Tips to Make it Stick!
Memorizing pieces and returning to old pieces by memory are key aspects of the Suzuki method. Here are some tips for your student to increase music retention: 1. Say and Play. Say the notes aloud while you play them. For wind instruments, say the notes while putting...
Feeling Guilty About Not Practicing Over The Summer?
Have you or your child been experiencing a “summer slide”? Has your child been losing some of their musical progress over the summer? This often happens during summer breaks, when we’ve booked our calendars with camps, vacations, and events, and practicing takes a...
The Benefits of Transition Time
The Benefits of Transition Time! “Time for flute!”…and your child is sitting in the middle of a mountain of Legos. Or maybe they are playing outside and don’t want to come in. Perhaps they are in the middle of a major meltdown. As teachers, we have seen it all and we...
How the Process of Making Homemade Pasta Can Inform Practice Technique
When your student is practicing, they will likely come across tricky notes or phrases that require extra attention. They may be tempted to start over from the beginning and get frustrated when they hit the same difficult spot. While this instinct is natural, it can...
Which Recording is Best?
Many of our Suzuki songs date back hundreds of years, to different eras of music. Because of this age gap within our books, some of our pieces can be performed in many different ways, and need to be studied and practiced differently. Some Suzuki pieces may be...
The Importance of Regular Practice
We’ve all heard the age-old adage “practice makes perfect,” but what does it really mean to practice? According to the dictionary, there are three definitions: to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient, to train by repeated exercise, and to do...
Parent Role in Virtual Suzuki Lessons
Parents play a vitally important role in Suzuki lessons. You might be wondering how this role is best adapted for the online format. Following is a framework on how to participate in your child’s virtual musical journey, by age: Ages 3-5 This age group requires...
Musical Family Activities
~Here are some fun music ideas to get the whole family involved, without your instruments! ~Try to pick a fun dinner recipe theme, and find music to listen to! For example, for a French dinner night with baguette and ratatouille, you could listen to Amaryllis,...
Making The Music Come Alive!
Music makes you feel many different emotions - joyful, angry, sleepy, etc. While learning how to express your emotions while playing music, it may be helpful to experience music in new ways. Listening to music while dancing, drawing or painting, or even playing...
Music Learning Apps!
Music learning apps can be a great supplement to a child’s music studies. They’re an educational alternative to phone/ipad games and can be used whenever a student would normally reach for a device. Apps can be divided into four general categories: Rhythm Note Reading...