2006-2007 - Suzuki Program

Transcription

May 2007
Volume 2, Issue 9
“Tone is the
living soul.
Wish for a
beautiful sound,
a beautiful
heart.”
The Denison Suzuki Review
a publication of the Denison University Suzuki Program
--Shinichi
Suzuki
Flute Notes:
For a Beautiful Flute Tone, Eat Fish
by Linda Habig
What?? Eat fish for a beautiful flute sound?
Last summer (2006), that is exactly what we were
urged to do by Toshio Takahashi, the flutist who
created the entire Suzuki Flute Method with guidance
from Dr. Suzuki. I was among a group of teacher
trainers and trainees at the East Tennessee
International Suzuki Flute Institute, and we were
fortunate to have daily tone development classes with
Mr. Takahashi.
During this daily 1 ! hour class for teachers
only, we played and Takahashi exhorted us to make
our tone ever more beautiful, with all kinds of
instructions and imagery. Almost every day, he
advised us that our flute sounds would become
rounder, sweeter, and mellower if we’d eat more fish
and drink more tea, as the Japanese do. “You
Americans, you eat too much beef and drink too much
coffee, and your flute sounds are too big and rough”,
he’d tell us.
More practically, Takahashi worked with us on
phrasing, attacks, and intervals, at an advanced level.
Following are two examples of his teachings. For note
attacks, which is how any given note is started, he
urged us to differentiate based on a piece’s tempo; for
andante (slow), imagine a swan swimming; for
moderato, a dove gently flying; for allegro (fast), a
swallow swooping and flying quickly. Another example
was his effort to have us play intervals with differing
tone colors. We were asked to play a second (e.g.
from a C to a D) with a “neighborly” feel, a fourth (e.g.
from a C up to an F) with a “romantic and loving”
sound, a fifth (e.g. from a C up to a G) with a “friendly”
tone, and a seventh (e.g. from a C up to a B) with an
“adversarial and angry” feel. All of this made us think
a lot about tone color and how we produce it.
As all of my flute students know, I believe and
teach that a beautiful tone is the heart and soul of
flute playing. Every lesson begins with
“tonalization”, where we play long tones on many
notes, working to create the concept and actuality of
beautiful sound, and cement it firmly in our minds
and bodies. Resonant, lovely sound on a flute is
created through the interplay of quantity and speed
of the airstream, the amount of open space inside
the mouth, and the position of the lips
(embouchure).
Air must be breathed in deeply, and then
released back into and across the flute at high
speed, in a concentrated stream. For a resonant
and full sound, the flutist must maintain an open
throat (like a yawn) and lots of space between the
top of the mouth and the lower jaw as the released
air passes through the mouth. It helps flutists to
think of the inside of their mouths being the Grand
Canyon, or a big concert hall, where sound echoes
and resonates. And equally importantly, the opening
in the lips must be small, with the lower lip fully
against the flute, so that the lips provide the proper
acoustical basis for the air molecules to move and
vibrate in and over the flute embouchure opening.
Wouldn’t it be nifty if we truly could get a
beautiful flute sound, simply by eating salmon
tonight, and tuna tomorrow! It’s a wonderful image,
though, of the peaceable, gentle and beautiful life
that a fish lives, deep in the ocean, and how that
makes us think about our sound.
P.S. During the intensive and often-tiring week of
teacher training, all of us teachers still ran out during
the breaks and grabbed cappuccino or coffee – we
just didn’t tell Mr. Takahashi!
Page 2 of 3
Piano Tone: Rolling along toward a Beautiful Sound
“The kind of
tone
Dr. Suzuki
is after
has a clean
beginning,
shape, and
termination.”
--Paul
Landenfeld
“Both position and
posture have a
tremendous effect
on sound
production.”
--Winifred Crock
by Maryfrances Kirsh
Producing a sound on the piano is all about hitting the key and making the hammer
hit the string at the right speed to set the string into motion. One can hit the key too
slowly and the sound is puny –too hard and it sounds obnoxious –just right, and a
beautiful tone is born. I bet you’ve seen Book 1 students play a note and then lift
their hands up by the wrists in a very exaggerated motion. That’s a roll. This motion
helps young students create that beautiful tone by striking the key just right.
A former student with a passion for baseball taught me that rolling on long notes at
the piano was like follow-through in batting. If you don’t follow through, the ball lands
just short of the pitcher, but if you keep swinging even after you’ve hit the ball, the
ball sails over the fence. Keeping the hand in motion after the note is played creates
the right speed for the hammer to hit the string, but also acts as a shock absorber, to
prevent that obnoxious sound.
As the student grows musically and physically, the motion of the roll becomes more
subtle. The student learns that not all notes need a roll and different pianos need
rolls of different sizes to make a beautiful tone. The student also learns that the roll
prevents tension and can increase stamina in playing as well.
And, the most important reason, as I tell my students: rolling just looks cool.
The Segreto Family’s Reasons for Attending Institute
Shannon's top 5 reasons to attend a
summer Suzuki Institute:
Tone study is
ongoing:
--when a new
instrument is
purchased
--when the student
goes through a
growth spurt
-- when studying a
new technique
--when studying a
specific musical
style (fiddling vs.
Bach, for example)
--when playing in a
different register
(higher or lower on
the instrument)
1. A chance to be rejuvenated! A week
at institute fills my heart with joy and hope
for our children's futures. I love the
beautiful music, friendly families and
challenging yet fun classes.
2. Motivation! A week at Institute
motivates my child to keep playing piano
for the rest of the summer. (The month
of practice getting ready for Institute is
pretty good, too.)
3. Talking with the interesting parents
who go to Institutes! Fantastic practice
ideas and supportive advice from
people who are in the trenches.
4. Valuable teaching time! Master class
teachers know how to use this special
week to fine-tune your child's playing
weaknesses. It's amazing what gets
accomplished musically and your child
feels really great about herself.
5. It's fun! Being around so many smart,
creative kids brings out the kid in all of us.
Parents laugh and act silly a lot during this
week.
Catherine's top 5 reasons to attend a
summer Suzuki Institute:
1. Opening day is fun! You earn tickets
by playing Suzuki music on your
instrument. The tickets are exchanged for
prizes. More tickets = nicer prizes. Hint:
Visit Mrs. Kirsh's room--she gives out the
most tickets.
2. They have dessert at every meal in the
cafeteria! Yes, you CAN eat ice cream for
breakfast.
3. Playing frisbee on the grass during
class breaks with your new friends.
4. Playing piano in class. We squished 8
kids on 1 piano to play Mississippi Hop
Frog at the same time!
5. You feel loved. Children are treated
with respect and love by all the grownups. It's hard to explain but it feels really
special. You don't want institute to end
and can't wait until next year!
a publication of the
Denison University
Suzuki Program
Wait, Wait… Don’t give up NOW!
My daughter raised an important
question today. “What will Richard do
after he finishes Book 8?”, she asked.
He still has two more years before
college. It hasn’t occurred to her that
she’s not that far behind!
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
learning partnership
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
For more information
about our program,
please contact:
Jim Van Reeth,
co-director
10 years ago, we didn’t even know
there was a Book 8. We were just
thankful the minuets stopped at 3! It
took us one year to get through the
twinkles. Yes, one year –per child!
Little did we know we had 7 ! books to
go!
My kids have reached a point where
they really like to play the violin. It
wasn’t always that way, though. The
initial coolness of lessons, group, and
making new friends wore off quickly
and I did have to force them to keep
going. It wasn’t fun. What parent
wants to be the bad guy? It was worth
it, though. We don’t have those kinds
of battles anymore.
We have battles over a different set of
obstacles: our activities.
Our family recently participated in the
Easter presentation at our church. It
was a pretty big deal and required a
whole month of long rehearsals. We
had to make hard decisions when
those rehearsals interfered with
lessons, group classes, hanging out
with friends, sleep…. It was a great
experience for all of us and we felt the
time spent with our church family was
worth missing the other stuff.
I’m sure you have or will have to make
those types of decisions as your family
continues on your Suzuki journey. The
dance recital or the piano recital? The
soccer game or group class? The
sleepover or the group performance?
That special art class or the prime
private lesson time you’ve had for
years? It’s very hard. Will the kids
miss out on important stuff that will
affect them later in life?
Maybe you’re thinking that they’ve had
enough music lessons and it’s time to
try something else. Maybe you don’t
think there’s enough time to practice
adequately and do other activities. Let
me take this moment to beg you to
reconsider.
Music lessons are just like school. It
takes a long time to get from preschool
to graduate school. By the time we’re in
graduate school, we’re pretty fluent in
our learning style and in the things that
make us who we are.
When we began our Suzuki journey, we
learned how to hold the instrument or
how to sit in rest position. By the last
book, we’re pretty fluent with our
instrument. We’ve developed our own
tone and our own practice style that’s
just right for us.
It takes years to be comfortable with our
instruments. It is a worthwhile
investment to keep going –even with all
the demands on our time.
I think it’s O.K. to choose the dance
recital over the piano recital sometimes.
I think earning a position on the traveling
soccer team is a good reason to miss a
few group lessons. (Yes, Kevin, you
read that correctly!) Just don’t give up
on the music. Dance and soccer may
just last for a season, but music is a gift
that will last a lifetime.
What is after Book 8? More music to
learn, bigger tone, playing in orchestras,
joining a string quartet, accompanying
choirs or friends on their instruments,
learning another instrument, learning
another style, auditioning for college
scholarships….
Don’t give up now!!
Phone:
(740) 587-5606
E-Mail:
[email protected]
An update on BJ: You’ll be happy to know that
he is cautiously jumping in the van and is
especially fond of impromptu visits to
Dr. Prescott’s office.
April 2007
Volume 2, Issue 8
“Musical ability
is not an
inborn talent
but an ability
that can be
developed.
Any child
properly trained
can develop
musical ability,
just as all
children develop
the ability to
speak their
mother tongue.”
--Shinichi
Suzuki
April Groups:
April 13
--Palmer Piano
April 21
--Flute
--Piano
--Violin
--Cello
April 28
--Goodwill
Ambassadors
Tour
Check with your
teacher for specifics.
by Kaitlin Moore
It is hard to believe that summer is
approaching us so quickly! I am sure
that many of you can agree it has been
a fantastic but busy school year. I
always look forward to summer lessons.
When I was a child, I loved going to
lessons in the summer. I remember
going to my teacher’s house and having
lessons in the backyard on warm
summer afternoons. For me, summer
lessons were a time to let all of my
worries go, and to really enjoy making
beautiful music. Summer lessons also
gave me an opportunity to play different
types of music besides my usual
repertoire.
I miss those years of my life
sometimes, but then I realize that you
never get too old to take lessons! As a
matter of fact, I have been doing some
reflecting on a keyboard that has been
in its case since my college piano class.
Although that class wasn’t a positive
experience, I am giving it another try! I
look forward to taking piano lessons with
our very own Mrs. Kirsh this summer!
I have encouraged all of my students
to take summer lessons. There is
something to be said for continuing
lessons over the summer. It is not
simply to “maintain” what you have
learned. Summer lessons help to
continue that love and fire for wanting to
play beautiful music. For many families,
it is a time to really devote the care and
time towards an instrument.
Summer lessons benefit the student,
the family, and the teacher. I am hoping
to have some lessons outside, when the
weather is appropriate. I can’t imagine
not seeing my students over the
summer! Give yourself the gift of
summer lessons and most of all, make
beautiful music from your heart!
Summer Lessons: Fun and Benefits
by Jim Van Reeth
Spring flowers are popping up and the summer heat will be
here before we know it. Spring semester individual
lessons will end between mid-April and mid-May. And
even though group lessons and Program Recitals will
finish in May, individual lessons will continue after the end
of the spring term and throughout the summer months.
Soon your teacher will hand out a summer lesson
schedule and a lesson registration form. Be sure to sign
up for as many lessons as you can. Summer lessons are
fun and have excellent benefits. Here are just a few:
! Learning knows no season. Summer lessons and
practice keep finger, bow and breathing techniques fit
and moving forward avoiding the Fall rebuilding period
that is inevitable if lessons stop
!
!
!
!
!
Teachers will be more relaxed and easy-going
Longer days and lack of school homework means
the possibility of more practice time and the
possibility of learning or refining more skills
Summer lessons provide a great opportunity to
bring a friend to a lesson so they can see exactly
what you do in Burton Hall for thirty minutes to an
hour every week
Summer practice time is the perfect time to invite a
Suzuki friend over for a practice play-date or a
practice sleepover. Maybe you can play a piece
over the phone for you teacher or leave it on their
voicemail during the party
Parking is much, much easier in the summer
Page 2 of 3
Music makes Memories for All
by Audrey Severson
Goodwill
Ambassadors
Tour
Saturday,
April 28
Paramount
10:15 a.m.
(flutists and
pianists)
and
Kendal
1:30 p.m.
“That was wonderful!” “Are you
coming back again?” “I really enjoyed
that!” These were among many
comments coming from a group of
people we, as Denison Suzuki
students, were able to go and
encourage with our music during a
Goodwill Ambassador Tour. What an
inspiring, fun and fulfilling time it is to
prepare pieces together to share. And
then to be kept on your toes the day
of, excitedly waiting for it to be your
turn! Not only this, but we are
rewarded with sweet treats at the end
of this experience. To really top the
day off, however, is the time, while
enjoying our sweet treats, to walk
down memory lane with the residents.
Oh, the fascinating stories you
hear…of the instruments they played
while they were younger, or their
funny experiences at lessons, or
where they grew up…on a farm, in a
small town, or floods they
experienced! These have been some
I have been privileged to enjoy. What
a fun opportunity it has been to be
able to participate in an event such as
the Goodwill Ambassador Tour! See
you at the next stop!
(strings)
Performance attire:
• red DUSP shirt
• black pants/skirt
• black shoes
• black socks
Program Recital
May 6
3 p.m.
Burke Recital Hall
“Part of playing an
instrument comes
from sharing the
music we make
with others.
Seeing and
feeling the
support of a
friendly crowd
makes the
experience
all the more
pleasurable.”
--Jim Van Reeth
Practicing on Vacation: Try Something Different
by Robin Brown
Whenever I would go on short vacations (month or less) when I was a Suzuki
student (age 6 to 16), I took my violin. I always had good intentions of practicing,
but to be completely honest, sometimes I wouldn't get around to playing. But other
times I did practice on vacation, and those are good memories! I remember
playing violin on vacation for my grandparents in Wisconsin and Michigan, even
playing in a London hotel and having people throw British currency in my violin
case! There was a whole year when I was 12 years old that my family travelled in
Central and South America and we couldn't take my violin. I missed my violin very
much. As soon as I got back home, I took lessons again and got back to practicing.
It felt so good to play violin again after being away from it for so long. If you can
take your violin on vacation, do it! You will very likely find an appreciative audience
wherever you go, you might find other people to play music with, and...you could
make a little money on the side!
A Spring Suzuki Check-list
•
Send in registration for the institute of your choice.
•
Check other activity schedules in preparation for
signing up for summer lessons.
•
Order a Suzuki parent book to read during spring
break.
•
Make copies of your listening CD for both vehicles.
•
Have your piano tuned, check the size of your child’s
instrument, and check the size of your child’s
Denison University Suzuki Program shirt.
Denison University
Suzuki Program
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
about our program,
please contact:
Jim Van Reeth,
co-director
Phone:
(740) 587-5606
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Wait, Wait… Don’t give up NOW!
BJ refuses to get in the van. Isn’t that
silly? What dog doesn’t just LOVE to
go for rides?? Nothing will get him to
go inside. I’ve tried dog biscuits, the
other dog’s ultra tasty food, and even
raw hamburger!! He gets close to the
van and plops his bottom down on the
garage floor. He’s a 100 pound collie
and he’s not moving (which is another
reason he’s so big!)
Dr. Susan Prescott, Lexine’s mom, is
BJ’s doctor and is very intrigued by this
behavior. As a last resort, she gave
me a pill to give BJ two hours before
his visit to her hospital. The pill made
him very mellow and content, but he
still wouldn’t get in the van. I took
Shepherd, my older and wiser collie,
instead. Dr. Prescott sent her assistant
back home with me thinking that we
just needed more hands. Nothing Lori
or I did could get BJ in that van.
I was very embarrassed and a little
sad. First of all, I know it was a mistake
to let this go on for so long. Second,
BJ and Shepherd are my companions
and I just assumed that BJ would want
to come along with me for a ride. BJ
follows me around everywhere in the
house. When I play the violin, he’s
right there on my feet and when I play
the piano, he knocks my hands off the
keys so I’ll pet him. Finally, he just
doesn’t believe me when I tell him that
riding in the van is FUN. I am his mom
–he should believe me!
As I was sitting there on the steps in
the garage staring at my dog, it
occurred to me that BJ is acting a lot
like students I’ve taught over the years
who wouldn’t play for me in their
lessons. They either come to their
lessons and refuse to play once they
arrive, or their parents have a hard time
getting them into THEIR van! I had a
student once who yelled, “I HATE
VIOLIN! I HATE VIOLIN!!” all the way
up four flights of those Burton Hall
stairs.
It’s embarrassing and it makes us feel
sad. We want our children to have this
gift we’re giving them and we want them
to enjoy it as much as we do. But it
doesn’t always work out that way.
There are times when students just
don’t feel like it. They’re tired. There
are too many stairs. They’re shy and
don’t want to disappoint their practice
partners. They’re not sure what we
want from them. They were playing with
their friends and didn’t want to stop.
The piano is big and makes too much
noise. The violin hurts their necks.
There are so many possibilities as to
why they refuse to play and they’re not
always able to tell us the reasons.
The best we can do is keep trying
different things. Maybe not dog food
and raw hamburger, but certainly
something fun and tasty. We can keep
our eyes and ears open for any sign of
what bothers them. If it’s a rush to get
to lessons and tempers flare, find
another time. If I need to close my eyes
so that the student will play for me, no
big deal. We shouldn’t lower our
standards of teaching and learning, but
we can certainly try unconventional
methods to get around the problem.
The final solution for BJ was a higher
dose of the sedative, a front loader (just
kidding), and a ride in that van every
single day, even if it’s just to go around
the neighborhood. The best solution for
our children is to get them to listen to
the recording and play every single day
and praise, praise, praise them. They’ll
get past this bump in the journey and so
will you.
March 2007
Volume 2, Issue 7
Summer Suzuki Institutes
Institute Magic – A Teacher’s Perspective
by Jim Van Reeth
Summer is just around the corner! Have you thought about attending, with your child, a Suzuki
Institute? It is a fantastic experience where learning and fun are crammed into one short week. A
summer institute may be a perfect family vacation opportunity that also allows your child to have a
concentrated time of group lessons, masterclasses, recitals and fun with kids and teachers from
around the country and around the world at one of the nearly 100 summer institutes across the
United States and world-wide. Institutes are patterned after Dr. Suzuki’s summer school in
Matsumoto, Japan where teachers, students and practice partners come together and share in a
program of instruction, motivation and enjoyment.
As a teacher I benefit greatly from having families attend institute. I get the opportunity to see my
students and practice partners through new eyes. I learn so much from observing the work an
institute teacher does with my students. I see how I might improve my teaching and I also gain
validation for my teaching. It seems all institute participants, be they students, practice partners or
teachers always come away with a renewed passion and enthusiasm for learning. I witness
friendships and close bonds that form between students, parents and families who look forward to
seeing each other year after year.
I feel the institute experience is magical because while I first the see and appreciate the results of
all the wonderful learning experiences happening all around, I can’t help but also notice that the
students first remember the trips for ice cream, getting caught in a down pour on the way to master
class, the whacky teacher skit at the talent show, playing Frisbee after lunch, swimming, and all of
the extra stuff that happens in the summer camp environment. But, I also notice that students
remember their favorite teachers, the fun classes and do appreciate what they are learning. I hope
you and your family will experience the magic of a summer institute this summer, for the first time,
or once again.
More Than Just An Impressive Collection of T-Shirts
We attended our first Institute at Capital
University in 1998. Our oldest violinist was ten
and was working on Minuet 1, our middle
violinist was playing Lightly Row, and we left
our youngest at a friend’s house. The years
that all three went, my husband took the week
off and helped with taking notes and attending
lessons. It became our family vacation. In
2006, we attended our ninth Institute (we have
all the t-shirts, too!).
My husband’s favorite part of Institute was
attending masterclasses. He really enjoyed it
the year all three kids were studying pieces by
Bach, his favorite composer. He practiced
with them during free time at Institute and the
experience gave him insight into my role as
the regular practice partner.
For the first few years, there was a giant bush
outside of the music building at Capital that all
the kids loved to hide in and climb on. We
were sad when they took it down, but the kids
soon found new places to hang out together.
My kids still say that the best part of Institute is
the people.
Attending Institute early in our Suzuki journey
gave me the support I needed and the
confirmation that we were making progress. I
enjoyed getting to know the other parents in
masterclass and group class and have “grown
up” with them through the years.
The week of lessons with master teachers and
leisurely times with Institute friends may have
seemed like all fun and games for my kids, but
I could also hear improvement in their playing.
It gave us a boost that we all needed.
Institutes usually keep the same dates from
year to year, so it’s not too early to look ahead
and pencil them in. Most have posted their
information on the SAA website already. Start
your t-shirt collection this summer! !
www.suzukiassociation.org
Page 2
A Suzuki Student’s Perspective on Summer Institutes
Summer Suzuki Institutes
by Katie Wolff
What’s Institute? Institute is a place where
you have lots of fun playing your instrument
and get to make new friends. There are
many great reasons to go to an institute.
You can learn from different teachers and
learn more and different techniques. You
can also build on the skills you have already
learned. When I was a student and much
younger, these are some of the things I
learned from my experiences at the
American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point,
WI. I have great memories, too.
My mom and I stayed in a dorm on
University of Wisconsin’s campus for the
week of institute. I thought that was fun and
I learned what it was like to share a
bathroom with several other people. It also
gave me an understanding of what to expect
when I went to other music camps and
college.
I grew up in a small town in Iowa, and was
the ONLY person who played the violin. I
felt like I was “normal” for once when I saw
many other children playing and practicing
an instrument just like me!
Best of all, I made a new friend, Kristin.
Even though she was two years younger,
we had a lot in common. We both played
the violin, both had an older sibling that
played the piano, were the same height and
we loved to roller skate. Every year at
institute, we would request rooms across the
hall from each other so we could spend
more time together. I remember Kristin
being a big motivation for me because we
wanted to be in the same classes every year
so, we had to be on the same pieces of
music. For several years, Kristin and I kept
in touch by writing each other letters.
I am so glad I had the opportunity to go to
institute those couple of years. The value of
the memories and everything I learned is
priceless.
Wait, Wait… Don’t Give Up Now!!
I know you’ve heard it:
“I don’t WANT to play anymore.”
“I don’t LIKE it. It’s too HARD!!”
Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself! !
It’s O.K. It happens to everyone involved in
teaching and learning. The question to ask is:
What should you do about it?
The very first thing you should do is tell your
teacher. He or she has been there! Your
teacher can give you ideas on how to keep
going, can take lessons in a different direction,
or just be a sympathetic ear.
Second, call a Suzuki-friendly friend whom
you’ve met at group. (This is not the time to
call your friend who thinks that Suzuki is a
motorcycle!)
Third, take a break. Just listen to the CD for a
while with your child instead of going to the
instrument. Set a goal beyond playing, such
as learning all the names of the pieces in
Book 1 or reading about the composers of
those pieces.
Fourth, read a book. It’s always good to
review Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy in Nurtured
by Love. It will remind you why you set out
on this journey in the first place! Another
good book to have on hand is Ed Sprunger’s
Helping Parents Practice.
Finally, consider attending an Institute this
summer. Many offer parent workshops each
day given by teachers who are Suzuki
parents or who have studied Suzuki
parenting. You will meet other parents who
are or have been in the same situation. I
promise you will come back with a different
perspective.
Just don’t give up. Music education is a
journey that you and your children can
experience together. This rough spot WILL
pass!
a publication
of the
Denison
University
Suzuki
Program
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
about our program,
please contact:
Jim Van Reeth,
co-director
Suzuki Sounds from Cincy
by Linda Habig
On a nasty, snowy, sleeting weekend in
February, what could be better than total
immersion in the warmth, nurture, love
and learning of a Suzuki Workshop!
Happily, two of my Suzuki flute teacher
friends in Cincinnati invited me to
participate in the Winter Workshop of the
Cincinnati Suzuki Cooperative. The Cinci
Coop is a fabulous program providing
Suzuki training in string instruments and
flute to students in the Cincinnati Public
School System, enabling children from all
economic levels to experience Suzuki
education through private lessons, group
classes, and workshops.
On Friday of the Workshop weekend, I
attended a teacher-enrichment training
program, taught by a Suzuki teachertrainer in cello, who is also an international
expert on the impact of sound and tone on
the human body. The highly academic,
yet practical course covered the physics of
sound, and how tone and sound affect the
individual cells in our bodies. Sounds are
waves of energy, causing our cells to
actually vibrate within our bodies, which
are resonant vehicles. Recent research
has shown that tones and sounds directly
affect body cells in the same way cells are
affected by amino acids (peptides)
generated by the brain in response to
emotions. Further, research has shown
that our body’s cells recognize various
pitches, which can enhance the health of
cells and our bodies. The training session
progressed from the esoteric to the
practical, pointing out that Dr. Suzuki
focused intently on beautiful tone
production, creating the teaching concept
of “tonalization”. He was ahead of his
time, understanding and teaching that
“Tone is a Living Soul”, and “A Refined
Tone is a Refined Spirit”.
The weekend Workshop was attended by
several hundred Suzuki students in the
Cincinnati program, all of whom had the
opportunity throughout two intensive days
to be coached individually in master
classes by nationally-known teachers.
(One of the string teachers was our own
Jim Van Reeth!) Students also
participated in group classes and
enrichment activities such as choir,
fiddling, and Irish flute. At the end of each
day on Saturday and Sunday, a play-in
was held, where several hundred students
filled the gym with glorious sounds of
Suzuki repertoire being performed.
Teachers participated in the play-in as
well, and I surely enjoyed playing with the
25 flute students!
I observed the flute master classes, taught
by David Gerry, an internationallyacclaimed Suzuki flute instructor from
Toronto. Interestingly, his focus with
virtually every student was on that most
essential element of flute tone production air. He worked with each student, ranging
from age 5 to 16, to breathe more deeply
and to send a faster air stream through the
flute. His goal with each student was a
bigger, rounder, more singing tone that
would carry across the room.
It was a wonderful, exhilarating weekend
for me as a teacher and as a flutist. A
terrific part of the Suzuki philosophy and
pedagogy is the ongoing education and
sharing of ideas that naturally occurs
through workshops such as this, even
when the roads are glazed with ice and
snow makes our noses and fingers freeze!
Instruments for Sale…
The MacDonald family has a violin and a flute for sale
and they would love for them to go to Suzuki homes.
Phone:
(740) 587-5606
The violin is a full sized “Kohr” with a beautiful sound
and the flute is a full sized Emerson.
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Please contact Ann MacDonald for further information
at (740) 587-7805 or send her an email at
[email protected]
February 2007
Volume 2, Issue 6
“A child
who has
no opportunity
to listen
to any
good music
gains
nothing.
If he listens to
out-of-tune
music,
he will grow
to have
out-of-tune
abilities
in music.”
--Shinichi Suzuki
The Care and Feeding of Your Instrument
Whether you’re renting or you’ve made the purchase
of a lifetime, we’ve gathered up information
to keep your instrument healthy.
LOVING CARE FOR YOUR BEST FRIEND: YOUR FLUTE!
By Linda Habig
How exciting! A brand new, shiny, silvery flute that will become your best friend!
Here’s what your flute is telling you so that it will stay as healthy and happy as the
day it came home to live with you.
Your Flute Loves to be Clean
• Your flute loves clean hands, so wash or rinse your hands before playing.
• If you’ve eaten or drunk anything recently, brush your teeth or rinse out your
mouth with water before playing the flute.
• Your flute gets really upset if you eat or drink anything, including candy or
gum, during the time when you are playing it. It just doesn’t like sticky air
blown through it. So wait for your snack until after you play. But it’s ok to
drink water during your playing time.
• Your flute hates the way silver polish feels, so don’t use it on your flute.
Your Flute Asks You to Handle It Gently
• Your flute is strong and can play millions of notes and songs for a whole lot
of years, if you’re gentle every time you pick it up.
• When putting it together, hold the parts without the keys and gently push the
pieces together. Linda will show you how, and help.
• When you’re resting between songs, hold the flute where there aren’t any
keys.
• Your flute will tell you that it doesn’t like to ride on bicycles, or in luggage with
wheels, because they’re too bouncy and hurt the flute. Flutes do like to ride
in backpacks and other bags that you carry.
February Groups:
Feb. 10 and 24
--Flute
--Piano
--Violin
--Cello
Feb. 9 and 23
--Palmer Piano
Check with your
Your Flute Likes to Sleep When You’re Not Playing It
• When you’re not playing, your flute likes to take a nap in its dark and quiet
case. So be sure to put it back in its case when you’re not playing it.
• Before you let your flute go to sleep in its case, wipe it off with a soft rag.
Also, wipe out the inside with the swab stick and a soft cloth. Put the edge of
the cloth through the hole in the swab, and then wrap some cloth around the
end of the swab stick. (Note to Moms: cotton rags are best, and use ones
without a lot of threads and lint. Wash and dry them without fabric softener.)
Keep Your Flute Happy and Comfortable
• Your flute will be very unhappy if you let it get too hot, too cold, too wet or too
dry. So don’t leave it in the car for very long, or outdoors, or any place else
that it might be uncomfortable.
• But your flute does love to be played outside! So take it outside and play it,
in the woods, in your yard, by the ocean or a lake, or anywhere. Just bring it
right back indoors with you and put it back in its case for a nap afterward.
Page 2 of 4
Caring for Your Strings
By Stephanie Dantzer
String Prices at
The Loft Violin Shop
Violin:
Thomastik Dominant:
$53.10
for the full sized set
Helicore:
$40.30
Viola:
Thomastik Dominant:
$92.80
Helicore:
$56.40
Cello:
Thomastik Dominant:
$172.50
Helicore:
$144.00
Added bonus:
The Loft will put the
strings on your
instrument for you.
When you first acquire an instrument through
rental or purchase, it will come with a set of
strings already on it. At first, your child’s teacher
will tune the strings every time you come to
class. All you need to do to care for the strings is
keep them clean and replace them when they are
worn out.
To care for the strings while they are on the
instrument, avoid any build-up of rosin that may
make the instrument sound fuzzy by wiping off
the strings each time the student finishes playing.
Each student should have a clean cloth in his
instrument case for this purpose. The cloth
should be soft, dry cotton.
If you notice the there is an excess of rosin on
the strings, you can - carefully, so as not to get
any on the instrument – put some rubbing alcohol
on a cotton ball or cloth (damp, not dripping) and
gently wipe the strings to dissolve the rosin. You
may want to put a protective cloth under the
strings to keep the alcohol off of the instrument.
In general, students should make a habit of using
the cloth to wipe off the strings, the instrument,
and the stick of the bow each time they finish
playing. If left on, the rosin can deteriorate the
finish. Clean hands are also important when
playing, because the rosin won’t stick to dirty bow
hair.
When a student plays about 15 to 20 minutes a
day, their strings will need to be replaced about
every 6 months. If you rent from the Loft in
Columbus, they will replace the strings for you at no
cost, as long as you use the same type strings. If
you rent from Robertson & sons or if you purchased
an instrument, you are responsible for buying and
putting the strings on yourself.
When you need to replace a set of stings, ask your
child’s teacher what type of strings you should buy.
They will probably be able to tell you what is on the
instrument and what type strings you should buy.
What you need to know:
• loop or ball end (the part that attaches to
the fine tuners).
• wound E string (for violins)
• light, medium or heavy gauge
• the size of the instrument
• type of strings
Once you know what you need, you can go to a
store or web site. When you buy strings, you want
them to be new, so try to avoid buying from a
business that does not have a high volume of string
sales, as their stock may be old.
Additional String Information
In the beginning of January, prices were
compared for Thomastik Dominant and Helicore
medium gauge, wound E (where applicable)
strings for the violin, viola and cello from 7
businesses. The first 4 have stores in the
Newark or the Columbus area:
• Colonial Music
www.musicarts.com
• The Loft Violin Shop
www.theloftviolinshop.com
• Martin Music
• Sam Ash
www.samash.com
The other 3 are on line:
• Shar Music
www.sharmusic.com
• Southwest Strings
www.southweststrings.com
• Young Musicians
www.ymonline.com
The highest prices, by far, were at Martin
Music in Newark. Next highest were at Colonial
Music (in Westerville, Mt. Vernon, and
Reynoldsburg).
The best prices locally were at The Loft Violin
Shop, where they recently reduced their prices in
order to be more competitive with the online
sources, and Sam Ash, both in Columbus.
In general, the best deals are found online,
especially because the sites don’t charge for
shipping on strings-only orders over a certain dollar
amount. They all list their prices on their websites,
so it is an easy task to find the best price once you
know specifically what you need. You can
purchase an entire set or single strings.
Once your student advances to the point of
needing or wanting different kinds of strings, the
Loft will let you try different sets on your instrument.
It’s best if you call ahead so they are sure there is a
practice room available upstairs for you to use.
It is best to have an extra set of strings in the
case, either new or used, in the event a string
unwinds or becomes damaged. Strings can be
stored in their original packages.
Be sure that you check with your teacher before
you invest in new strings.
Tuning 101: A Workshop for Practice Partners
Denison University
Suzuki Program
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
by Robin Brown
The tuning workshop on Saturday,
January 27, led by Rebecca White, a
Suzuki violin teacher and mom, was wellattended, very helpful, and fun! We met
up in a spacious lecture hall in the
beautiful Burton D. Morgan Center on the
main campus. The Loft Violin Shop
provided 20 violins for us to use and
made available chromatic tuners for
purchase.
To start, Mrs. White had all the practice
partners get out their tuners and look at
the indicator needle and light while she
played her open strings slowly with long
full bows. If the pitch was flat (low), she
turned fine tuners to the right (clockwise)
to make the pitch higher. If the pitch was
sharp (high), she turned the fine tuner to
the left (counterclockwise) to make the
pitch lower. With indicators straight up
and green lights indicating that the violin
pitch of each string matched the tuner,
she was good to go! Now it was
everyone else’s turn!
Wow, some of those violins from the Loft
were really out of tune! They were
recently used at a violin petting zoo with
the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
Some had pegs loose, one briefly lost its
fine tuner screw on the floor, etc. Kudos
to all the practice partners for getting their
violins tuned so well!!!
Here are Mrs. White’s three steps for
tuning your violin:
Step 1: Turn on your tuner (make sure
it is calibrated or set to 440 Hz, which is
the “concert pitch” frequency of A). Most
people tune their A string first, then E,
then D, then G. Play the A string (and
each string thereafter) with long slow
bows. The tuner will tell you what note
you are playing and whether you are flat
(needle to the left) or sharp (needle to
the right) with a red light indicator or
whether your pitch is right on (indicator
needle straight up with a green light).
Adjust your fine tuners accordingly (as
described above). Rebecca said to
focus on what the tuner is telling you
right away while the bow is on the string.
Once the bow has left the string, the
vibrations change and the needle will
fluctuate (usually toward being flat).
Step 2: Play the pitches of each of your
strings (G, D, A, E) on your tuner by
holding the “Sound” button for a second
and then pushing it repeatedly to get the
note you want. See if the pitches on the
tuner match the pitches of each string.
Step 3: Play double stops of the
adjacent strings (A and E together, D
and A, then G and D). These should
sound like the interval known as a
perfect fifth (A to E is five notes apart,
i.e., A B C D E). The first notes of
“Twinkle, Twinkle” are a fifth apart, a
great way to remember what a fifth
sounds like!
“Play Twinkle in C and D”
about our program,
please contact:
Jim Van Reeth,
co-director
Phone:
(740) 587-5606
E-Mail:
[email protected]
That was the only note written in my daughter’s notebook after my husband was
kind enough to take our daughter (and her little brother) to her piano lesson. “Was
that all that Mrs. Kirsh said to do?” I asked a little nervously when they got home.
“I think so,” was my husband’s response. So I asked my daughter the same
question. Her answer was different. ”No, Mom! She wants way more than that.”
Thankfully, she filled me in on most of the week’s assignments.
Taking notes is important even when the regular practice partner attends weekly
lessons. Notes not only give us the week’s assignments, but they remind us what
is needed musically. Haven’t we all had to make sure that our kids “add lifts in the
“B” section,’” or “play the ‘A’ section like popcorn?” I always need to look at my
notes the day after our lesson to refresh my memory, but they aren’t needed as
much as the week progresses. Notes also come in handy if there is a discrepancy
between what my daughter thinks the teacher said and what I think the teacher
said. Our rule is whatever is written in the notes wins. And a hint to everyone:
when your husband or wife takes the kids to the lesson instead, ask them to take
notes for you!
January 2007
Volume 2,
New Year’s Edition
Spring Semester Program Recitals
February 25 • March 18 • May 6
Sundays at 3 p.m.
Happy
New
Year!!
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
Our program recitals feature students from all our teachers’
studios. Since only 5 or 6 students from each studio may
participate in a recital, space is limited to one performance
for each student per year. We encourage you to attend
these recitals to support your fellow Suzuki families and
enjoy the diverse musical offerings.
Piano Happenings in 2007
Kirsh/McCarroll
Group Dates
• January 20
• January 27
• February 10
• February 24
• March 3
• March 17
• April 21
• April 28
• May 12
Pretwinkle 10:15 am
Books 1-4: 11 a.m.
Burton 201 & 203
Piano Workshop January 13 & 14
Burke Recital Hall
Mary Craig Powell, Suzuki piano teacher
trainer, will teach masterclasses to our piano
students January 13 and 14. This is a great
opportunity for our families and teachers to
learn from such an outstanding teacher. We
encourage all parents, older students, and
teachers of all instruments to come observe.
Palmer Group Dates
January 26 • February 9
February 23 • March 9
March 23 • April 13 • May 10
Flute Happenings in 2007
Group Lesson Dates
Saturday Mornings:
January 20, 27
February 10, 24
March 3, 17
April 21
May 5
Location: Burton Hall, Room 14
(Basement Classroom)
Check with
your
teacher
for more
specific
information
regarding
group
classes
and
special
events.
Denison Suzuki Review
page 2
Tuning Workshop January 27
A sign of the
times…
Check out the new
bathroom sign on the
third floor…
Flip it to red when
you go inside…
Flip it to green when
you’re done.
th
We are looking forward to Rebecca White,
Suzuki violin teacher and Spencer’s mom,
spending time with our practice partners
teaching them how to tune their
instruments. Participants must register so
we know how many violins and tuners we
need.
Capital Suzuki Tour Group Concert
rd
March 3
The Capital Suzuki Tour Group returns to
Burke Hall to play for us. They will be
traveling to Italy in April. Susan Locke, codirector of the tour group will be teaching
group class that morning.
Violin Happenings
in 2007
Violin Group Dates
• January 20
• January 27
• February 10
• February 24
• March 3
• March 17
• April 21
• April 28
• May 12
9:00-9:40
9:45-10:15
Late Book 2/Early Book 3
Combined groups
Late Book 3/Early Book 4
on stage
Advanced group 9-10:30 (Herrick Hall)
Please arrive early for tuning!
10:20-11:00
Early Book 1
Late Book 1
Pretwinkle
Cello Happenings in 2007
Winter Weather
Advisory…
…in case of
questionable
weather
conditions,
contact your
teacher to see if
you have lessons.
Be safe!
Cello Group Dates
• January 20
• January 27
• February 10
• February 24
• March 3
• March 17
• April 21
• April 28
• May 12
Cello Workshop
st
Saturday, April 21
Amy Sue Barston will be performing with
the Denison University Orchestra and will
be teaching masterclasses to our students
on April 21. Miss Barston is a devoted
Suzuki teacher in her home, at the New
York School for Strings, at The Julliard
School, and at numerous summer music
festivals and institutes. We are excited
about her visit with us.
9:00-9:30 Pre-Twinkle • 9:30-10:00 Twinkle • 10:00-10:30 Early Book 1 • 10:30-11:00 Late Book 1-3
Goodwill Ambassadors Tour 2007
Saturday, April 28
Each spring, group classes from
the Denison University Suzuki Program
perform at a retirement living community
in the Granville/Heath/Newark area.
Mark your calendars now for this great event.
December 2006
Volume 2, Issue 4
Sara, Oliver,
Emma, Jeannie,
Gavin, Anna,
Connor,
Mackenzie,
Madison, Emily,
Margo,
Charlotte, John,
Lienne, Gabe,
Isabel, Kelly,
Orson, Josie,
Michaela, Aaron,
Danny, Rick,
Myles, Jaime,
Alexa, Cheri,
Ellie, Matthew,
Molly, Wanling,
Sierra, Caleb,
Sabrina, Jerry,
Albert, Rafi,
Cierra, Davis,
Christopher,
Peter, Sophia,
Amelia, Peter,
Xiao Ling,
Scottie, Kyle,
Tyler, Max,
Ashley, Audrey,
Sophie, Alex,
David,
Maryanne,
Richard, Sarah,
Jimmy, Timothy,
Ana, Daniel,
Winona, Daniel,
Ruby, Asia,
Lauren, Autumn,
Joshua,
Madeline,
Veronica,
Maxfield, Chris,
Maura, Grace,
Andrew, Melissa,
The Granville Christmas
Candlelight Walking Tour
A Denison University Suzuki Program Tradition
Each year, on the first Saturday of
December, the village of Granville
ushers in the holiday season with the
Granville Christmas Candlelight Walking
Tour. Throughout the day, the village
hosts performances by area musical
groups. The concerts are usually listed
in the Granville paper the week prior.
Jim Van Reeth directed his first Walking
Tour performance in 1995, when he
began teaching Suzuki violin at
Denison. There was no official Suzuki
program at the time, but he and Suzuki
piano teacher, Caryl Palmer, both taught
on the third floor.
Anna Rosenfeld has performed in the
most Walking Tour concerts of any
current student. She will be seated in
the Concert Mistress spot this year.
Students used to announce each piece
and say a few interesting facts. This
was to make the concert longer because
we could only play a few pieces.
The Suzuki cellists joined the
performance in 1997.
Maryfrances Kirsh began accompanying
the Denison Suzuki String Ensemble at
the Walking Tour in 1998. She, too,
wondered at first about the “Walking”
part of the performance. She wasn’t
sure she could accompany a group of
strolling strings without a strap for her
keyboard. She was relieved to hear that
the audience did the walking.
It was so warm in 1999 that attendees
were wearing shorts and eating ice
cream. The next year it snowed during
our concert.
The Denison Suzuki Strings used to
perform at 8 and 8:30 in the evening.
With so many young performers, we
were all happy to be able to move to an
afternoon performance.
The Denison Suzuki Pianists joined the
Walking Tour performance in 2002.
This year they will be joined by the
Denison Suzuki Flute Ensemble.
We are fortunate that Centenary United
Methodist Church invites us back each
year to perform in their sanctuary.
During the couple of years they were
remodeling, we were able to perform
across the street in the First
Presbyterian Church’s sanctuary and
were not left out in the cold. It snowed
those years, too.
The dress rehearsal on the Friday
evening before the concert is a very
exciting and important time for us. We
are all able to see how it will come
together in the very same space where
we will perform. The rehearsal is long,
but worth the effort on everyone’s part.
At Friday night’s rehearsal, the church
pews are usually empty. It is exciting to
walk in the next day to find them all
filled.
The Denison University Suzuki Pianists and Flute Ensemble
will perform on Saturday, December 2nd at 2:30 p.m.
The Denison University Suzuki String Ensemble
will perform on Saturday, December 2nd at 4 p.m.
Centenary United Methodist Church
Granville, Ohio
Catherine, Erica,
Kate, Zoe,
Lincoln Bailey,
Allison, Billy,
Miranda, Claire,
Jacqueline
Penny, Emily,
Eric, Alyssa,
Zac, Kalki,
Olivia, Conner,
Veronica, Sarah,
Henry, Eli, Kevin,
Amy, Lucy,
Maddie, Ava,
Olivia, Madison,
Merrick, Ben,
Jacob, Cora,
Becky, Maria,
Emily, Maria,
Lexine, Susan,
Catherine,
Michael, Eva,
Jacob, Charlie,
Abby, Peter,
Jacob, John,
Piper, Grant,
Matthew, Claire,
Mattney
“My favorite part
about being a
Suzuki violin
student was
the people
I got to
hang out with.”
Daniel Kirsh,
former Suzuki
violinist and
Aviation Major
OSU
Page 2 of 4
A Student’s Perspective on the Suzuki Experience
by Anna Rosenfeld
How has Suzuki influenced my life? Well, I
honestly can't say for sure, it's all been small things
that have so far seemed irrelevant. Certain things
happen that make me realize, "Hey, I can do that."
I'll have to start at the beginning to really pick them
all out.
I started Suzuki violin when I was really little,
around six. It was all started when I sat in on Ally
Skapik's, my best friend's music lesson. I knew at
once that's what I wanted to do. So when mom
picked me up that day I told her, "I want to take
violin lessons, and I want to take lessons from Ally's
teacher, Mr. Jim." That's how it started: I started
taking lessons from Mr. Jim, with the butter-box
violin and those round pieces of cardboard you find
on wire hangers as my bow, learning "up like a
Rocket," and how to "sniff" my butter-box onto my
shoulder. Then I received my first violin; a quarter
size: the first thing I did when I took it out of the
case was drop it bridge side down of the wood floor!
Thankfully, nothing broke.
From there I learned how to read and identify the
black dots on the page and the right fingers for
each string and note. I dived into Book 1 with
gusto. Three long years later, I finished it and
moved on to Book 2. It seemed like forever, but I
finally made it. I truly struggled my way through the
first book, but after that everything became much
easier.
When the school offered orchestra in fourth
grade, I jumped on the opportunity. Problem was
all we did that year was learn to read music, so I
was bored and ended up showing off for my
classmates what I could do. I skipped orchestra in
fifth grade. I rejoined afterwards because it gives
me the chance to play everyday, even if it wasn't
private lesson material. It was all easy stuff, still is,
but that's because I've taken the chances to join
orchestras at summer camp and local events and
the school program is required for entry.
I learned how to read music early; now I find
sight-reading music easier and easier each time: I
often find myself being the only one playing my part
during orchestra rehearsals when we try new
music. At Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, I was the
section leader for the second violins in the
advanced orchestra because I sight-read the
audition pieces well and play my scales with
confidence.
I have learned to prepare my solos and
ensemble parts. To learn the pieces in question,
I like to find recordings and listen to the
interpretations of the performers; that way I know
what I'm doing and can help the others who
don't. When I encounter a difficult section,
usually after being prodded by my teachers, I
take out my metronome to correct styling and
timing, a tuner for intonation and pitch, or I use
different rhythms clear up the knots and finger
tangles.
I always have two goals when I play with a
group; first, I know what I'm doing, and if I don't I
know exactly how to fix it; either by listening,
rhythms, metronome, tuner, or repetition.
Second, I make sure I have fun; all my musical
activities I chose to do and I want to make the
best of the experience as possible for me and for
the people with me. All of this has helped me
survive the various groups I've been involved in,
even if I don't get the main part, or if I'm at the
back of the section. Over the years I've been
playing I have been in many solo recitals, OMEA
Competitions, various ensembles during group
lessons with Mr. Jim and Dr. Carlson, a quartet,
trio, and duet with Mrs. Larson, fiddle camp in
Montana, Suzuki Institute, Newark-Granville
Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Masterworks
Orchestra at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, the
International Youth Symphony Orchestra at Blue
Lake, various school activities, and all the Suzuki
events for the past ten years. And I have happily
survived them all by using what I've learned in
the Suzuki program here at Denison.
One more comment before I finish is that I
have done everything because I like to and enjoy
it. Not all of it has been easy coasting, but
concentration, elbow grease, and tears. I still
have problems, like the confidence in my sound,
using the entire bow, and my intonation makes
people cringe. I don't think I will become a
professional musician, but I keep playing
because I love to make music, to have a hobby
of my own, to do something that someone else
doesn't, and to be able to partake in the different
experiences that come with it.
www.denison.edu/music/suzuki
Page 3 of 4
Suzuki Teachers Look Back on Being Students
Creating Memories with My Mother
by Rebecca White
It is hard to imagine who I would be today if I
had not grown up as a Suzuki child. All of the
experiences I had playing the violin helped to
form who I am today and when I think back to
those times, my mother is at the heart of every
moment. I cannot reminisce about my Suzuki
childhood without mentioning my mother.
What stands out in my mind were our early
morning practices. My mother practiced with me
every morning. Even at 6:30 am, I remember her
encouragement and patience (I remember me
being tired!). Now that I am a practicing parent, I
can appreciate how hard this was for my mother.
But nevertheless, she persevered!
I also remember our car rides to and from
private and group lessons. That long 45 minute
drive, each way, helped to bring us even closer
together and we would talk and I would tell her
about school and friends. I had her undivided
attention and at the time I didn’t fully understand
the significance of that time together, but I know
now how important that simple drive helped to
mold our relationship. These memories may not
be filled with fun and excitement but they leave
me with a feeling of love.
One of my favorite memories was taking the
train from Chicago to Colorado for a Suzuki
summer institute. The institute was great, I
learned a lot and made friends, but wow did my
mother and I have fun on the train ride. Some
other great memories I have were getting to
perform each year at Orchestra Hall in Chicago
with my Suzuki group and performing with a tour
group at a Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. Once
again, the common denominator was my mother.
She was always there supporting me and
cheering for me. Now that I am a Suzuki mother,
I marvel at all the patience, dedication and time
she put into me and my Suzuki experience and I
wonder how she made it so easy.
Moms, Dads and Practice Partners, your
efforts with your children are for their benefit.
You are shaping young minds and their
experiences and creating favorite memories for
them. Whether they remember making friends in
group class, having a great solo experience,
going on a tour with the performing group, or just
riding in the car with you to class, these
experiences will help to form who they will
become.
Program Recitals
Sundays at 3 p.m.
Burke Recital Hall
December 10
“Part of playing
an instrument
comes from
sharing the music
we make
with others.
Seeing and feeling
the support
of a friendly crowd
makes the
experience
all the more
pleasurable.”
--Jim Van Reeth
Homage to a Great Suzuki Teacher: Ruth Jeanne
by Robin Brown
Ruth Jeanne, my first violin teacher,
was an exceptional musician and a
wonderful human being. Along with
teaching violin using the Suzuki
approach, she led string chamber,
marimba and recorder ensembles.
Slight of build and about 5 feet tall, I'll
never forget her impeccable tympani
playing with the Licking County
Symphony Orchestra, her head just
rising above the drums.
She taught violin at her house on
Silver Street in Granville from about the
1960's through the 1980's. I remember
our group lessons - 10 of us in a circle
with five of us beginner violinists and our
moms playing alongside. Ruth had us
sing a lot and practice rhythms with our
hands, voices, and bows. I remember
doing a lot of bow hold exercises -
"helicopters," "elevators", etc. In private
lessons, my favorite times were when
Ruth accompanied me on piano.
Ruth wrote the dates when I started
each piece in Suzuki Book 1 - I was in
Book 1 for over two years and I started
at the age of six! Ruth was very patient,
kind and calm. Her approach was "slow
and steady wins the..." music in this
case. This is a lesson I am still learning
myself and hope to impart to my
students.
Ruth gave me and many other
students (e.g., Paul Richards,
professional drummer and drum
instructor, Richard Marshall, violist with
the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra) a
lifelong love and joy of music, and we
are forever grateful.
Suzuki Piano
Workshop
Featuring
Mary Craig Powell
January 13 and 14,
2007
See your teacher for
details.
Getting It Right – The First Time
Denison University
Suzuki Program
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
about our program,
please contact:
Jim Van Reeth,
co-director
Phone:
(740) 587-5606
E-Mail:
[email protected]
By Caryn Wiegrand Neidhold
To the parent:
To the student:
This task that we have taken on can
sometimes seem overwhelming. We
ask so much of our children in music.
We must understand their frustration
thresholds, motivate them, challenge
them, and teach them on a daily basis.
It is our job to make sure we
understand the teacher’s instructions
and then find 10,000 ways to help our
children during the week. We are the
keepers of the flame and we are on the
front lines. It is our responsibility to
ensure that the students get it right the
first time.
Believe your teacher! If your teacher
wants you to do something a certain
way, it is because he or she has years
of experience, remarkable powers of
observation, and an amazing ability to
hear music. Your teacher only sees you
30 to 60 minutes a week. The rest of
the week it is the parent and student’s
responsibility to practice the way the
teacher asks.
Practice Travels
by Lucy Dickson
“When I want to do something fun for
piano practice, I pretend that I go
somewhere to give a performance or
teach a piano class. So far I have
gone to Great Britain, Italy, and
Kentucky. I’m only in each place for
one night, and I get to spend the night
in that country after my performance.
We have a pretend audience, and
they get to ask questions and ask for
encores. One time somebody asked
about the two different endings in “A
Short Story” so I had to play both
endings. Another time someone in
the back row couldn’t hear me too
well, so I had to play louder. For
encores, they usually ask for review
songs like “Christmas Day Secrets” or
“Lightly Row.” We have a lot of fun
going to different countries.”
Believe your parent! Your parent may
not be able to play your instrument
nearly as well as you, but she or he has
remarkable powers of observation and
an amazing ability to hear music.
Olympic athletes don’t try to coach
themselves. They know that their coach
can observe things about their
performance that the athletes
themselves can’t see. Why should
music be any different? Your parent is
your own personal coach. Take
advantage of it!
Caryn Wiegrand Neidhold has been an
active Suzuki teacher since 1987. In
addition to teaching violin and viola students,
she is a violist with the Reno Philharmonic
and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestras.
She is also a Suzuki cello and violin mom.
This article was reprinted in part from the
Summer 2004 edition of the
American Suzuki Journal.
To start receiving your copy, contact the
Suzuki Association of the Americas at
www.suzukiassociation.org
Being a Suzuki Student
By Kalkidan Aseged
Being a Suzuki student is a wonderful experience for me. First of all, I am blessed to
have a magnificent violin teacher. She is the best teacher in the world. She makes
violin playing so much fun! The way she teaches the basics, complex areas, and
even ring tones makes me want to take lessons every day! Her advice and
encouragement lets me achieve my goals as a violinist. I am proud to be a Suzuki
student and I love it!!
Group class is so much fun! You get to play old and new songs. I think that group
class helps us kids to relate and communicate with others. I also like group class
because we really get an extra half-hour of practice with even more fun! Most
importantly, it helps us understand the pieces of music, dynamics, ring tones, and
who wrote the pieces. I really enjoy group class and I hope you enjoy it, too.
November 2006
Volume 2, Issue 3
Program
Recitals
How to Prepare for a Recital
“You will give a
special gift to your
audience….
Your mind does not
dwell upon ‘what
will they think of
me?’ or ‘how will I
do?’ but ‘here is a
gift of my best
effort.’
You have learned to
appreciate your
audience in a
personal way, as a
roomful of friends
who love music as
you do.
You feel supported
by them, ready to
acknowledge their
gift of attendance,
their delight and
applause with your
gift of music, time,
and devotion.”
--Barbara
Schneiderman,
Suzuki piano
teacher trainer
by Kaitlin Moore
Preparing for a first recital is a very exciting time
for students, parents, and teachers. Ana and Asia
experienced their first recital in October. As their
teacher, I wanted to make sure both girls and
their families felt comfortable with the piece that
was to be performed. We started having
discussions about a piece, and then focused our
practice on the steps taken during the recital.
For our younger or inexperienced students, more
emphasis was on entering the stage. At the
lesson we would practice sitting quietly in the
corner (representing back stage), and then
walking out on stage. This can be very tricky,
especially when you are carrying a cello! Second,
we practiced taking a bow, making sure our feet
were together and giving that famous “Denison
Smile” to the audience. Third, we practiced how
to sit on the chair and getting our cello set up.
This is similar to other instruments as well. We
checked our posture and made sure we were ready
to play. Fourth, we rehearsed the piece
performed.
Repetition by using fun games and creative
practice homework really helped this process. I
know my students enjoy getting stickers. !
Practice partners followed through with these
steps at home so that our ladies would have
plenty of opportunities to perform “minirecitals”. After the mini-performance, we
practiced taking a bow and most of all,
SMILING!!
Asia Nguyen
The steps taken to preparing for a recital
are broken into tiny pieces. Once all of the
pieces are put together you have a prepared
and nurtured student, and a proud parent,
and finally an ecstatic teacher!!
After Ana and Asia performed, I saw a new
motivation in lessons and listened to
practice partners talking of practicing
more. I am so proud of my students and
am thrilled that October was the first of
many recitals on which my students will
perform!! Congratulations ladies!
Attending Program Recitals
by Carrie Mihalick
We like to go to all the recitals so that our kids will have as much exposure to the
Suzuki environment as possible. The more we see and get to know other Suzuki
families, the more comfortable our kids will be (hopefully) when it is their turn to
get up on stage. We feel that if a child only attends the recitals when he or she will
be performing, then they may miss out on going just to enjoy watching and supporting
the other kids without having the possible worry/stress of going up on stage
themselves. On the way to the recital Cora told us that she was happy that we were
going to watch the other kids play and she did not have to play.
Page 2 of 4
Flute Notes
Stage Entry and Bow: Where’s the
Music?
by Linda Habig
November Groups:
Eric Miller
Nov. 11 and 18
--Flute
--Piano
--Violin
--Cello
Nov. 3 and 17
--Palmer Piano
--Viola
Nov. 18
--Walking Tour
rehearsal for
strings
Nov. 10 and 17
--Pretwinkle violin
Check with your teacher
for specifics.
Becky Miller
Parent Workshop
Folders Available
If you were unable
to attend the
parent workshop on
Saturday, October 28,
you can still get a
folder filled with
lots of information
and helpful hints.
Just ask your teacher
for one.
If you’ve attended our Sunday afternoon
Suzuki Program recitals, you’ve seen several
young flutists perform the musical piece entitled
“Stage Entry and Bow”. Have you wondered
where the music was as a young performer entered
the stage with their flute, assumed a performance
position, bowed to the audience, and exited the
stage, with no notes or sound from the flute?
This first “musical” performance experience is a
wonderful introduction to making music for an
audience, and is particularly appropriate for flutists
who are starting their Suzuki studies at age 3 and 4.
Actually, most of these 3 and 4 year-olds, in their
lessons, are playing notes on the flute headjoint, or
playing the early songs, Cinnamon Buns and Mary
Had a Little Lamb, at about the time the parents
and I agree that they are ready to do a “stage entry”
performance. The “stage entry” performance,
though, gives the student a warm, nurturing,
introduction to the stage and an audience, without
the stress of playing a song. At such young ages,
where the student is still developing and growing
the muscles in the mouth, lips, hands and arms
needed to play the flute, separation of playing and
stage entry helps build confidence in overall
musical development. It’s also a good, nurturing,
confidence-building stepping stone for older
students!
For a student of any age who has never
performed on stage, the experience can be scary
and overwhelming. Just take a look at all the
thoughts, actions, and coordination needed, even
without any actual playing of the flute: the student
learns to come backstage to await their turn, walk
onto the stage with their piano accompanist, hold
and carry their flute in rest position in the right
hand, find their position by the piano, get in a good
foot position for playing, listen for the piano chord,
bow, and leave the stage. What a lot to learn and
remember for a 3 or 4 year old, and what a great
accomplishment to do it!
Separating the overall performance experience
into incremental learning steps builds confidence
and overcomes fear in facing an audience. More
importantly, the student has a joyful, completely
successful and happy experience, and feels the
satisfaction of accomplishment. What could be
more wonderful than facing the supportive,
nurturing, smiling audience of family and teachers,
and feeling confident about performing the “stage
entry” well! It seems to me that if we listen, we
know there’s plenty of love and music being made
with these performances!
Gamelan Dwara Udiyani
Denison University
Suzuki Program
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
by J eremy Grim sha w,
As sista nt P rof es so r o f Mus ic, D eniso n U niv ers ity
The ensemble that rehearses during violin groups began last spring when I
Nyoman Sundin and Gamelan Lila Muni, both from Rochester, NY, joined us for a
concert. Nyoman gave our ensemble its inaugural blessing (according to Balinese
tradition) and gave us the name “Gamelan Dwara Udiyani”, which means “the
gate to the heavens”.
The instruments we play are gongs and bronze metallophones tuned to a 4-note
scale. All the instruments are made together and tuned as a “family”. We also
sometimes use tuned bamboo rattles and a bamboo flute called a “suling”.
Our ensemble consists of Denison students, faculty, and members of the
community, so you are welcome to join us next semester. We are having a free
concert on Thursday, November 30 at 8 p.m. in the atrium of the Burton Morgan
building. Kids of all ages are welcome --even noisy, wiggly ones; no matter how
loud they are, we’re louder!
More Than Just a Recital _________________
I’d like you to meet four of the
happiest and most energetic
people I think I’ve ever known.
Clockwise from left, Madison
Kasper, Catherine Segreto,
Merrick Kasper, and Michael
Segreto are all Suzuki friends of
mine.
Their moms, Dana Kasper and
Shannon Segreto, are very smart
and savvy Suzuki moms. Not only
have they encouraged their kids to
get together at recitals, they have
also shared a picnic after group
class.
Fortunately for Michael, missing
one’s front teeth is not a
requirement for their friendship. !
about our program,
please contact:
Jim Van Reeth,
co-director
Phone:
(740) 587-5606
E-Mail:
[email protected]
After the next program recital, why
not make a new Suzuki friend and
go out for ice cream?!
What’s Not to Like About Being A Suzuki Parent
by Patch Wetzel
(mom of violinists John and Jacob Wetzel)
If it matters, my favorite thing about being a Suzuki parent is: watching the
boys struggle with something... a note, a technique, a sound... and then
seeing the looks on their faces when they "get it" -- and to be there in the
unfolding, is a very profound thing. Call it a life lesson, or just overcoming
an obstacle... it teaches them resiliency and that the sum total of their
achievements are gained by many small steps of their efforts, however little.
Page 3 of 4
Recital?... YIKES!!!
by Jim Van Reeth
I had the opportunity to play in one recital when I was in the 6th grade, the year
I started private violin lessons. Even though I continued lessons through middle
school and high school, I never had to play in a recital because my teachers never
held a studio recital. The next time I was programmed on a recital was when I was
a college undergraduate. Then, I was required to perform in a recital each
semester plus perform a full solo recital just before graduation. My performances
were okay but I do not remember them as "fun" experiences.
Program Recitals
Sundays at 3 p.m.
I can always tell when one of my students' parents has bad memories of
uncomfortable experiences with recitals. Their eyes glaze over and their palms
start drip with sweat when I mention an upcoming Program Recital to their child (I
know you must think I am kidding but I am not!). Over the years a few parents
have even announced that their child will not be playing on an upcoming recital
because they hated doing them as a kid. Fortunately I have managed to talk them
away form these bad memories and their children have gone on to perform and
achieve a satisfying and rewarding experience.
Burke Recital Hall
There are many perks that come from preparing for, performing in and attending
as a listener a recital. The prep is usually fairly easy and fun since Suzuki students
have many pieces under their fingers through rep review. I usually encourage my
students to play an old polished piece rather than one that is more recently
learned. Many of the most satisfying recital experiences are filled with
performances of refined review pieces. The confidence and ease the musician
exudes during a performance translates into a relaxing and pleasurable listening
experience for the audience. And let us not forget that recital time is good for
showing off and refining good listening skills and performance manners.
“Part of playing
an instrument
comes from
sharing the music
we make
with others.
Seeing and feeling
the support
of a friendly crowd
makes the
experience
all the more
pleasurable.”
I must mention that not all recital experiences are going to be fantastic.
Everybody has a bad day or two but usually the bad performing experiences are
overshadowed by the memories of ones that went well. There is usually a good
lesson to be learned from the clunkers. Maybe there was not good review
happening during prep. Maybe the practice partners and teacher's suggestion
were not followed. Maybe there was a memory lapse that had never happened
before. Okay. Stand up, brush it off, or listen to the teacher next time, and go on.
There is always a chance to do better next time.
Since I had very few opportunities to play in a recital setting in my younger
years I came to think of a recital as the ultimate test to show how hard I had
worked to prepare and how well I could play; everything was riding on that
performance. It never occurred to me that it could be a pleasant experience. I now
first recognize a recital as a time to share music, fellowship and celebrate
accomplishments. The more familiar I am with the piece, the better the chance I
have to do well. And, if it happens not to go so well, there will be another
opportunity to do better and enjoy it more at that time. Regardless of the outcome,
there will always be plenty of opportunities to do well and enjoy it in another Suzuki
Program Recital.
" November 12
" December 10
--Jim Van Reeth
October 2006
Volume 2, Issue 2
Parents
as
Partners
The instrument of
our practice is love.
The end result is
not only the
beautiful music
performed by the
child.
It is also the
sounding patterns
of disharmony and
harmony in my
relationship with my
child, which become
a melody of their
own.
And isn’t that the
best music?
--Susan Townsley,
Suzuki parent,
Westport,Conn.
Parent Workshop Happening October 28th
by Jim Van Reeth
Welcome Back! I hope everyone had a fantastic summer full of fun, relaxation and learning. By
now you have figured out your fall schedules and have settled into the rhythm of the new
semester. Parents and practice partners have accomplished the tricky task of fitting in private
lessons, group class and practice time with all of the other family activities. Bravo. Keep up the
good work!
Of course, Chief Schedule Coordinator is just one of the many responsibilities of the parent
practice partner: it is a complex job. We cannot forget the responsibilities tied to the everyday job
of the home teacher that are critical for success: taking notes and asking questions in the lesson,
making sure the repertoire recordings are played (and heard), and striving to keep an open heart
and mind, especially when things may not be going so smoothly. Our faculty recognizes the
challenges and complexities of being a Suzuki parent and we want to help make the experience as
easy and enjoyable as possible.
Please save Saturday, October 28th, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. for the Parent Workshop that will be held in
Burke Recital Hall while your child attends group class. Our very own Maryfrances Kirsh will
lead this workshop session. Maryfrances has much to share from her experience gained while
living on all sides of the Suzuki Triangle. The workshop will be informative, entertaining, and
there will be really good coffee! It is a morning you will not want to miss. See you there!
Thoughts on Suzuki Parenting
by Mary Hawkins
You don't have to be a perfect parent, just a
consistent presence is sufficient.
Sitting still takes more energy for a child than anything
else. Let them move to recharge.
Listening to the Suzuki CD’s is the most important
thing you can do to help your child learn (it is also the
easiest).
October Groups:
Oct. 14 and 28
--Flute
--Piano
--Violin
--Cello
Oct. 8 and 28
--Palmer Piano
--Viola
Oct. 13 and 27
--Pretwinkle violin
Oct. 28
--Parent Workshop
Check with your teacher
for specifics.
A little practice is better than no practice.
It's ok to say, "You know what, I don't feel like
practicing either but let's see how far we can get."
Don't rush your child - allow your child to learn at
his/her own pace.
Think of your child like a tomato plant - you can't yell
at it to make it grow. Instead, cultivate a good
environment for it to grow.
Let your child see how important his/her practice time
is - don't answer the phone, balance your checkbook,
etc. during this time.
Don't worry if your child is not the "best" musician.
The life skills learned along the way are what is really
important
Before you know it, your child will practice every day
without you. You may find yourself missing some of
that special time you had together.
Hints for Taking Notes
by Kaitlin Moore
A parent’s role in the life of a Suzuki
student is just as important as the teacher
herself. You not only are the practice partner
at home, you are the copious note taker in
the lesson. Taking notes in lessons is very
important and it will make practicing at
home more efficient. While looking on the
SAA website, I found a great article entitled
“ Taking Notes at Lessons” by Heidi Ehie, a
Suzuki flute teacher in Seattle. She really
explains step by step note taking.
Here are some of her helpful hints:
• Look for themes (What is the one
practice point?)
• In review songs, what is the teacher’s
focus?
• How are new concepts practiced
(Writing down every step is important!)
• Listen for cues
• Observe how your child learns. (Watch
the body language, facial expressions,
etc.)
• Keep the teacher informed of events that
might affect the child in a significant
way.
• How can we help you? (If you need
further clarification, ask!)
Page 2 of 3
Flute Notes
The Segreto
Family
recommends
practicing in
the morning
and using
cereal
to count
repetitions.
Their current
favorite is
Corn Pops.
Program Recitals:
! October 15
! November 12
! December 10
instrument comes
from sharing the
music we make with
others. Seeing and
feeling the support of
a friendly crowd
makes the
experience all the
more pleasurable.”
--Jim Van Reeth
by Linda Habig
Suzuki flutists and their parents both reap rich rewards from a nurturing and consistent “parent
practice partner” relationship and the development of flute-playing ability. And as a teacher, I am
privileged to observe and participate in the rewards, satisfaction, and happiness that result. In
lessons, I urge parents to take notes as to specific techniques to be practiced, often have them try
the actual technique themselves, and encourage daily “coaching” of their young flutists in
consistent and regular practice sessions.
When parents fulfill this role consistently, the results in the weekly lessons are obvious.
Regular “coached” practice results in steadily increasing ability, as muscle memory is developed,
the embouchure (mouth and lips) is stabilized, tone becomes more beautiful, and overall playing is
easier and more fun for the student. Equally or maybe more importantly, spontaneous happiness
and fun surface at the lesson.
Some examples:
(1) Students draw pictures of themselves playing their flute and of songs they are learning,
and bring them to the studio for display.
(2) Students and parents eagerly tell me of a new flute “game” or learning technique they’ve
developed during the week.
(3) Families share stories of playing for relatives, with siblings or parents, or in interesting
venues such as outdoors.
(4) Students are happy and eager to share what they’ve learned and mastered during the
week.
How a Suzuki Child Brings Music Back into a Parent’s Life
by Wendy Miller
(mom of flutist Eric Miller)
Why is it that as we grow older, so many of us allow the pressures of everyday life to take
away the music we loved so much as a child? My flute was hidden in a back corner of my closet
since high school. I would rediscover it with every move, only to install it into the back of another
closet. When I had children, my husband persuaded me to dust it off and play for them, but even
that was short lived. I found I could only play "The Wheels on the Bus" so many times before the
tedium (and grasping hands of the toddler I was playing for) ended the session.
Now that has changed. With my oldest son now in his second session of Suzuki flute, I am
finding myself drawn into regular practice right along with him. He challenges me to fix all my
old bad habits. He revels in his ability to play by ear while I use the music like a crutch. He
delights in our daily duets. And I find that I am enjoying our sessions as much as he.
We've even agreed to get up early in the morning so we can practice more regularly (no small feat
for a mother of four and a pre-teen boy!)
I chose Suzuki for my son because I wanted to give him the gift of music (just as my parents
had given it to me as a child). I didn't realize that I would receive the gift anew.
Curing the Practice Blues
Did you know
that turning
off your
cell phone
is a great way
to let your
student and
teacher know
that they
have your
undivided
attention!
by Amy Mock
(mom of flutists Zoe and Kate Guiney)
My daughters love to go to their Suzuki flute lessons with Ms. Linda and thoroughly enjoy the
sessions. They do not, however, have such warm feelings about our practice time at home. I have
struck upon one or two things that seem to help us. On days when either is having trouble
focusing or is more resistant to playing, then I suggest that she “blow the sillies out” by playing
whatever and however she wants to play. This helps us to transition into the practice. Some days
we need to do this periodically throughout the practice session. We all get tired of “Mary had a
little lamb,” or whatever tune we’re in the midst of, so a little time for “improv” is fun.
For my 6-year-old it helps to have short, discreet pieces of the practice. Sometimes we agree
on a set amount of time, say 5 minutes that we will spend on a specific skill or task – such as
playing 2 or 3 notes of a song with each breath. This method achieves the same goal as agreeing
on a certain number of repetitions. Of course, this must be followed by a short rest, or maybe I
play the same thing so that she can laugh at how much better she plays than I.
Lots of realistic praise is a strong motivator, too – a practice I neglect too often.
Parents Play Important Role at Group Class
Denison University
Suzuki Program
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
about our program,
please contact:
Jim Van Reeth,
co-director
Phone:
(740) 587-5606
E-Mail:
[email protected]
by Robin Brown
Group lessons have started! For me and
hopefully for you parents, group lessons
are fun and a great way to see your child
use and expand upon the musical skills
they have learned in individual lessons.
also help prepare students for eventually
playing in orchestras or chamber groups
such as duets or quartets.
I smiled when I saw several students after
the Pretwinkle group class coming out of
Burton Hall joyfully practicing the
"pepperoni pizza" rhythm on their arms.
And it was great fun to hear parents and
siblings saying "woo woo woo" when the
students played noticeable dynamics
(forte, then piano) in Twinkle Theme last
Saturday!
Parent participation in group lessons, from
helping Pretwinklers get violins onto
shoulders to vocal feedback, is essential
to your child's enjoyment and learning.
Take notes if you see something that you
think your child could use extra help with
(e.g., a certain bowing pattern, playing in
the "middle" on the Kreisler Highway) and
you can work on it during practice at home
or let the teacher know if it's something
you're not sure how to help with.
Besides all the other benefits (e.g., getting
to interact with other students), learning to
play in a group setting - matching rhythm,
pitch, tone, dynamics and bow changes
with the other students – group classes
Group lessons are a great time for parents
to meet other parents, exchange numbers,
talk about practice ideas/tips, whatever!
You'll get to see each other at recitals and
other Suzuki events into the future.
Parent Membership in the SAA
“The Suzuki Association of the Americas aspires to improve the
quality of life in the Americas through Suzuki education. We seek
to create a learning community which embraces excellence and
nurtures the human spirit.”
--Mission Statement of the SAA
Your teachers in the Denison
University Suzuki Program are all
members of the Suzuki Association of
the Americas. Membership is required
to register our teacher training with
the SAA. As members, we receive the
American Suzuki Journal, are listed in
an international directory of teachers,
enjoy discounts on conferences and
insurance, and other benefits.
Membership makes us part of the
Suzuki family.
We encourage you to become members
of the SAA, as well. You are our
partners in teaching your children and
you, too, belong to the international
Suzuki family.
I believe the greatest benefit to
parents is receiving the American
Suzuki Journal. It arrives four times
each year and provides insights into
teaching, parenting, and the business
of music.
Over the years, the journal has lost
its dry, academic style. Now we can
enjoy insights from a wide variety of
teachers, parents, and other music
professionals. We can learn and also
enjoy the lighter side of what we do. I
was just thumbing through the Fall
2005 issue and spotted six articles
related to Suzuki parenting. It is a
great resource.
I’ve attached an SAA membership form
to our newsletter. We would love for
all our parents to join us in becoming
members of the SAA.
www. su zu kiass ociati on. org
September 2006
Volume 2, Issue 1
The children are
our joy and our
reason for being
here. Their
laughter, shy
smiles,
concentrated
efforts, and the
beautiful music
they make are our
reward.
-- Margery Aber
September Groups:
Sept. 16 and 30
--Flute
--Piano
--Violin
--Cello
Sept. 8 and 22
--Palmer Piano
--Viola
Sept. 15 and 29
--Pretwinkle violin
Check with your
A Summer Full of Music
International Travels by Cora Cuyvenhoven
The end of June my family and I went
camping on the shores of Lake Huron with a
friend whom I have known since I was two years
old. Friends from that many years ago mean a
lot!! Keep your good little friends from your early
Suzuki days!
July 7-9 we were in Indianapolis at the
International Barbershop Contest. Ten thousand
barber shoppers were in town and there was
singing in every elevator and every section of
hotel and conference lobbies.
I went with my children from Indianapolis
directly to the MasterWorks Festival in Indiana. I
taught cello for two weeks at the festival and
performed on six concerts.
I drove home on after the concert on July
29th and arrived at two in the morning. I picked
up my family the bikes, trailer, cat and dog and
we went off to northern Ontario by 9:30!! We
Flute Notes by Linda Habig and students
The flutists of the Denison Suzuki Program
enjoyed their flutes and beautiful music all over
the country, both indoors and outdoors, during
the summer.
Zoe and Kate Guiney, along with their flutes,
traveled to Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg,
VA, making melodious music in the nation’s
capital.
“Friday night
before group
class put your
violin by the
door so you’re
ready to go
Saturday
morning.”
--one of
Mr. Jim’s
violin students
spent the week sailing, swimming, and canoeing.
We went back to Columbus for four days and
then flew off to Banff, Alberta, Canada where we
visited many of my mother's family and hiked the
grandest of mountains--the Canadian Rockies.
My husband had a conference at the Banff
Centre School of Arts for the latter half of our
time in the Rockies. We met there 23 years ago
and so we had fun telling the children stories and
watching old performances on archival videos.
While we were there, this summer the Banff
Centre was performing Mozart's "Magic Flute"
and a week of piano concerts. We heard a few
concerts and attended the opera.
The highlight for me was hearing the 2002
International Quartet Competition winners
perform the Brahms piano quintet and, of course,
the mountains themselves.
Another Virginia traveler was Lincoln Hoam, who
vacationed in Virginia Beach. He played his flute
for grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Lincoln’s
mom, Ellen, reported, “His flute has also had
many a trip into the backyard for practice al
fresco!”
Over the July 4 weekend, at the family’s summer
cottage in New York, Emily McClintock
serenaded family and friends with flute music on
the dock overlooking water and a sunset.
Fireworks provided the finale.
Eric Miller’s flute went with him to Michigan,
where he played for family. Interestingly, he had
fun playing “When the Saints Go Marching In”
with his aunt, who also plays the flute. What a
fluting family this is! Eric, his aunt, and both his
mom, Wendy, and dad, Thomas, play the flute!
Penny Hunter took her flute, which she has
named “Rose”, to interesting places near and far.
Penny, her sister Nona (Suzuki cellist), and their
friend, Miranda West (Suzuki violinist) went on
their first camping trip to the Hocking Hills. The
flute, cello, and violins all came along and Penny,
Nona, and Miranda played music in the field by
the tent. Penny also played “Cinnamon Buns” for
all campers.
Catherine and Erica Gross, both Suzuki flutists,
stayed closer to home and enjoyed playing
“Cinnamon Buns’ for extended family members.
We’re on the Web at www.denison.edu/music/suzuki
Page 2 of 3
Suzuki Faculty Spends Summer Teaching and Learning
Program Recitals:
! October 15
! November 12
! December 10
instrument comes
from sharing the
music we make with
others. Seeing and
feeling the support of
a friendly crowd
makes the
experience all the
more pleasurable.”
--Jim Van Reeth
Maryfrances Kirsh invented a new class called
“Party Piano” at the Capital Suzuki Institute.
Students spent the week learning such
classics as “Heart and Soul”, “Chopsticks”, and
“Happy Birthday”. They celebrated at the end
of the week with birthday cake and party
favors.
Linda Habig took teacher training at the
Eastern Tennessee State University Suzuki
Flute Institute International. Mrs. Habig had
the extraodinary opportunity to perform in a
master class for Toshio Takahashi, founder of
the Suzuki flute method.
Caryl Palmer and Maryfrances Kirsh attended
teacher training taught by Mary Craig Powell.
Hello!!
They enjoyed spending time with Mrs. Powell
and getting to know other Suzuki piano
teachers and renewing friendships.
Jim Van Reeth taught at the Blue Ridge Suzuki
Camp in Orkney Springs, VA in June. In July,
he traveled to the Ithaca Suzuki Institute at
Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY to observe
teachers at one of the oldest Suzuki Institutes
in the United States. He spent two weeks in
August teaching and catching up with friends
at the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens
Point, Wisconsin.
It’s not too early to plan to attend an Institute
next summer. See your teacher for more
details!
From Robin Brown
I began my Suzuki violin training at
the age of six under Ruth Jeanne in
Granville, Ohio. Although I did not
obtain
a
music
degree
in
college, I took many music classes
and studied violin under students of
Itzhak Perlman and Josef Gingold.
I went to graduate school in biology
(eventually obtaining a doctorate in
zoology) and worked for many years
as a wildlife biologist studying birds
and frogs (I chose these animals
because
they
make
music
too!). Now that I have returned to
my hometown with my husband and
son, I am also returning to my
Suzuki roots and my primary love,
which is music. Along with teaching
violin, I am enjoying playing in the
Newark-Granville
Symphony
Orchestra, in chamber groups with
Ann & Frank Bellino, and in two
bands, Celts Crossing (Irish fiddling)
and Old School (pop, rock, country,
folk music). I am very excited
about teaching violin to students in
the Denison University Suzuki
Program! I also look forward
to furthering my own education by
taking Suzuki
teacher
training
courses at Capital University and
other Suzuki Institutes so I can bring
new ideas for musical training to the
students.
What’s to Like about Being a Suzuki Parent?
Did you
know... that
the bathroom
on the third
floor is
“coed”?
Be sure to flip
the sign to
avoid
unwanted
visitors!
by Julie Hessenauer Dixon
The Suzuki method offers so many positive experiences for our kids, but when
viewed from the trenches of daily practice, weekly lessons, group lessons, and
recital schedules, we parents may sometimes forget that we benefit from the
Suzuki philosophy as well. One of these benefits is the privilege of spending time
with our kids as an integral part of their musical education.
Being my daughter’s practice partner has strengthened our relationship. Spending
time together ‘at the bench’ we share our ideas, learn new things, laugh, celebrate
her successes, and get through the rough sections together. It’s not all smiles and
happiness along the way; there are days when my daughter just doesn’t want to
practice. During those times we work out a compromise and get creative to make
an unwanted practice fun. The result is that we end up having a great time. And
what’s not to like about that?
Denison University
Suzuki Program
Our Mission…
…to create a
positive musical
among
faculty, students,
and their
parents/practice
partners
by following
the philosophical
principles and
educational
methods
developed
by
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
so that children
can grow into
loving
and
respectful
individuals
who will have
a positive effect
on their world.
about our program,
please contact:
Jim Van Reeth,
co-director
Phone:
(740) 587-5606
E-Mail:
[email protected]
The Cello Chimes: Greetings from Kaitlin Moore
I am thrilled to be the new cello
edition to the Suzuki faculty at
Denison. In May I graduated
from Capital University with
a Bachelor of Arts in Early
Childhood Education and a minor
in music. This summer I worked
various jobs that kept me busy. In
addition to teaching at Denison, I
also worked at Capital University
Meeting and Event Services and I
taught my cello students in Upper
Arlington.
After many interviews, I accepted a
permanent sub position at Alum
Creek Elementary in Olentangy
School District. I am looking forward
to teaching second graders in
addition to teaching at Denison
University. So far things are going
wonderfully! It is amazing how
things always work out when you
least expect them to. I also am
living in my first apartment, which
is very exciting.
In August I had surgery, so I also
got to spend ample time with my
parents in Youngstown. I love
coming home to visit, especially
since they have a puppy named
Bailey Buckeye.
We had a great summer in the
Suzuki Cello Studio. Daniel KaplanGoland was able to go to the Capital
University Suzuki Institute. This
was a wonderful experience for
him and his family. I encourage all
of my students to attend an
institute next summer. Nona, Asia,
and Anastasia all started learning
Twinkle this summer! It has been
amazing to see the growth in just a
few months. Most of my students
were able to go on vacation this
summer, and maybe next summer
I will be able to go on vacation as
well!
Let's welcome our two new
students Ruby Locke and Timothy
DeLeon. We are a growing family
here in the Suzuki Cello studio!!
Best wishes for a great start to the
semester!
What Would You Like to See in Our Newsletter?
!
Students’ stories of their musical adventures
!
Pictures of students playing their instruments
with friends or in outlandish places
!
Teachers writing about their teaching and ideas
!
Parents sharing information and experiences
!
Reminders
Next month’s “Denison Suzuki Review” will feature articles written for
parents and by parents. If you have an interesting tale of practice or
performance with your child or if you have some helpful hints, please send
them to me. I’d love to use your ideas and writing talents to benefit all of
us in our program. Thanks!!
Maryfrances Kirsh
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (614) 580-5220

2006-2007 - Suzuki Program

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