One of the most important principles of the Suzuki Method is listening, which is why Suzuki teachers ask students to purchase the cd or digital album with their Suzuki books. Whenever I introduce a new piece, my first assignment (and many other teachers’ too) is to do marathon listening–listening to that piece two hundred times […]
Minimum Baselines
Celebrating small successes on the tough days… I’ve written about minimum baselines before, but since I’m in the midst of a particularly trying time (Depression and anxiety, y’all.) I wanted to revisit the topic. Since building up and celebrating small wins is an important strategy for managing my mental health, I need to make sure […]
My New Guidelines for Students: Suzuki in the Time of Coronavirus
One of my many character flaws, is that I, when faced with a difficulty, will often put off creating a solution in the hope that the problem I’m facing will just…disappear. One of these difficulties is one you’re probably facing right now as well–online teaching due to Coronavirus. There was (and still is, to be […]
5 Suzuki Parenting Mistakes I’ve Made (So You Can Avoid Them)
This week in my oldest child’s violin lessons, he and his teacher reviewed goals from the past academic year and made new ones for the coming year. Last fall, we made some goals for practice and for the progress we hoped to see. At the time we made the goals, my son (seven now, six […]
How to Address Difficult Situations with Students…
I’m going to make a guess that if you’re reading this blog post, that you are, or have been, in a situation where you need to discuss something sensitive with a parent or student in your music studio. Maybe you’ve been meaning to have the conversation for a long time, and you’ve finally decided it’s […]
Setting Boundaries in Your Suzuki Studio
As the beginning of school approaches, I like to take some time to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t in my Suzuki violin studio. I love the magic of a new start, and the beginning of fall is my favorite time of year. It’s important to me to set myself up well at the […]
Violin Star Theory Review
Hello my friends, I’ve taken a break from the podcast and blog for a couple months due to the demands of our new family schedule and routine, but I wanted to hop back on to tell about a new resource for young violinists. I love teaching my students note reading and music theory, but it […]
Suzuki Planet Podcast Episode 18: Preston, Violinist from Florida
Brecklyn talks to Preston about how much he loves to be with his mom during practice, perseverance, and Gavotte by Gossec. Practice Tip: Make a specific practicing goal each day. Listening Tip: Peter and the Wolf, narrated by Jim Dale. You can support the Suzuki Planet Podcast by becoming a donor on Patreon. Our Patreon […]
Suzuki Planet Podcast Episode 17: Henry & James, Violinists from Illinois
Brecklyn chats with James and Henry about having their mom as their teacher and favorite practice strategies. Listening Tip: Julia Fischer, Russian Violin Concertos Practice Tip: Take a break right away if you start arguing with your practice partner. You can support the Suzuki Planet Podcast by becoming a donor on Patreon. Our Patreon donors […]
Successful Suzuki Practice Sessions
Why Setting Micro Goals Each Day Leads to Happier, More Productive Practice… A Tale of Two Practice Days… Once upon a Wednesday, a parent and their child gathered to practice the violin together. The first ten minutes of practice time was spent begging, pleading, and yelling at the child to get on the footchart. The […]