Are you reviewing?!

Hey, are you reviewing old pieces daily? If not, here's a great way to do it! Follow the chart to break up review into smaller portions. That way, you are not reviewing everything, everyday (that might be a lot depending on what book you're in) but you do cover everything in the span of a week.

It's easy to get excited about a new piece but don't forget about review pieces. The skills in the Suzuki repertoire are scaffolded so everything that was previously learned is built on later but made more challenging. When reviewing an old piece, ask your child to think about something specific so it is not mindless repetition of an old song. For example, if your child is working on fixing some bow hold issues, have them play Twinkle and really focus on the bow. The left hand will practically play itself and the additional focus on the bow with reinforce bow hold maintenance. 

Suzuki Cello Review Chart for Books 1-4

1. Practice your last 3 pieces everyday

2. Twinkle Variation X is “Flipper the Dolphin”, “Blueberry Blueberry” or any Twinkle rhythm not from the book

3. On the 6^th and 7^th day, you may choose what to review. Hint: review what didn't go so well!

4. When you are in Book 3 and beyond, you can substitute orchestra/other music for Book 1. 

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Twinkle Var A	Twinkle Var B	Twinkle Var C	Twinkle Var D	Twinkle Theme
Twinkle Var X	Mary Had A Lamb	French Folk Song	Lightly Row	Song of the Wind
Go Tell Aunt Rhody	O Come, Little Children	May Song	Allegro	Perpetual Motion
Long Long Ago	Allegretto	Andantino	Rigadoon	Etude
Happy Farmer	Minuet in C	Minuet #2	Long Long Ago with variation	May Time
Minuet 1	Minuet 3	Judas Maccabaeus	Hunter’s Chorus	Musette
March in G	Witches’ Dance	Two Grenadiers	Moon Over the Ruined Castle	Gossec Gavotte
Bourree	Berceuse	Moon Over the Ruined Castle – 3rd	Lully Gavotte	Boccherini Minuet
Moon Over the Ruined Castle – 4th	Scherzo	Beethoven Minuet in G	Gavotte in C minor	Minuet # 3 + minor section
Humoresque	La Cinquantaine	Allegro Moderato	Breval Sonata Allegro	Breval Sonata Rondo
Marcello Sonata Adagio	Marcello Sonata Allegro	Bach Minuets 1 & 2 from Suite 1	Chanson Triste

Learn how to speak Italian! (so you can follow the directions in the book)

In addition to learning how to read music, students also get to learn some fun and very important Italian words! Traditionally in music, instructions for the speed (tempo), bow style, dynamics (loudness/softness), etc., are in Italian. Some composers later on use French and German, depending on their nationality, but for the most part, Italian instructions are used. And for the entire Suzuki Book 1, Italian is used.

Below is a list of commonly used Italian words as well as symbols broken up by the type of instruction they give. This is by no means a comprehensive list - there are as many symbols and terms to fill up an entire encyclopedia of music (these exist) but this will cover you through Book 1.

Tempo (speed)

• Allegro - fast, lively, 'perky'
• Allegro giocoso - fast and playful
• Allegro moderato - moderately fast
• Allegretto - fairly brisk tempo but slower than Allegro
• Andante - walking speed
• Andantino - slightly slower than Andante
• Grazioso - gracefully
• Moderato - moderately; moderate speed

Dynamics (how loud or soft)

• forte (f) - loud; 'strong'
• piano (p) - soft
• mezzoforte (mf) - medium loud
• mezzopiano (mp) - medium soft
• cresc./crescendo/ < - gradually get louder
• dim./diminuendo/ > - gradually get softer
• decresc./decrescendo/ > - gradually get softer
• meno mosso - much less

Bow Articulation Marks (what kind of sound does it make)

• legato - smoothly; French Folk Song
• staccato - short, crisp; marked with a dot above the note; Song of the Wind 
• tenuto - to hold; marked with a dash above the note; Allegretto
• marcato - strongly articulated; marked with a > or ^; 
• related to martelé, or an attack with the bow that is forceful and then released; think Rigadoon. 
• detaché - connected, on the string; back and forth bow; long bow Twinkle

Other Directions

• pizzicato or pizz. - pluck with the finger
• arco - use the bow
• rit./ritardando - slow down
• poco rit. - slow down a lot
• dolce - sweetly
• a tempo - return to the original speed
• sempre - always

Commonly Used Symbols

Wikipedia has a great glossary of terms & symbols for any additional terms or symbols you may need going forward.

Cellos & Supplies for the Lessons

Though this is intended for families new to playing an instrument, many current families will find this information about cellos, renting/buying and supplies very helpful. 

Where can I get a cello?

There are two different ways to go about this: securing an instrument from a local shop or renting from a national retailer. Below is a list of local Austin shops that rent instruments and sells accessories as well as two national retailers that also rent instruments nationwide. Most rental programs are very similar, if not the same - you pay a monthly rental fee that may or may not include insurance (optional, usually, though I recommend it). A portion of the money you pay for that rental goes toward the eventual purchase of an instrument. Buying a cello is great but I recommend waiting until either your child isn't growing so swiftly (i.e. needs a new cello size every 6-12 months) or your child has reached the full-size cello. You are buying an instrument so you want to make sure your child will use if for a longer duration of time or else you'll have a small cello on your hands that no one can play.

Austin Instrument Rental Shops
Blackerby Violin Shop on W. Anderson
Violins Etc. on Burnet & 2222
Craig's Violins in Lakeway
Westbank Strings in South Austin on Manchaca

National Rental Shops
William Harris Lee is not a local retailer but rents instruments online and will ship the instrument to you. Initially, the cost may be more expensive due to shipping, but the monthly rental fee is comparable to local shops and the instruments are high quality student instruments.
Johnson Strings also has a very similar rental program to WHL. 

You may find other national shops that rent, I'm just familiar with WHL's rental instruments - I had a number of students in Atlanta rent instruments from the shop in addition to current students in Austin having a great experience with WHL's instruments.

What kind of supplies do I need?

Other Supplies Needed
Endpin strap - I highly recommend/require this rockstop/endpin strap. It attaches to the chair and doesn't slide on the floor, maintains the correct length so there's no guessing where it goes on the floor in front of the chair
Suzuki Book 1 - Your child won't need this as much as you will at the beginning for reference. I prefer the physical copy to take notes in, plus you'll have it when your child does need it. But if you prefer a digital copy, you can get the Suzuki Book 1 Digital Download on iTunes for iBooks.
Suzuki Volume 1 & 2 Recordings - digital downloads: YAY!!!
Chair/Stepstool - this is a tricky and detailed one. First, here's how to determine if a chair is a good cello chair height:

Chair Sizing
Sit your child on the edge of the chair - the edge is important. Do the feet completely touch the floor comfortably? The feet must be completely flat and comfortable on the floor, with no straining or reaching to touch. With the child's torso tall (think a tall tummy, rather than straight back), are the thighs at approximately a 100-110 degree angle? Are the knees lower than the hips? We do not want a 90 degree angle with the torso and thighs - this is terrible for the back and posture. A too-short chair will create this 90 degree angle while a too-tall chair creates an angle larger than 110 degrees. We need one that's just right. :)

Below are two photos, with thanks to my dear friend Kelsey, demonstrating a good seated cello posture.

I prefer a chair without a back - chairs with backs tend to encourage sliding into the back of the chair and cellists need to sit on the edge - but I'm not terribly picky about back/no back. It must have a leg the endpin strap can attach to. Some of the chairs and step-stools I've seen don't work well with the strap and we've had to jerry-rig it to make it work. But in general, if it works, it works! It really depends on what you are comfortable with carrying around and what works best for you and your child. Some prefer a more portable option, others favor the adjustable feature. Below is a list of a few options recommended by parents with some pros and cons to each. Keep in mind, your child will grow no matter what so these chairs aren't permanent by any means.

Drum stool
pros: adjustable, somewhat compact-able/foldable tripod legs, great for endpin strap, cushioned seat; 
cons: not lightweight, little more pricey ($35-40)
Folding step stool 
pros: foldable, lightweight, easy to carry around, inexpensive (about $10);
cons: not adjustable, strap is sometimes difficult to attach to the leg;
IKEA children's chairs 
pros: you probably already have one (or more) around the house, generally lightweight, great for endpin strap attachment; 
cons: not adjustable, folding and kind of a pain to carry around
IKEA stool - I have this in my studio right now
pros: great for older students, lightweight; 
cons: not adjustable unless you cut the legs shorter (it's been done!)
Shower chairs - yes, this is what you think it is. 
pros: adjustable, lightweight, can come in many colors, strap attaches easily; 
cons: clunky to carry around, can be hard to find in stores but readily available online. 

Any one of these are great options - it just depends on your preference, what your child is comfortable on and what you are okay with carrying around. The chair thing is a pain but it's not a permanent situation. At least it's not a harp!

Thoughts on Practicing

As we settle into the new year, I have some thoughts and strategies on practice. After the break, I know everyone, including myself, needs some motivation to get back into a regular routine. I'll be returning to a lot of these topics later in and exploring them in more depth but here's a start.

I've noticed a theme lately in my teaching and my thinking - I'm stressing practice, practice techniques and strategies more in the lessons. At the start of November, I feel like we've all settled into a practicing groove and now may be a good time to address ways to make practicing easier, more efficient and more productive.

"Only practice on the days that you eat" - Shinichi Suzuki
Your child will feel the difference in their playing and you will notice a difference in their ability with daily practice. I even notice this in myself - in my 100 Days of Practice last year, I noticed a HUGE change in my ability and overall ease of playing. And it just felt good. Daily practice also helps improve memory and the ability to learn new things at a quicker pace. 

Practicing regularly also leads to motivation to practice even more. Again, as I got into the practicing 'groove' during my 100 Days, I was increasingly motivated to keep going. I even kept going after I achieved my 100 Days. If you are feeling unmotivated, the best cure is to just start somewhere and practice, even if just for a little bit. Also, stick to a regular practice time and do it every day for two weeks - this will end so many of the arguments and establish the habit of daily practice.

Routine - find one that works
This may take some time but find a routine that works. Every student/parent duo is different and try different times of the day - in the morning, before dinner, right after school, etc. I've had students have a lot of success practicing in the morning before school but others were more successful with a practice that take place later in the evening just before bath-time and bed. Everyone is a little different so take some time to experiment with your practice schedule. Also, no need to limit it to one long practice a day. I know a number of students who practice for 10-15 minutes a couple of times a day. 

Practice to make it easier, rather than perfect
This requires many, many correct repetitions. In other words, don't play it wrong 7 times and then right just once. It's just been practiced and learned wrong! One correct repetition does not wipe out 7 incorrect ones. 

Practice slowly for accuracy and skill building
Playing a new thing fast usually just results in messing up over and over again. Which leads to the above problem. Instead, practice slowly and never make a mistake. This helps ensure the skill is learned correctly the first time. Also, though this seems tedious, it's far less tedious than trying to relearn a skill that was learned incorrectly the first time. 

Have a goal determined from the beginning
I always have a goal in mind for the lessons though I don't always explicitly say it. Practice should be structured this way, too. And write it down! At first, writing down your child's (and your) goals for the practice will greatly help focus the practice. It also shows you and your child exactly what needs to be accomplished - there is no guessing, arguing, stalling or having to make a decision - and then you can check each item off the list. But involve your child in the planning process - let them make choices over what to do first or next. Over time, this super structured practice plan can diminish but for many, many years I wrote down my practice plan daily in a notebook to help structure my practice. At any level, having a game plan will also help make good use of your time. It will make the practice more efficient, especially when you can recycle the same plan with subtle changes. Also determine upfront how much time to spend on one task - and then use a timer! This gives both you and your child a clear idea of where the endpoint is. There is light at the end of the practice tunnel! 

Strategies
Break it down: don't always start at the beginning - isolate the problem and tackle it first. Starting at the beginning often just wastes time. Start with the 'meat' of the practice first. Take a small section, even a few notes, and repeat it many times, like, a zillion times.

Rhythms: use rhythms to deeply learn a challenging passage (older students know about this). Even using the Twinkle rhythms to work on tricky notes helps correctly learn a skill.

Muddle through it: “Learning is most significant when students discover for themselves rather than simply being told what to do” -Cornelia Watkins. Allow your child to struggle a little bit. I know it's hard to watch without intervening but we learn much more deeply when we have to discover things on our own. This also leads to more independent learners.

Review! Don't forget about review pieces. The skills in the Suzuki repertoire are scaffolded so everything that was previously learned is built on later, upgraded and made more challenging. When reviewing an old piece, ask your child to think about something specific so it is not mindless repetition of an old song. For example, if your child is working on fixing some bow hold issues, have them play Twinkle and really focus on the bow. The left hand will practically play itself and the additional focus on the bow with reinforce bow hold maintenance.

Listening is magic: Without it, learning a new piece is like recognizing a color you've never seen.  Dr. Suzuki recommended 5 hours of listening each day.  Car, living room, kitchen, bedroom - listening is the parent's responsibility and is also for their benefit. I recommend at least listening twice as long as you practice.

How to Take Lesson Notes

I don't address this often because it is my understanding everyone has their own 'system'. I keep track of my lesson notes for each individual student on my computer. But I thought I would write a few suggestions based on my own experience, recommendations from parents and from other teachers. 

Firstly, you do need to take notes. There's a lot happening in the course of a 30-minute lesson and even more in a 45-minute lesson. It's an intense learning environment and there is no way you or your child will remember everything that happened. I don't even remember everything that happened so I take notes and I highly recommend you also take notes.

Where you take notes and what you use to take notes is totally up to you. Some use an ‘old-fashioned’ notebook or a binder with loose-leaf paper. Either is great. Others, like myself, prefer a computer. I use Evernote but I also use it to keep track of everything - lesson notes, class notes from grad school, recipes, important documents, etc. It could even be as simple as a word document or a Google document you access regularly. Regardless of the medium, a method is needed and you need a dedicated place to keep your notes that you have easy access to. Slips of paper, old receipts, the grocery list, these are not a great way to take notes because they are not in a designated 'lesson note taking' spot and they often get lost or misplaced and the notes never get used or referenced during home practice. 

I am often asked, 'what do I write down?'. Write down what is important. You don't need to dictate the whole lesson but listen for cues from me (or your teacher) about what is important. Sometimes, I will say, 'this is important' or we will repeat something a gazillion times or spend a lot of time on one thing. Write that down. I’ve been getting better about stating the measure numbers for certain passages, so write those down, too, as it tells you and your child what exactly, to practice. How you write it down, again, is totally up to you. Some make a straight forward numbered list of what we've done in the lesson, others use a practice chart to document weekly tasks and some have a less rigid form of note-taking, jotting down a few sentences to jog the memory of the lesson. The key is to determine what works best for yourself as well as your child.  Your child might be more inclined and motivated by a chart, use that. Or a list might suffice. Whatever works, use it!

One word on the practice charts - I LOVE them. I like to check things off a list and I know many children are like this, too. I'm just horrible about keeping up with them. A practice chart might be a fantastic solution for you and I can supply you with charts that are suitable for your child but I do ask for you help in keeping up with them. 

Then, what do you do with the lesson notes when you get home? Structure the assignments into a practice that looks pretty similar to our lesson. Take a few moments to come up with a 'game plan' for the practice:

• What is the goal of today's practice?
• What do you and your child wish to accomplish?
• What's most important to start with? (an upcoming recital piece, jury piece, audition materials, etc.)

Share this with your child, too, so they know the expectations of the practice and so they are involved in the planning process. 

It doesn’t matter what you start with, though you may want to start with the most challenging thing or the one that is high priority. Don’t mess around - tackle the ‘meat’ of the practice first. But also take into consideration your child’s mood as well as your own. Are you short on patience, is your child tired? Maybe leave that hard thing for later and focus on review. It's important to take a moment before you both begin to check in with yourself as well as your child. This will set the tone for the practice and will give you reasonable expectations for what you and your child can do and hopefully avoid conflict.

What if your notes are confusing, make no sense or you and your child disagree about the assignment? Sometimes it’s just best left to figure out at the next lesson. It happens. My notes make no sense sometimes (often, actually). No one is going to die if you don’t practice that one thing. Plus, it’s really a pain to re-learn something that has been practiced and learned incorrectly. Re-learning a skill isn't like re-writing a file on a computer. I wish it was that easy! Re-learning something is often more difficult than learning it correctly the first time. If you and your child disagree, either wait until the next lesson or contact me. I can usually troubleshoot things over email or the phone. Or if you and your child disagree, practice is both ways. It doesn't hurt and at least something was accomplished during practice at home. But don't sweat it if you or your child are unsure or unclear about an assignment.

But again, the most important part of note-taking is actually taking notes. Plus, how fun is it to look back on your notes and see the progress you and your child have made over the course of 6 months, a year or even two years! This is also a real motivator - the ability to see how far students have come in any given period of time. Look back in your notes even just from 6 months ago and marvel at how far your child has come. It's a great feeling. :)

Two last reminders about practicing:

1. Getting the cello out is the hardest part. Really. Even I drag my feet when it comes time to practice because my cello is in its case. Many families opt for cello stands so the cello is readily accessible. If this is feasible for you or you have a dedicated spot to leave the cello out, try this. It tends to work wonders for motivating students to practice.

2. All children need to be reminded to practice. Most won't do it on their own volition so that's where your role as the parent and home teacher comes into play. 

Parents as Partners

At the beginning of every new year, the Suzuki Association of the Americas presents an online video series for parents and teachers called Parents as Partners. Below is the information from the latest Suzuki e-news email. This year's Parents as Partners features a number of local Austin Suzuki teachers.  "Exciting talks are being planned for the 2015 Parents as Partners Online series! Whether you are a parent in need of some fresh inspiration or a teacher looking to guide your parents further, you won’t want to miss this unique learning opportunity. Beginning on January 15 new videos will be aired each week—a total of 50! They will be available for viewing 24-7 through June 30. We are pleased to announce a sampling of the new talks being presented: Acceptable Tension (Merlin Thompson) Advice and Encouragement for Suzuki Parents (Brittany Gardner)   Battling Perfectionism and Creating a Growth Mindset (Jentry Barrett) Building a Lasting Partnership with your Child’s Teacher (Holly Smardo) Cultivating Belief (Christy Paxton-Tureman) Dry Ideas! Make it visual using the dry erase board (Lucy Shaw) Funny Stories of Dr. Suzuki (Carol Dallinger) Forget Soccer, I want to practice! (Zachary Ebin)      Helping Students Take Ownership of their Musical Journey (Shu-Yi Scott and Cecilia Calvelo-Hopkins) Humor in Suzuki (William Starr, Amy Gesmer-Packman, Heather Hadley, Florence Muller) Implications of Working Memory for Practicing and Learning (Rafael Videiro) Is your Child Talented? (Kathleen Spring) Learning to Practice with Joy (Alicia Randisi-Hooker) Let it Go! (J.B. Taylor)  Lower your Expectations, Delight in the Results (Sara Kotrba) Moms of Tweens are Suzuki Parents Too! (Diane Slone) More Creative Color Coding: How a package of markers can help to revive your review (Phala Tracy)  Motivating Teens as Parents and Teachers  (Christine Lowe-Diemecke and Augusto Diemecke)  Motivar a los Adolescentes como a los Padres y Maestros (Christine Lowe-Diemecke y Augusto Diemecke) Our Suzuki Practice (Jason and Barbara Hill) Ownership (Ed Kreitman) Pardon the Interruption (Ed Sprunger) Play it again Sam: How to implement listening in home practice (Jennifer Burton) Pop your Ears! (Alyssa Hardie Beckmann) Prioritize! (Meret Bitticks) Promoting Optimism in the Practice Room (Sue Baer) Raising Independent Musicians (Mark Mutter) Real Review: Using Listening and Review to Build Technical Skills (Daina Volodka Staggs)  Simple Suzuki Stretches (Joanna Binford) Setting Intentions: from the perspective of parent and teacher (Carrie Reuning-Hummel and Natalie Brandt)  Tech Talks: Bringing Your Suzuki Experience Up-To-Date With The Latest Gadgets and Apps (Ian Salmon)            Teens, Tenacity and Technique (Nicolette Solomon and Donna Davis) The Best Teacher Gift Ever! (Lucy Shaw) The Ripple Effect: Small Ideas with a Big Impact (Shana Guidi) Why Posture Matters Every Day! (Cecilia Calvelo-Hopkins)  ¡Por que la Postura Importa tanto Cuando Tocamos! (Cecilia Calvelo-Hopkins) And more to come!                             Stay tuned for important registration information in future Suzuki e-news! Costs are listed below. Studio Teacher (you!) plus your studio parents. Note: Parents do not need to be SAA members, but are encouraged to join. $50 for teacher plus 1 to 5 parents, $10 for each additional parent Individual $25 for SAA members, $45 for non-members" If you are interested in participating, let me know! I will gladly register the studio. Also, exciting news! Some Suzuki books are available on iTunes! Check out the link below! https://itunes.apple.com/collection/suzuki-music-guides/id27827?fcId=896469019&mt=11&ls=1

Music Activities Outside Private Lessons

I've mentioned previously in many posts that a large component of the Suzuki philosophy is the benefits of social interaction with other students in a musical learning environment. Below are three different opportunities available in Austin for group music learning.

String Project
The University of Texas String Project is a large program run by Dr. Laurie Scott and a faculty of music students in the Butler School of Music. There are two distinct but related programs within the String Project (SP). One is the full-time program in which students take weekly private lessons with one of the String Project faculty members as well as participates in the weekly Saturday classes . Saturday-Only students participate in Saturday classes but have a teacher (such as myself) outside of SP. 

SP runs on the same schedule as UT so the semesters are more condensed than a typical school semester - the fall classes run from September through the first week of December and the spring classes run from January through the first week of May. Plan on approximately 12 group classes per semester, taking into account holidays and spring break. 

A typical Saturday schedule looks like this:
10-10:50 Group Class (by ability)
11-11:50 Musicianship Class

Group classes are separated by ability. Preschool aged beginners participate in the Cadet Program. Older beginners are placed in either the Pre-Ensemble A or Pre-Ensemble B (PEA & PEB). PEA is for beginners aged 6 and up & PEB is for students who have some playing experience and are playing the early Suzuki pieces, such as Twinkle, French Folk Song and Lightly Row. PEA & PEB has all string instruments in the one ensemble - it is a heterogenous ensemble so your child will be playing with violins, violas, other cellos and basses. It's an introduction to playing in a mixed group. 

However, Beginning Cello Ensemble A and Beginning Cello Ensemble B (BCEA & BCEB), the next higher ensemble above PEA & PEB, are homogenous group classes that have only cello students participating. This is very much like a traditional Suzuki group class. 

Above BCEA & BCEB, students go into the orchestras. You can read more about the different orchestra on the SP website here. 

If your child participates in orchestra, the schedule is slightly different (and a longer morning): 
9-9:50 Technique & Repertoire Class for each orchestra (separated by instrument)
10-10:50 Orchestra (there are 4 different orchestras based on ability level)
11-11:50 Musicianship Class

The Musicianship classes are organized by age, not by ability, and the curriculum features age-appropriate musical activities, such as music and movement for younger children and music reading, music theory and composition for older children. 

In addition to group classes, student participate in a variety of different performance opportunities at String Project. There is a performance at the end of every semester and the fall semester includes an Eclectic Styles Festival featuring a different style of music outside of the traditional 'classical'. 

There are limited number of spaces however, as of publication of this post, I believe there are still spaces available for Saturday-only students. The space fluctuates from year to year based on the number of teachers on faculty in the program. All the teachers at UT students and vary from undergraduate music education students, to PhD and doctoral students. 

Students interested in participating must audition for the director of the program but it's a very relaxed and easy audition - Dr. Scott just wants to make sure each student goes into the appropriate group class. If you are interested in participating in SP, contact them via email or phone (listed below). Also, talk with me! I taught in String Project while I was at UT, I know many of the teachers and keep in contact with the director. In addition, I know the ins and outs of the program and can help with the application and audition process. 

string_project@mail.music.utexas.edu
(512) 471-0363
https://stringproject.music.utexas.edu/

Austin Youth Orchestra

Austin Youth Orchestra (AYO) is an orchestra program for students aged kindergarten through grade 12. There are 6 different orchestras to accommodate different levels of experience, playing ability, and age:

• Symphony Orchestra: Grade 8 and above, String/Full Orchestra (Fall and Spring)
• Philharmonic Orchestra: Grade 6 and above, String/Full Orchestra (Fall and Spring)
• Sinfonietta Orchestra: Grade 4 and above, String Orchestra (Fall and Spring)
• Camerata Orchestra: Grade 3 and above, String Orchestra (Fall and Spring)
• Intermezzo Orchestra: Grade 2 and above, String Orchestra (Fall and Spring)
• Concertante Orchestra: Kindergarten and above, String Orchestra (Spring only)
• Refer to the website for more information about each level. 

The big qualifier for participating in an AYO ensemble is music reading experience. SP and the GASA Suzuki Institute (more info below) do not reading music reading experience. However, AYO does, even for the youngest orchestra. Though only limited music reading experience is needed, students need to have some experience and be playing in Suzuki Book 1. Each orchestra meets once a week at a location in Austin (usually at one of the middle or high schools) and give performances on a regular basis. In order to participate, students must audition for orchestra placement. The audition requirements is performing a polished solo but scales and sight-reading may also be required. The cost of participating in AYO is $100 per semester. 

Greater Austin Suzuki Association Institute
The GASA Suzuki Institute is a week-long, summer Suzuki 'camp' for students of all ages and ability. The website says it best: 

"The program is designed for violin, viola and cello students who currently study through the Suzuki Method, offering activities for students, parents, and teachers.  Families attend the Institute together and participate in a wide range of musical and enrichment activities including master classes, repertoire classes, group classes, orchestra, recitals, and much more!"

Students participate in masterclass-style lessons (individual instruction within a small group), group class, performances and elective classes in addition to daily recitals and other enrichment activities with teachers from both the Austin-area as well as outside Austin. Every year, the faculty is a little different. See a sample schedule here. There are also lectures geared towards parents as well as training opportunities for teachers. The catch: parents must attend with their children all day. It's much like a Suzuki lesson - parents attend, take notes and learn what to practice with their child at the end of the day.

While this particular institute is conveniently located in Austin, there are many, many across the country and globe every summer. If you are looking to make a family vacation out of it, there are many options. The Chicago Suzuki Institute is an AWESOME institute for cello students - there are students of all ages and abilities, from pre-Twinkle past Book 10. Similarly, the National Cello Institute in Claremont, California features classes and activities for students of all ages (adults, too!) and abilities. Others include, Hawaii, Colorado, Canada, etc. The Suzuki Association of the Americas website has a list of every institute across the Americas. 

For 2015, the Austin Suzuki Institute will be held on July 28 through August 1. Tuition for the programs starts at $450 (for early bird registration). 

All of these opportunities are enriching, rewarding, and enjoyable and provide students with a unique opportunity to learn music and participate in musical activities with their peers. I hope your children are able to participate in some of these and experience the many benefits of group class

My Philosophy

The last few posts have been about the Suzuki Method and philosophy and vision of Dr. Suzuki. But I'd also like to share with you my own philosophy. 

I am Suzuki cello teacher but, in addition to following the Suzuki method and upholding the philosophy, I strive to be a master teacher for my students. My vision of a master teacher is not only a thoughtful teacher of the instrument and the required skills needed to play it, but more importantly, a master teacher also teaches the skills necessary for lifetime of learning. I seek to be the teacher that guides and nurtures students to be independent, successful and caring human beings while simultaneously teaching the cello. 

As a Suzuki teacher,  I whole-heartedly follow the Suzuki philosophy. Those philosophical statements include:

• Every child can learn: “Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed” (Suzuki). My studio is open to students of all abilities. I teach the child, not the cello. 
• Develop character first, then ability: “Teaching music is not my main purpose, I want to make good citizens” (Suzuki). My focus is not on making great musicians, just great people.
• Nurturing other individuals and providing a positive and safe learning environment: “Where love is deep, much will be accomplished” (Suzuki).  

Fostering and guiding my students toward independence is crucial not only for developing functional musicians but also develops healthy autonomy and self-determination that will serve them well throughout their entire lives, both within and outside musical experiences. I strive to be a nurturing, knowledgeable and insightful teacher. I have a tremendous love of and respect for students young and old, and highly value their education and development. Margaret Rowell, a prominent cello pedagogue and developed many of the first cello activities and songs, was known for saying “I don’t teach the cello because the cello can’t learn! I teach the human being.” She taught not just cello technique but encouraged her students to be vibrant, interesting and engaged people. I hope to make a positive contribution not only to my students and the music community but I also hope to create through my teaching engaged, artistic, caring, questioning and inquisitive people who are lifelong lovers and participants in the arts.

When asked what “to educate” means, many people reply it is a synonym for teach. However, the Latin origin for “educate” is educere, meaning to lead forward. Therefore, “to educate,” in a larger perspective, means to guide a student toward the right course. An educatio is one who rears or nurtures, who guides students in the correct direction with the skill, insight, dexterity and independence needed for their endeavors in life. In my teaching, my overarching, all-encompassing goal is for my students to become independent and critically thinking adults. This outcome is achieved by fostering my students to ultimately make their own musical decisions about piece selection, phrasing, bowings, fingerings, etc., develop effective practice skills and discriminate their playing and make adjustments accordingly. 

I have specific learning goals for my students that are both musical in nature and non-musical that help attain student independence. Every student, regardless of ability, is held to the same musical goals and as a result of my teaching, my students will play with a consistently clear, rich and beautiful tone, secure intonation, a solid technical foundation, sense of rhythm and pulse, agile and organized left hand, fluency and mastery of a variety of bow strokes and demonstrate competency and functionality in a variety of different musical settings and contexts. All of these skills help develop a functional musician. In addition to the many musical goals, I also consider and structure learning sequences that address non-musical goals for my students, including character development, independence, responsibility, discipline, perseverance, diligence, time-management and problem-solving skills. 

To achieve these musical goals and outcomes, I have developed a very specific approach to teaching and learning the cello. My approach is first and foremost very structured and organized. I have a clear goal in mind for each individual student as well as specific goals and outcomes for individual pieces. Although I predominantly use the Suzuki repertoire as my core curriculum, I supplement my students’ learning with other repertoire within their technical capabilities that allows students to be successful, confident, and comfortable performers. 

While I encourage my students to be lifelong learners, I also hold myself to the same standard. I regularly attend professional conferences, workshops or teacher training programs. I especially enjoy being part of a teaching community with a a culture of collaboration and common goals in a teaching setting that fosters the potential of every child Some of my most enjoyable group class experiences have been in collaboration with another teacher of a different instrument, from designing effective lesson plans and logical sequences to leading students through class activities. 

I strive to be a nurturing, knowledgeable and insightful teacher. I have a tremendous love of and respect for students young and old, and highly value their education and development. I hope to make a positive contribution not only to my students and the music community but I also hope to create engaged, artistic, caring, questioning and inquisitive people who are lifelong lovers and participants in the arts through my teaching.

Why the Suzuki Method works, why I love it and it's benefits

Why the Suzuki Method works

In my opinion, one way is because the method is based on the simple language learning premise. All children, Dr. Suzuki observed, learn to speak their native language with ease. This happens through constant repetition combined with constant immersion in the language, encouragement and reinforcement. This makes so much sense to me - music is a language so why not teach it similarly to the way we learn our native language? I believe it's a brilliant premise and has been proven successful for decades since the founding of the method. 

Also, the Suzuki Method is a highly organized, methodical and thoughtful approach to learning an instrument. The repertoire is sequentially presented and begins with developing, solidifying and refining the foundation skills needed for students to be successful long-term. Then the method builds on those skills as the repertoire progresses. The Twinkles take so long to get through because there are so many skills that need to be learned and automatized before moving on. Twinkle IS the foundation of the student's cello playing. From there, skills are layered on top of those that are already solid. Much like building a house, you don't want to start on weak foundation or everything will come crashing down sooner or later.

Also, the Suzuki Method de-emphasizes the notion that children need to be "talented" or show promise in musical ability or aptitude.  Not only is every child is capable of learning a musical instrument but every child also has the capacity to truly excel at learning a musical instrument. Ability is learned, not innate. 

There has been much research on the topic of developing ability and is most commonly known as the 10,000 Hours of Practice or the 10,000 Hour Rule. Granted, my goal isn't to make master cellists and there are many other facets needed to achieve excellence in any field but the point is: practice and repetition of skills, not natural talent, yields progress, improvement and ability. 

Parent involvement has been shown in a number of studies in general education to be extraordinarily beneficial for students. The same goes for music. Parent involvement is a big component in the Suzuki Method because it works. Parents are the home teacher and act as a second set of eyes to help guide the student through the practice. The parent knows what to fix, how to fix it and deeply understands the music learning process at any given level. Also, the time spent in lessons and in home practice is arguably some of the highest quality time spent between parent and child. Though there may be many tense moments, the teamwork between parent and child is beautiful and creates a stronger bond and relationship. I am in awe whenever I see that teamwork unfold in the lessons and get to witness first hand what parent and child can do together.

Students taking Suzuki lessons learn to sing and play beautiful music from the beginning. Additionally, surrounding the student in beautiful music, immersing them in the qualities that move us and constantly honing the ability to recreate those qualities reinforces creating beautiful music. The lessons aren't focused solely on building technique and skills with scales and etudes. That isn't to say students do not do scales, etudes and all the wonderful technique builders, but the focus is never solely on those aspects. The focus is always on playing beautiful music with a beautiful sound all developed from within the child and nurtured from an early age.

Why I love it

I love it because it’s an organized, sequential method that still leaves a lot of room to do supplemental pieces or technique. It's a structured yet flexible approach. But the emphasis is never taken away from learning to play beautifully. 

The Suzuki Method offers students a unique experience from the very start: social interaction with their peers in a musical setting. Some of my favorite moments throughout my years of playing the cello are being with friends in an rehearsal or getting together and playing music before dinner. Additionally, students learn from this social interaction; they learn by observing other children learn, just like they learn language from their parents as babies. 

Also, the principle of repetition falls perfectly in-line with behavioral psychology. Learning and repetition of a skill until it is automatic changes the brain physiology so I am literally changing your child’s brain, which I think is so cool! 

Lastly, Suzuki isn't all about teaching your child how to play the cello. It's about teaching your child. Suzuki has given me the amazing and wonderful opportunity to work with your children, struggle with them and watch them grow into amazing little human beings. Margaret Rowell, a well-known cello pedagogue, was known for saying “I don’t teach the cello because the cello can’t learn! I teach the human being.” She taught not just cello technique but also encouraged her students to be vibrant, interesting and engaged people. I love being able to teach the instrument and the required skills needed to play it, but more importantly, I relish in being able to teach skills necessary for lifetime of learning. The benefits of the Suzuki Method are extraordinary. Which leads me to...

The benefits

Hard work, Character and Grit. 

Arguably, students can gain this from many other domains, such as sports or other arts. But it is amazing to struggle with a student and work together with the parent on 'getting' something - a skill, a musical phrase, a concept - and then see it just click. The epiphany, the relief and the joy is such a rewarding experience not only for the student, but also the parent and myself. The lessons learned from pushing through and working hard even when discouraged are priceless. Developed from that is an aspect of character called grit, or the ability to sustain interest in and effort toward goals, especially those that are long-term. Additionally, there is a fair amount of research on grit and how it is a better predictor academic performance than IQ scores, which again further strengthens Suzuki's character development philosophy.  

Self-Discipline & Self- Motivation

Related to grit is the self-discipline and self-motivation students develop as a result of this long-term process. It's a beautiful moment when I get to see a child motivated to fix a problem and the self-discipline and perseverance to keep at it and see it through. This discipline and motivation doesn't come naturally immediately. Just like we are developing ability through regular lessons, we are also developing these aspects of character throughout the whole process.

Focus

Learning to play a musical instrument is no easy feat. I'm asking your child to do an incredibly difficult thing. The attention span and focus needed for learning an instrument is enormous. In addition, there are a number of different ways I'm asking your child to focus. Performing for an audience requires a different kind of focus than getting that darn first finger in place 7 times in a row. Not only does your child learn how to intensely attend to one task for varying amounts of time, your child also learns how to focus in a variety of different capacities. 

Most importantly, learning an instrument requires both quality focus and full, deliberate attention. Daniel Goleman, an influential psychologist, writes that "paying full attention seems to boost the mind’s processing speed, strengthen synaptic connections, and expand or create neural networks for what we are practicing. At least at first. But as you master how to execute the new routine, repeated practice transfers control of that skill from the top-down system for intentional focus to bottom-up circuits that eventually make its execution effortless. At that point you don’t need to think about it - you can do the routine well enough on automatic." 

Focus is needed at first. Intense, deliberate and quality focus. But then it becomes easier, easier and eventually automatic. Just like learning how to hold the bow. No part of holding the bow is natural, but after a period of very deliberate and focused practice, it becomes easier. Down the road, picking up a bow is very easy, natural and automatic.

Expertise & Accomplishment

When most musicians graduate high school, they are experts in their field already. Think about that. How many 18-year-olds go to college already an expert in their field? How many have logged thousands upon thousands of hours of practice, have experienced the professional world first hand and have a lengthy C.V. and list of accomplishments? Not many. But musicians do.

Even children experience this level of expertise from a very young age in Suzuki lessons. By the end of Book 1, your child is an expert at Twinkle. At the end of Book 3, your child sounds no different from the Suzuki recordings of Twinkle - the differences are imperceptible. Every skill at every stage is mastered. 

Related to expertise is the level of accomplishment a student experiences from the completion of a task, whether it's from a successful recital performance, from overcoming a challenge or practicing Go Tell Aunt Rhody 100 times. Students get to witness firsthand the direct relationship between their hard work and their resulting accomplishments.

Problem-solving skills

One very valuable aspect of learning is muddling through problems on your own. Students learn deeper and learning is strengthened by working through problems independently. I structure and facilitate moments in the lessons often for students to work through a problem and try to find a solution while I help guide them in the right direction, mediate frustration and, sometimes, soothe tears. Those often uncomfortable moments are priceless in the grand scheme of learning and life experiences for students. Those moments stick with them for a lifetime. 

I could write much more about all of these above topics. In addition, there is so much great literature about there topics in other domains and multiple domains. I hope to return to many of these topics more in depth at a later time, so stay tuned!