has graciously offered to put towards or Minneapolis trip this May. Priya was the photographer on my wedding day last May, and is wonderful working with kids and really caters to what you are looking for. Thank you Priya for your support of the Thames Valley Suzuki School!

Visit Priya's Website to see some of her work here.

7) Gratitude: Thank you to all the parents and students for another wonderful year. From incredible Play Challenge participation, to horrible sicknesses, the start of Fiddle Class and our Focus on Review month, everyone has worked hard and grown so much over the course of the year. I wish everyone luck as they finish off the school year, I look forward to hearing about everyone's summer plans, and cannot wait to continue learning with everyone in the Fall (my favourite time of year!)

The Art of Rehearsals

What you get at these last few group classes before the recital is what rehearsals are all about. A lot of waiting, changed minds, moving around, and times where it seems like not much is happening, but the work being done is what will make all the difference on the recital day.

Despite the musical things that may have been lacking at rehearsal because of technical and visual decisions, so many non-musical skills are being developed during this time; patience, respect, discipline, self-control, endurance... These skills are so important and the development of them these days is hard to come by in such a fast paced world.

It can be common with children at such young ages to loose their patience and a lot of "be quiet"'s will be said. However, I thought everyone has been listening, waiting quietly, and mostly paying attention through all of the rehearsals. This is very impressive.

I will be inquiring with everyone shortly about make-up lessons. Technically the week after the year end recital is a no lesson week. However, since I will be in Minneapolis for a few days I will be using that week to make up the lessons I will have to cancel. 

Also, if you were part of the Wednesday or Saturday lessons that I cancelled in January for illness, these will be made up at the end of the year on Wednesday June 4th and Saturday June 7th. Then we are on Summer Schedule! Check out the dates posted on the Calendar to start planning you summer.

Registration for Summer, Fiddle and September will be ready the middle of May!

I hope everyone had a nice and sunny Easter Weekend!

Focus on Review Month

One of the incredible things about learning through the Suzuki method in which other methods do not offer, is the ability to play any piece at the drop of a hat. Suzuki students when trained correctly are able to play any review piece at any time, without music and without preparation.

Welcome to our Focus on Review Month!

This past week everyone was put to an on the spot performance of a random review piece. We spoke about musical elements such as tone, notes, intonation, bowings, articulation, dynamics and musicality. Isn't it incredible the amount of things happening when we play a piece of music? And we haven't even mentioned posture! As musicians, we become incredible multi-taskers by paying attention to so many things at once.

During the next two weeks, everyone's job is to focus on their assigned review book that they chose in lesson, and be able to perform any of those pieces with clarity and confidence and by demonstrating the musical elements discussed on the evaluation form (there may just be an Easter treat at the end for everyone's hard work!)

"Listening until we can remember is not enough. We must listen until we cannot forget." - Shinichi Suzuki

Let's also include... 

"Playing until we can remember is not enough. We must play until we cannot forget."

Please continue to play and listen to all of your pieces. Let's strive to thoroughly master everything we learn so that we may never forget. Then our hard work has truly paid off. No matter what path you choose in life, you will always have the ability to play the violin, have numerous pieces you can play well and it will be a joy you will carry with you your entire life.

Recital Set List

Here is the set list as discussed at group of the pieces we will be playing at the year end recital on Sunday May 4th at 3:00. 

Please be sure to give these some focus during your regular practice time so that everyone is playing their best come recital day.

Advanced

Suzuki's Prelude & Berceuse/Carpenter's Song

Book 3

Gavotte in D+

Gavotte in G-

Book 2

Gavotte from Mignon

Hunter's Chorus

Book 1

Minuet 2

Etude

Andantino

Long Long Ago

Song of the Wind

Lightly Row

Ti Ti Sh Ti

Twinkle Theme

Wishing (song in Japanese) - please review these words

I will have copies available in lesson for those who need it.

We will be discussing over the next few weeks who might be playing duet parts during the recital. Stay tuned and keep playing!

Also, please try on your red t-shirts from last year as this will be the dress code for the recital.

The Saturday Fiddle Club group will also be doing a performance to showcase what has been learned in class! 

Didn't get a chance to participate in the Fiddle Club? 

Interested in a summer camp? 

Check your calendars for July 7th-12th 2014.

Attend a week long camp (1.5-2hrs in the morning) for the chance to immerse yourself in traditional fiddle music and dance as well as learn more about music theory, rhythm, sight reading, time and key signatures, and hopefully the chance to perform within the community!

Registration available soon!

Group Class is a Go!

Group class is on for Monday March 31st. Sorry for any confusion this caused last week, but there seemed to be a discrepancy between my Calendar of Events and Sharon's. Anyways, we are back on track and the only Monday off between now and the year end recital will be Easter Monday.

I couldn't resist this picture. Just too cute!
Will this winter ever end?

Speaking of Easter, starting next week and up until Easter weekend we will be focusing on review using an Easter themed game. There is nothing you need to do to prepare, just keep playing all your review pieces at home which should be happening daily anyways.

Thanks to everyone who changed lesson times this week to accommodate some of my students playing in the Kiwanis Music Festival. Participating in this is not a requirement, but is provided as an additional and different opportunity to perform and gain new musical and personal experiences. Please visit Kiwanis Music Festival of London for more information and ask me about signing up next fall.

I have my own reservations about the Kiwanis festival; I believe it teaches many good things, and has the possibility of teaching not so good things. However, each year it gives me a friendly reminder as to the importance of why I teach in the first place, and that's because of the kids; how they perform, how they wait for their turn, how they listen to the adjudicator and the other performers, and how they respect everyone and the job they are trying to perform. I am reminded of the incredible things children are capable of, to be thrown into a new and different situation and to still be able to bare their heart and soul to the world through their music. This is truly incredible. I am so proud of everyone's achievements this week and always.

The Impossible Days

Maybe you've had one (or many) this week, maybe you've just come out of a rough patch or one may be right around the corner. The impossible days have a way of tearing us apart, make us question why we do the things we do along with many other thoughts that are ridiculous and unrealistic, yet feel powerfully true in the moment. So what makes us in these moments keep going, keep trying? 

We want to do what is best for our children.

This is why we are all here, why we come to lessons and group every week and why we all try our hardest to practice everyday, because we want what is best for children so that they may become fine human beings and live rich lives. But how can we achieve this when there are impossible days and more then we would like?

First of all, Never Give Up. This is the message we want to teach children anyways right? Never give up, always keep trying, no matter how hard it gets. 

When it comes to an impossible day and getting in practice, 5 minutes is all it takes. Just spare 5 minutes and the day is no longer lost.

And what should happen during these 5 minutes? Review of course! Focus on one thing for the pieces being played, or put on a quick recital for anyone who is around. There is always a way when we step back, take a breathe, and remember why we are all doing this in the first place. 5 minutes is always better then nothing as it still encourages good habits. 

Consider this questionnaire for Suzuki Parents put together by Shinichi Suzuki:

Do you see that your child listens regularly to the recordings?
Do you take good notes during lessons so that you can be a good home teacher?
Do you shout, scream, or make sarcastic remarks?
Are you positive about home practice, or does your attitude suggest it as a chore?
Do you plan practice as a daily habit, even if only a minimum can be done?
Do you arrange home concerts for family and/or friends?
What is the ratio of praise to criticism in your comments to your child?
Do you show enthusiasm consistently?
Does you child always listen in advance to pieces he is about to study?
Do you practice after lessons, or discuss the lesson in the car afterwards?
Do you observe other lessons?
Do you take your child to concerts?
In practice periods, do you ask for too much at one time?

Take a moment to self reflect:
What are some things you know you try your best to do and what are some things you know you could do more of? Especially when it's a tough day, do you still try to approach practice the same as if it were an easy day? 
Consider what your teacher and Shinichi Suzuki suggest about practice and decide what changes you could make to your practice routine at home to make it more convenient and concise. The more consistent and to the point practice is at home, the more likely it will still take place even when the day seems lost.

The impossible days are going to happen whether we want them to or not and no matter how hard we try to do the right thing. They push us to our limits and although this is scary, it makes us stronger and in turn makes children stronger as they have a role model to look up to. So just let the impossible days happen, don't ever give up and know that better days are around the corner. It may sometimes seem like a very big corner... but the good days are there waiting for you. Those are the days that you will remember and will mean the most to you and your family. 

Keep Calm and Fiddle On...

March Updates

Hi everyone, just wanted to send you all a few updates before the week gets away from me. I had a nice road trip to IKEA yesterday with my husband and came home to some warmth and sun. Today is looking just as nice and I'm going to take advantage of the sunshine while I can. Even if you don't get a March Break, I hope everyone has some time this week to spend with family and to do something fun together. Here are your reminders heading into the rest of March.

Next Group Class is Monday March 17th.

I will be absent from group as I am playing a St. Patricks gig in Stratford. Sharon will run group this week and I may run group the week after. If you need anything before Monday (questions about practice, lessons, violin tuned) give me a call or e-mail me.

Next Fiddle Class is Saturday March 22nd at 1:30.

I have been having so much fun with this class and I hope everyone involved has been learning lots. I am so excited to have a guest piano player join us for the rest of this session and we will have the chance to perform at either a group class or even the year end recital. Stay tuned!

Next Recital is Sunday May 4th at 3:00.

Please pull out your red t-shirts from last year to make sure they still fit. I will have t-shirts available probably at the beginning of April if you are new to the school this year or need a new size. This is the dress code for this recital along with black bottoms.

St. Patrick's Show at Church of the Epiphany
(11 Briscoe Street West)

Saturday March 15th at 7:00

Featuring Celtic Shift (Stephen Holowitz, Dave Nuttall and Amy Lewis), Greg Mainprize (percussion) Grace Lou (erhu) and guest vocalists Adam Corrigan Holowitz and Stacey Wheal.

$10 per person, $25 family price