Category: Violin Lessons

Music Studio Advice

Practice Incentives for Violin Students

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As a private studio teacher, you may have struggled with your personal philosophy behind practice incentives. We want to be careful to encourage intrinsic motivation in a student rather than squashing it with extrinsic motivators. Students should practice because it makes them better, and they’ll be able to play more music when they’re better at their instrument.

That’s all well and good for the self-motivated pre-teen student, who has already learned that hard work will result in a new skill. However, if you are a Suzuki teacher like I am, you probably have more than a couple students under the age of 6 who have not had a chance to learn this. When the Suzuki Method was first gaining international recognition in the 1960’s, it was at a time when there was generally a parent who was home every day to help the child practice, usually the mom. It was also a time before video games, smart phones, and tablets were commonly found in households across the nation. Now, it’s more common to find families that have both parents in the workforce, and we have daily competition from screens for our students’ attention. For these families with students who have not yet developed their intrinsic motivation to practice, we need a way to encourage students to practice that doesn’t rest solely on a parent’s ability to have the mental bandwidth to encourage, beg, and sometimes argue with their child to practice each day. That’s why, in my opinion, a little external motivation doesn’t hurt the student.

Introducing: Practice incentives! AKA prizes, rewards, bribes, etc…

If you’re a new teacher, or just a teacher new to giving prizes for practicing, I have two tips from my previous experience.

  1. Keep it Simple: I’ve had elaborate challenges that seemed like a great idea in my head, but were actually really hard to explain once I was in a lesson. This is not helpful in motivating a student, especially a little one who is just barely grasping why we need to practice in the first place.
  2. Keep it Consistent: If you introduce a practice incentive of some sort, everyone needs to be held to the same standard. I made the mistake of thinking that as a private lessons teacher, my students wouldn’t have the opportunity to compare their progress with one another. This is simply not the case when you are serving a local community – some of them are bound to have friends within the studio, know each other from school, or if your studio is like mine, you’ll probably have a lot of siblings who are both taking lessons.

And now without further ado, here are some ideas for practice incentives you can implement into your own studio!

Practice/Listening Challenges

I’ve done practice challenges periodically ever since branching out and doing lessons out of my own studio. I’ve tried a variety of things in the past, and I found that having two challenges a school year is plenty.

Practice Minute Challenge

This challenge is really basic. Students record their practice minutes and win prizes as they meet designated goals. There are lots of different personal twists you can add to these challenges, but what I do, is designate the month of October each year as my “Practice Challenge Month”. I have four tiers of prizes that students can win depending on how much they practice. I calculate this based on how much time I recommend each student practices each week. So for example, for a Book 1 student, I recommend that they practice for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week. They win their first prize at 150 minutes, the next at 300, the third at 450, and the final prize at 600 minutes. If the student practices the amount I recommend, then each week, they go home with a prize. If they don’t, they’ll only win two or three prizes that month.

Lets face it, we all have some students who will only earn one prize in the month, and it’s our job to love them just the same as our other students. This challenge helps them get a prize, too!

I get my prizes either at the dollar store, or you can order little arcade prizes from Amazon. I’ve also gotten prizes at a real arcade to pass on to my students – I love going to Dave and Busters, but I don’t need any of the prizes you get for the amount of tickets I win.

Quick tip: I used to lay out my prizes on a bookshelf in my studio so that they could see what they were practicing for. That was far too distracting during the lesson, so now all of my prizes are in a box that they only get to see if they win a prize.

I add an extra incentive by awarding the student who practiced the most out of their group a $5 gift card to Meijer.

Listening Challenge

I’ll admit that I haven’t found a perfect challenge for this yet. As a Suzuki teacher, my job is to encourage families to listen to the music they are going to learn. The student simply will not learn effectively (meaning they will learn to play with mistakes, or take several months to learn each piece) without daily listening, especially in Book 1. And yet, a lot of my families just don’t do it, or only do it once a week on the way to lessons.

For two years in a row, I have done a “November/December Listening Challenge”. My idea is that during the holidays, even if you can’t get to the violin every day, at least you can do your listening. The first year I did this, I encouraged students to listen for 2/3 of the days remaining in the calendar year (which is still lower than what I tell families they need to do), and if everyone did at least that, they would all win a pizza party. My students did not win a pizza party that year.

The following year, I promised everyone a cool notebook to start out the new year if the studio could do 2/3 of their listening in November and December. Remember when I said earlier that it was important to be consistent? I broke that rule for this challenge. My studio did not meet the 2/3 goal and I found myself needing to reward the students who had, for the second year in a row, diligently done their listening every day to try to bring up the studio’s average. Students who did their listening every day did receive a special, music themed notebook that I got on Amazon to celebrate their listening achievement.

The studio-wide challenges have been a swing and a miss for me, so next year, I’ll be making my listening challenge a personal challenge for each student. I am very interested in ideas from Suzuki teachers for encouraging listening that do not include dismissing students from my studio!

Practice Bingo

This was a super fun challenge for me to do in 2023, and my plan is to alternate this each year with my practice minutes challenge each October. Each “Bingo” results in a prize out of my prize box.

Milestone Awards

These rewards are a little easier to keep up throughout the year if you keep the materials on hand. These can be given for graduating pieces in a method book, completing a method book, attending a certain number of lessons, or completing a first recital.

  • Colorful Ribbons. Margaret Hawley-Lowry, who teaches in Zeeland, suggests awarding students who pass a challenge piece in their method book with a colorful ribbon to put on their violin case. At the end of the year, students can see how colorful their cases have become!
  • Peg Gremlins. My students at Jenison Public schools have come to lessons with finger monsters on their tuning pegs. This one deserves a picture:
  • Certificates. Never underestimate the power of a professional looking certificate that students can hang on their fridge at home!
  • Candy. This one is pretty classic, but be sure to have options for students with allergies. When I was a student at Blue Lake, my orchestra teacher in the summer before 7th grade would give candy to one student at each rehearsal as a “Posture Award”.
  • Cupcake Graduation. I teach my students to hold their bows with their thumb outside of the frog. After they’ve learned all of the Twinkle Variations, Lightly Row, Song of the Wind, and Go Tell Aunt Rhody, they perform all four of them consecutively for me at a lesson. After they perform the folk songs from Book 1, my students graduate from their practice bow hold to moving their thumb inside the frog, and they also earn a cupcake! I adapted this idea from my piano teacher’s (Susan Crosser) Cupcake Graduation, celebrating the first few pieces in the piano Book 1.
  • New Strings. This is not something I provide for students, but I encourage the parents of my students to reward their student with a new set of strings when they graduate Book 1.
  • 100 Lesson Club. I write notes for each of my students so I can remember what they’re working on, and sometime a few years ago I decided that while I’m writing the notes, I might as well write a number each lesson. Students who have attending 100 lessons receive a certificate and are part of my “100 Lesson Club”. Members of my 100 Lesson Club are recognized each year in the spring recital program.
  • Magic Rosin. My friend and quartet member, Jamie Listh, who teaches at Trinity North, found these amazing rosin cakes to reward students with.

Behavior-Based Prizes

My Pre-Twinkle students are often still learning what behavior is appropriate for lessons. After seeing several families using a point-system to reward good behavior with their littles, I decided to make up my own system.

Pre-Twinkle students are able to earn up to 3 Cookie Points per lesson. One for participating in the lesson (no stalling), one for following my directions without complaining, and one for following my house rules (no yelling, no hitting, etc.). After students earn a total of 15 points, they win 3 cookies. I have a couple of girl scouts in my studio, so I buy a ton of girl scout cookies and freeze them to give away as rewards. I also like to bake so when those are out, I make chocolate chip cookies, or my mom and I love decorating seasonal sugar cookies. Remember to have a gluten free and dairy free option if necessary.

What types of prizes do you give to your students? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments!

Violin Lessons

Violin Studio Back to School Notes

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We started our Fall Semester on September 3rd, and this school year is already off to a busy start! Each student got to start off the semester with a sweet treat, made by my mother (and I helped)!

We have some exciting things planned for this month, including a trip on the 28th to the Grand Rapids Symphony where students will be able to participate in a “Play-In” in the lobby before the concert. This concert is especially fitting for my students to see as it’s titled “For the Love of Violin”!

Each of my students is also starting out the Fall Semester with one month of reviewing their old songs. Once everyone is done with their review songs, then each student gets to pick a prize out of my prize box! A key component of the Suzuki method is reviewing a unified repertoire and playing with others, and we are able to do that in group lessons and with lesson overlaps!

I’m looking forward to all of the opportunities this semester has in store for us!

Violin Lessons

Ada Village Farmers Market Performance Recap

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We had a blast at the Ada Village Farmers Market playing group songs and duets for shoppers and farmers! I was joined by Dr. Sarah Abbott Boerema and her students for a fun morning of fiddle duets.

I was so thrilled for my students to have an opportunity to play music outside of the Suzuki repertoire and to do so in such a casual setting. Before now, my students had only had recitals to perform at. My goal for the next school year is to increase the number of fun performance opportunities for my students so they aren’t all high-pressure situations like a recital.

Dr. B and I played duets for about an hour, and then we had our students play 6 group songs: Twinkle Variation A, Carnival in Rio and Bow River Fiddling from Magic Carpet Violin, Cabbages and Swallowtail Jig from Wee Violin, and Old MacDonald.

We are so thankful to the Ada Village Farmers Market for hosting us and can’t wait to go back next year!

Violin Lessons

2024 Spring Recital Recap

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Last month, we enjoyed lovely performances from nearly every one of my students. I am so humbled by the growth my studio has shown in the past three years. At my first recital, I had 13 kids perform. I had nearly 30 perform this time!

Since we have grown so much, we had to find a new venue for our recital this year. Thank you very much to St. John’s United Church of Christ for hosting us!

We had solos, duets, a trio, and even a quartet! I am so proud of the hard work everyone put into their performances. We were accompanied once again by the skilled Noah Seim and I even tried my hand at accompanying as well! Grand Rapids area teachers should consider hiring Noah for their recitals – he is fantastic at accompanying young students.

At every recital, my students start with the first variation of Twinkle. Everyone gets to play as a group regardless of how young or old they are. One of my students’ parents got a great picture of us playing twinkle, but there were so many of us that not everyone is pictured!

This year I started including Pre-Twinklers in performances. At the start of the show, we sang the Rest Position Song and “played” Pop Goes the Weasel. Later in the program, all of my Pre-Twinklers played an open string duet with me from the books Wee Violin and Magic Carpet Violin.

Towards the end of the program, my more advanced students played some ensemble music.

And now with the recital behind us, we are well into the summer. I’m enjoying slower days and sunny weather, while also looking forward to getting back into the swing of things next year!

Violin Lessons

10 Fun Games for a Suzuki Violin Group Lesson

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Our Spring recital is finished and the school year is coming to a close. It has been an intense month for all of my students and myself as we finish everything for the semester! We will be celebrating our hard work with a group lesson party during the first weekend of June and I’ve been brainstorming ways to have some extra fun with our instruments. Below are 10 ideas I’ve collected over the years from books, other teachers, and even students! They are perfect for a group lesson party of your own, or as a way to add variety into your regular group lessons.

1.) Hide the Bow

Skill Level: Twinkle and Beyond

For this game, choose one student to “seek” and take their bow. Have the seeker leave the room and hide the bow somewhere with the rest of the group. The goal is for everyone in the group to know where the bow is except for the seeker. Then, invite the seeker back and have them look for their bow. As they get closer to the bow, the rest of the students should play louder, and as they get farther from the bow, the rest should play quieter. You can have students play any note you want, choose notes of a chord, or for a challenge, have everyone play a review song.

2.) Playing Position Parade

Skill Level: Pre-Twinkle

This should be done in a space with plenty of room and very few things to bump into. Pre-Twinkle students can do this with a box violin or a real violin. Students should hold their violins in “playing position” with their left hand holding the body of the instrument (As they would to play open strings as a complete beginner). You can serve as the leader, or have a more advanced student lead the parade around the room or whatever space you are in while the students are in playing position. At the discretion of the leader, stop the parade and go to rest position by announcing “rest position!” periodically. Students should be reminded to pay attention to who is in front of them so there are no crashes.

3.) The Posture Game

Skill Level: Pre-Twinkle

This game is a HUGE hit at my group lessons, and my Pre-Twinkle class plays it every time we meet. One student stands and holds their violin and their bow with the worst posture they can imagine and plays a few notes for the class to hear. Then, the class works together by suggesting ways to fix the poor violin and bow holds. Students should raise their hands and wait to be called on so that corrections can be made one at a time. Once each correction has been made, the student demonstrating the poor-posture-turned-perfect can then play the same notes again to demonstrate what a difference good technique can make. A few tips from someone who has led the game a few times: Instruct all students that violins must be facing up and both feet should remain on the ground!

4.) Simon Says

Skill Level: Twinkle and Beyond

Choose a leader to play either open strings, scale patterns, or arpeggios so that the rest of the group can repeat after them. They key is that just like regular Simon Says, there should be a signal to the students of when to repeat and when not to. I do this by tapping my index finger or pinky on the bow before playing. Students who repeat what I play if I haven’t tapped a finger on my bow hand are “out” and sit down until the game is finished. Beginning students should stick to open strings, and you can add scales or arpeggios for more advanced students. The rhythm should be kept simple unless you elect to play everything on the same note.

5.) Name that Tune

Skill Level: Pre-Twinkle and Beyond

This game is relatively simple: play a piece from the Suzuki Repertoire and see who can name the piece first. This does wonders at encouraging students to do their daily listening! You might “sweeten” the deal by rewarding a piece of candy to each winner.

6.) Create Your Own Twinkle

Skill Level: Twinkle and Beyond

There are 5 variations of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star published in Suzuki Violin Book 1. By the time a student reaches the end of the Twinkles, they likely can play each of them fairly fluidly by just hearing the brief 2 bar introduction. Take turns creating new variations by blending the rhythms, playing the rhythms backwards, or using completely different rhythms. Students can lead the rest of the group in their new variation by playing the two bar introduction in their chosen rhythm.

7.) Create Variations of other Review Songs

Skill Level: Lightly Row and Beyond

Take the title of a review song for the group and add a spin to it. For example, Song of the Wind can be turned into Song of the Breeze and played slowly, or Song of the Hurricane and played quickly! Lightly Row can become Strongly Row with big, goofy bow strokes, and Allegro can become Adagio by playing it very slowly.

8.) Memory Games

Skill Level: Twinkle and Beyond

Challenge your students’ memory by removing one note from their review songs. For example, when playing through Lightly Row, tell the class that the note E is not allowed! Instead of playing E when it occurs in the song, students should treat it as a rest.

If you have your students use a shoulder rest, you can also have them release their left hands when they play open strings. This highlights which students are holding their instruments with their hands instead of balancing them between their shoulders and chins. I recommend only doing this with students 7 years old or older and being extremely clear that they should not let go of their instruments if they feel it is at risk of falling.

9.) Egg Shaker Passing

Skill Level: Pre-Twinkle and Beyond

This idea comes from the Stone Passing Game from Ghana where students sing together and tap a stone on the ground. If you are working with a space that has carpet like I am, you may find that egg shakers are a little more fun to do this with! You can teach your students Obwisana or have them sing music from the Suzuki repertoire while keeping the beat with their shakers. I have even had more advanced students play a piece they know very well while the rest of the group passes egg shakers.

You can create your own egg shakers by putting dry rice into a plastic Easter egg and super gluing it shut or using tape to seal it shut. Just be careful that no one is tapping the DIY shakers too violently, or they might break open and you will have a bunch of rice in your carpet!

10.) Soundpainting

Skill Level: Pre-Twinkle and Beyond

Soundpainting is the multidisciplinary live composing sign language created by Walter Thompson. I learned about the technique while I was in the New Music Ensemble at GVSU, where Dr. Ryan would often use it to start rehearsals. Soundpainting a fun, creative activity that musicians of all skill levels can enjoy. By teaching the group just a few gestures, leaders can get their creative juices flowing and create beautiful soundscapes or in-your-face musical chaos!

What games do you like to play with your group classes? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

Music Studio Advice

5 Ways to Promote your Music Studio

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Whether you are a new teacher trying to build your studio, or an established teacher looking to add a few students to your schedule, these tips are sure to help you increase your student base!

Have a neat, organized website

Cost: $-$$$

Having an organized and professional looking website is, in my opinion, the best way to show potential students that you’re a legitimate business that provides high-quality lessons.

When preparing your website, I recommend keeping things simple – too many bright colors can be harsh on the eyes. Include information about your teaching style, availability, location, a concise bio, and your rates. Yes, I said rates! There are conflicting opinions on including this on your website – some people believe that having students reach out and get to know you before hearing your rates will make them more likely to spend the money on lessons. However, when I didn’t have my rates on my website, I found that I was spending a lot of time responding to inquiries about my rates, just to not hear back. As service-providers, our time is money, and I believe in eliminating this step for myself.

In addition to having an organized website, creating blog posts (like this one!) can also help boost your SEO to help attract more potential students.

As far as costs go, I just paid my 2024 bill for website hosting through Blue Host, and it was $21.99 for the domain and $15.00 for domain privacy & protection. You can also pay someone to create your website for you, but this will be much more expensive. If you do have the money for a web designer, I had a great experience working with NB Media Solutions when I worked for a larger music studio.

Bonus tip! You can purchase Google Workspace through Blue Host for $6.00 a month and get a custom email address. An email address with your website can look more professional than an email ending in “gmail.com”.

Network with other teachers in your area

Cost: $

Other private lessons teachers in your area are not your competition, they are your support system! At the start of 2024, I made a goal to search for other Suzuki violin teachers in the area. My search, sadly, didn’t amount to many teachers, but I did meet a couple of great violinists who I was able to develop a great working relationship and also friendship with!

By simply saying “Hi ___________, I am a violin teacher. I found you through ______________, and I’d love to connect!” You can open the door to a great relationship. You can brainstorm teaching solutions, host joint recitals, host large group lessons together, and even collaborate on special performances for your students. You’ll also be able to share leads with each other – if you have a potential student looking for a specific lessons time that you don’t have, you can refer them to another teacher, and that teacher is likely to return the favor!

The cost of this is only as much as a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop!

Build a presence on social media

Cost: Free – $$

I have gotten quite a few leads from Facebook by having a business account that people can follow and send messages to. By posting a couple times a month, parents are able to see what your studio is like and what activities you provide for your students. You can post about what availability you have, what your students are working on in group lessons, or practice challenges you might have for your studio.

When I first started my studio, I paid for ads through Facebook. They were really helpful when I got started, but be warned: you’ll be sorting through a lot of messages that aren’t very serious, or worse, some outright offensive messages! You can spend a little or a lot – Facebook has a lot of customization options for ads!

Paying for ads on Facebook is something I recommend for new teachers only. When you’re first starting out, you likely don’t have a large network available to you and Facebook can help you grow that. For teachers with a more established studio, I find that sorting through the spam messages is just not worth it anymore. Asking parents and friends to share your posts can be just as helpful!

Contact school teachers and music shops

Cost: Free

Okay, so you’ve probably already contacted your local school teachers, but if you haven’t, do so ASAP! School music teachers often keep a list of private lessons teachers on file for parents who ask them about it. Don’t forget to reach out to local homeschool organizations as well! This is a free resource that you really should take advantage of.

Something you might not have already thought of is contacting music shops. In my area, I have a nice working relationship with one of the local music shops that rents out instruments. Be sure to include information about where you are located and what age group you teach when you reach out to them.

Bonus tip! You can also reach out to local arts centers in your area! Small towns often have arts centers where they have summer camps and performances for kids. In my area, one of those places actually kept flyers for me for a while to give to potential students.

Perform at local farmers markets

Cost: Free, and you’ll also probably be paid!

If you have a local farmers market in your area, reach out to their Market Master to see if they’d allow you to come play music a few times in the summer. Putting together a nice looking sign and having cards available helps to get your name out to parents, and you can schedule the performance for a time you wouldn’t be teaching. And, usually it’s fine to put your case out to collect tips as well! Just be sure to ask the Market Master if they allow busking. I’ve gotten leads for students and gigs by playing fiddle music at my local farmers markets.

How have you grown your studio? I would love to hear your own tips in the comments!

Music Studio Advice

2022 In Review

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What a year it’s been! I’m so thankful for all of the opportunities I’ve had this past year and it makes me feel very fortunate to look back on what I’ve been able to do. When we are caught up in the grind and just getting by day to day, it can be hard to remember how much we have accomplished. I encourage everyone to do a yearly reflection and give yourself some credit for your hard work too!

Below are just 5 (of many!!) highlights from this past year.

  1. I performed at 26 wedding ceremonies.

I originally started the year with a limit of 24 weddings. After the whirlwind that was 2021, I felt that I needed to limit the amount of weddings I was doing for my own sanity and for the quality of my performances. I ended up adding on 2 more, but am proud of myself for sticking so close to the original number I gave myself! A lot of planning goes into each wedding, so limiting them ensures that I am consistently providing my best work. 

  1. I started the year with 15 students and ended it with 27.

This is especially crazy, because my goal was 20! I am finally at a point where I don’t need to rely on gigs to supplement my teaching income. The constant plugging myself and posting on wedding sites appear to be in my rearview mirror- and hopefully I can keep it that way!

  1. I recorded an album!

Albeit small (only about 30 minutes of music), my string quartet worked very hard and hired a sound engineer (Chris Avison at McBride Studio) to record music for my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. They have exclusive access to the full album, but you can listen to clips on my About Page.

  1. I Completed Book 2 Training.

It seems so long ago that it wasn’t even part of this year, but in February of this year I completed my Book 2 training with Jenna Potts. It was a very thorough class and I learned so much about teaching and Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy. I’m really looking forward to continuing my education in the Suzuki Program!

  1. I held my first studio recital!

Words cannot express just how much pride I felt when I watched my students, aged 5-adult perform songs that they had worked so hard to prepare. My heart was bursting to see even my most nervous students perform so well. Each student put in so much work and the reward was a beautiful performance.

I’m looking forward to using these experiences to help me grow in 2023!

Violin Lessons

Summer 2022 Recital

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This past Sunday was a big day for my studio!! 🎻🌈

I had my first ever student recital. We started the event off with a group rendition of Twinkle Variation A, then 13 of my students gave beautiful performances. All of them played so well, and it’s so impressive to think that about half of them couldn’t even play the violin this time last year!

My grandma played the piano for 13 of the 14 who performed (one played solo). She also was great! I am so thankful to her for sharing her skill with us and helping make the day special. ❤️ She committed lots of time to rehearsing, as each of my students got to rehearse with her in a lesson, at a dress rehearsal, and at my June group lesson.

Thank you also to Davin with Sound Check at Lowell United Methodist Church for allowing us to use this space. It was the perfect size for us!! 🥰

Buddy & Bean Flower Farm put together a beautiful arrangement to honor my grandma, and I really recommend her work🌻🌺 !

I can’t forget my mom, who made cookies and fruit kebabs for everyone!! 😋😍

And lastly thank you to my students and their families!!! I am so proud of everyone who performed and I am so happy with how far you all have come. Happy Summer!! ☀️🌈

Music Studio Advice

3 Goals for My Violin Students in 2022

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New Year’s Day and the first few weeks of January are always great times to check in, reflect, and set new goals. I’ve found that I grew more from the teachers who set clear goals for me than the ones who played things more by ear, and I strive each year to be a better teacher for my students! So, in addition to more personalized goals for each individual student, here are three goals I would like to see all of my students reach this year. 

  1. Practice and Listen More Often.

When you teach 3-12 year olds, it can be hard to find a good practice/listening and life balance. Even harder when you personally have struggled with debilitating burnout in the past. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve gotten a bit lax with my practice requirements and I haven’t always been persistent in having my students listen to their music each week. I struggle a lot with seeing where the line is between encouraging a love of music by keeping lessons fun and doing a disservice to my students by not encouraging them to meet their full potential. I also think that telling each student to practice every day is not realistic, and it’s kind of a cop-out. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could practice every day, work out every day, work on our jobs and our side hustles every day (or go to school!), and never experience an ounce of stress, burnout, or injury! 

Practicing every day will surely help you improve faster than the students who don’t. I’m sure Ray Chen, Hillary Hahn, and other famous violinists do, in fact, practice nearly every day. I had many college professors who insisted we practice every day. But, I’ll let you in on a secret: I’ve never met an adult musician who has spent their life practicing each and every day at the expense of sleep, rest, and sometimes their health, who is also consistently happy, has appropriate social skills, and doesn’t hold an unhealthy resentment towards those who don’t fit their idea of what it means to “work hard”. So, even though I realize I’m in the minority when I say this, I don’t think my students should practice every day. Instead, what I tell them is that they should practice most days. I think you should take a look at a student’s work load and work together towards practice goals that make sense for each individual student. 

That said, my strong feelings against the side hustle and burnout culture have made it very hard for me to understand where I need to draw a line. I think it’s possible to acknowledge and encourage my students not to overdo it and also set firm boundaries on how much they should be practicing and listening to their music. This is also an expectation that needs to be stated clearly with the parents. Kids are just that: kids. They need reminders. It’s my job to make sure the parent knows what is expected of both them and their children. My goal for them is to establish a workable practice and listening routine so that my students are practicing more.  

  1. Explore New Music.

I love the Suzuki books. They’re set up in a way that makes sense to me and I believe that as you continue through each book, the skills you learn from each song build on each other. But they’re not diverse. I think most, if not all, of these songs were not even written in the same century that our students are growing up in. Classical music is great, but it’s far from the only thing out there and it would be silly to think that all of my students go home and blast Tchaik 5 or the New World Symphony. I want them to listen to music that is being made today, whether that is from contemporary violinists, jazz musicians, or pop artists. Being able to listen to music and not do anything else, just listen and enjoy it, is totally underrated and personally, I think it’s healing and a very healthy thing for us all to do. My goal is to help them eventually take self-guided explorations with new music without me encouraging it. But for now I can send home some fun assignments! 😉

  1. Have More Confidence

This is something I ALWAYS have on my list of goals for my students. Life has a way of getting you down, and social media can make it easy to compare ourselves to others who seemingly have it together more than we do. If my students only do one thing in 2022, I hope that they become more comfortable with their instrument, are proud of themselves for doing so, and in turn, have the confidence to keep playing.

Happy New Year! What are your goals for 2022?

Music Studio Advice

What is the Best Age to Start Violin Lessons?

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One of the most common questions I get is “how old does my child need to be to take lessons?” The answer (as are most things involving parenting) is complex. I can tell you that I am certified to teach as young as 3 years old and that through the Suzuki program with it’s encouraging slogan, “Every Child Can”. The notion that “Every Child Can” is inspiring, isn’t it? And it rolls so nicely off the tongue. Here’s the part that doesn’t flow quite as well: Every Child Can if they are provided the right tools and parent involvement. So, my answer to the ever-popular question of “how old…” is a series of questions for you, the parent. 

How much time can you invest?

Maybe this seems confusing. These lessons are for your kid, right? Yes and no. Your 3-8 year old will need LOTS of help at home. They will need a practice buddy in the beginning to watch their posture and help with their bow hold. That means sitting with them and actively listening and participating during their lessons so you know how to help. Luckily, when children start learning, their practice sessions don’t need to be very long. However, you’ll still need to budget a few hours a week to practicing and attending lessons. Even when they are able to practice without a buddy, children need to be reminded to practice. It’s not because they’re uninterested in playing or they don’t like it, it’s because they’re a child and children need reminders. Especially when they are young, there is a lot of parent-involvement needed in violin lessons for your child to succeed. Do you have the time to dedicate a few hours every week to your child’s lessons and practice? Then 3 years old is a great age to start. If you are not able to (for a plethora of valid and fair reasons) give that much attention to violin lessons, then your child needs to be old enough to remember assignments on their own and absorb what they are taught in the lesson and apply that at home. I often don’t see this until 7 or 8.

What are your expectations?

As adults we have been trained by society to view progress linearly. We often don’t have a lot of patience for ourselves or others if we aren’t seeing obvious improvement from week to week, or even day to day. If you are expecting to see your child play full songs by the end of the first month, then your 3-8 year old is too young for lessons. In fact, many older kids would be too young by that standard as well. For the average child, it takes months to get to the point where they will be able to play their first song. 

How much do you like Twinkle, Twinkle?

Okay, I’ll be honest and say I don’t know many people who get crazy over Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. My point is, if you have a really young child taking violin lessons, get ready to hear a lot of beginning songs over, and over (and over and over) again. They need a lot of time with these songs because we don’t simplify violin techniques for children, we just give them the techniques in bite-sized pieces. This takes time. It’s also important to note that, as Dr. Suzuki suggests, it’s a great idea to use something old to teach something new. Going back to old songs is not uncommon for the Suzuki method because we are constantly learning how to be better. 

Parents, this just one area where your role becomes important. From my experience, a child does not get bored with a song and become anxious to move on, the parent does. This goes back to us seeing progress linearly. It’s tough to rewire our brains, but very important. Here’s why: If your child hears you say something about wanting to move on or being tired of a song, then they will be influenced by that. Your children adore you and they want to emulate you, and even if you say something that seems insignificant, your child may very well take it to heart. “We need to practice Twinkle… again” becomes “Mommy/Daddy’s upset because we’re playing this again, I need to move on faster.” I’m not saying you’re supposed to like practicing the same songs over and over again with your child, but a little enthusiasm (even if it’s not sincere) will go a long way. If you’re thinking you may have trouble keeping your impatience to yourself, consider waiting until your child is old enough to practice on their own to enroll them in violin lessons. 

What age did you or your child start lessons? I’d love to hear your experiences below!