Practicing with our children is sometimes difficult. With all the other tasks on my to-do list, it seems like I often have no energy left to deal with delay tactics, tantrums, and other problematic practicing behaviors. Do you ever have thoughts like these? “Why can’t he just come to practice when I ask?” “Why does […]
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2018-2019 Plucky Violin Teacher Book Club Schedule…
Hello my friends. I’ve largely been absent from the blog for the last year. I never intended to neglect the blog so long, and I’m so excited to be re-committing to writing and learning more about teaching. If you’re interested, over the last year, I… began teaching Suzuki Early Childhood Education classes became totally overwhelmed […]
September Book Club Review: The Practicing Mind
The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner is an excellent book, and a quick read. I listened to it on audible last fall and loved it. The main thesis of the book is that, “Real peace and contentment in our lives come from realizing that life is a process to engage in, a journey down a […]
5 Violin Teaching Tips, Tricks, and Resources 9/1/2017…
Hello friends, Thank you for all of the very kind, supportive emails over the past week. You are all amazing. Honestly, I felt a little nervous, ashamed, even guilty about telling people about how my studio had changed. I felt selfish letting students go to spend more time with my family, (I also felt guilty […]
Book Club: Teaching with an Open Heart Review
Teaching with An Open Heart: A Guide to Developing Conscious Musicianship for Suzuki Parents, Teachers, and Students… This book does not disappoint! I loved Teaching from the Balance Point, and Teaching with an Open Heart was the perfect follow-up. In the beginning of the book, Mr. Kreitman outlines reasons that parents give for wanting their […]
2017 Plucky Violin Teacher Book Club Schedule
I can’t believe it is already 2017! I really enjoyed the books we read in 2016, and can’t wait to continue to improve myself and my teaching by reading more great books. It was incredibly difficult to narrow down the selection to just one per month, so if you have other suggestions please include them in […]
“Teaching From The Balance Point” Book Review
The Plucky Violin Teacher Book Club May 2016… For some reason, I thought I had already read Teaching from the Balance Point by Edward Kreitman. It was one of the books I had inherited from my Mom’s stash of Suzuki paraphernalia, and it has been on my shelf for probably six years. Soon after beginning […]
Are You Worried About Your Suzuki Violin Student’s “Bad Habits?”
How to Get Your Suzuki Violin Students to Accept Criticism… A few times a week I receive emails from Suzuki parents around the world responding to my question, “What is your biggest practicing struggle with your Suzuki violin students right now?” What do you think their answer is? Almost without exception, the responses are either, “How […]
5 Things I’m Loving This Week–April 1, 2016
Violin teaching tips, tricks, and resources… Happy Friday! So… good news and bad news. Bad news first: I cut off the top of my left thumb chopping bell peppers last weekend. Good news: I am so excited today because my sister is in town…..Okay okay, April fool’s. I didn’t cut off the top of my […]
Nurtured By Love: A Study Guide for Teachers and Parents
February’s book club pick was the quintessential Suzuki “manual,” Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki. I’ve read this book a few times now, and each time I am struck by the wisdom and love that this great man had for children, and for all people. I feel truly honored to carry on his great work, […]