By Sue Evans

  1. Play it your age.

  2. Tape it.

  3. Pick an UNO Card.

  4. Throw the dice or die.

  5. Wear a funny hat.

  6. Wear funny glasses.

  7. Left foot in the air.

  8. Right foot in the air.

  9. Eyes on the ceiling.

  10. Eyes closed.

  11. With toothbrush in mouth.

  12. With gloves on.

  13. With Kleenex on keys.

  14. Write a story to sing with it.

  15. Imagine you’re on an island.

  16. Imagine you’re on skies.

  17. Imagine you’re in the ocean.

  18. With a cookie in mouth.

  19. While smiling.

  20. While winking.

  21. While crying.

  22. With a frightened look.

  23. While undressing.

  24. While dressing.

  25. With high octaves.

  26. With low octaves.

  27. While sitting on the floor.

  28. While standing up.

  29. While blowing a bubble.

  30. Making up a rap.

  31. Making up words from other languages.

  32. Making up nonsense words.

  33. Sing in a baby voice.

  34. Sing in a dad’s voice.

  35. Sing in different animal voices.

  36. Have a relative accompany you with sound effects.

  37. Have a relative play another song at the same time.

  38. Play it and reward yourself with an M&M or candy.

  39. Play it and give yourself money.

  40. Parents play one hand.

  41. Parents play another instrument at the same time.

  42. Play it at different MM markings.

  43. Wear a wig.

  44. Wear a Tie.

  45. Flip your wig.

  46. Moo like a cow.

  47. Oink like a pig.

  48. Invite friends over and act it out like a play.

  49. Invite friends over for a Piano Party.

  50. Put ear plugs in.

  51. Wear earmuffs.

  52. Wear a coat.

  53. Set an alarm clock for 5 minutes of play.

  54. Clap your feet.

  55. Play it with a damper pedal.

  56. Play it with the sostenuto pedal.

  57. Play it with the soft pedal.

  58. Play it on another piano: church, school, store, friend’s.

  59. Play it backwards.

  60. While reading a book.

  61. While balancing a marshmallow on head or toe.

  62. While gargling.

  63. While on the phone.

  64. While whistling.

  65. While wearing a crown.

  66. With the Suzuki tape.

  67. While lying on the bench.

  68. While kneeling.

  69. While standing on one foot.

  70. In the dark.

  71. With one eye shut.

  72. While telling a joke.

  73. While watching TV.

  74. Cross hands.

  75. Create some lyrics .

  76. While balancing a textbook on head.

  77. At midnight.

  78. In your head while lying under the piano.

  79. Play it while singing DO, RE, MI.

  80. While saying “I Love You.”

  81. Have parents or friends dance.

  82. By candlelight.

  83. By flashlight.

  84. With a baby on your lap.

  85. Blindfolded.

  86. Sing your name to the melody.

  87. While writing a letter.

  88. Hands separately.

  89. While drinking.

  90. While eating.

  91. At different times during the day.

  92. Play it on a dummy piano.

  93. Play it on the back of your parent.

  94. Play it on your lap and say the melody notes or harmony notes.

  95. With a pencil in your hair.

  96. With another CD going.

  97. With your parents tapping the steady beats.

  98. Play an ostinato pattern on kitchen instruments.

  99. On the phone with your teacher.

  100. While bouncing a ball with your other hand.

  101. At 15-minute intervals.

  102. DONE!

by Ann Montzka-Smelser

Have faith in your child, your teacher, and yourself.

Every child grows at a different rate. It is important to respect your child's efforts and not compare his rate with the rate of others. Put your child first by focusing on the quality of the journey more than a destination. One of the best ways to demonstrate faith and respect to your teacher is by allowing one teacher at a time. Be a silent observer during group and private lesson. A child hears the quietest parental sigh much louder than anything his teacher could say or do. Give the discipline up to the teacher at lessons unless they ask you to step in. Follow through with assignments and listening at home.

YOU are the most important and influential teacher your child will ever have. One of the most important lessons to help learning is that it is okay to make mistakes. Give yourself the many tries needed as you learn to play the instrument you are helping teach to your child. The more proficient you get at guitar, violin or piano – the more confidence and empathy you gain.

 

Be consistent with listening, practicing and lessons.

The more you play the recording, the more internalized the music, the easier it is to produce a beautiful ringing tone with expressive musicianship. Students that consistently listen learn and memorize pieces with much more ease than those who do not.

When practicing is a daily habit, much of the struggle is eliminated. Do not say, “we will make the practicing up tomorrow.” Five minutes is better than nothing... and you can always find five minutes.

Treat private and group lesson as a special event... not to be squeezed between many other activities (where you might come late and leave early). Your child will know this activity is important if you treat it that way.

 

Communicate with your teacher and other parents.

Let your teacher know if you are struggling in the practice sessions at home. Since some conversations should not be had in front of your child, use email or phone (ask your teacher which method is best for them).

Be sure to talk with your private or group teacher if you have questions or concerns about assignments, behavior, expectations, anything! We know you want the best for your child; we do too!

Other parents are vitally important for sharing joys and struggles and solutions together!

Take notes and mirror your lesson in practice.

Though you should not interrupt the flow of the lesson (and break important focus) it is important that you are clear about all assignments so you can follow through in home practice. Have your teacher check over your notes before you leave and reiterate the instructions for the practice week ahead. You are the “home teacher” but are expected to do only what is covered in the lesson. Your teacher is very careful not to move forward before a specific level of mastery is achieved. Do not move your child to the next step until your teacher gives the green light to do so.

The practice packet is extremely helpful for the teacher to know what the child has been doing all week, and asses and adjust assignments accordingly.

This is also helpful for a parent and child to see what is ahead and stay on task with daily expectations.

 

Be creative and enthusiastic in practice!

It is hard to be creative and enthusiastic when you are tired, hungry, stressed, rushed, etc. This holds true for your child as well. Find the best time for both of you to enjoy some time together. Many families find several short practices are more successful while others find one dose a day does it. Be sure physical needs are met so you and your child can focus. Your enthusiasm will be contagious... here are some creative ways to begin practice since “once begun is half done.”

  • Treasure hunt: write pieces or practice assignments on popsicle sticks then hide them around the room and have your child find them and do them.
  • Beat the clock: Who can be ready to practice by a certain time each day?
  • Practice candle: let a candle burn during practice time. Agree on a celebration of time together when the candle is used up.
  • Set a goal: of 50 (or 100!) days of practice in a row and celebrate with a family activity of your child's choice.
  • Count repetitions: with raisins, peanuts, or skittles.

Some other helpful tips in working with your child and keeping them actively engaged are to “ask” rather than “tell.” Praise the effort. Look for what is working, and most importantly, focus on one point at a time. (This usually means ignoring other factors).

It is easy to get frustrated or overwhelmed. Taking a breath and remembering why we want this for our children can center us. Thank you for letting us work together for you and your family. Enjoy the journey!

Posted
AuthorAnna Bross

adapted from the book Expanding Horizons: the Suzuki Student Grows Up by Mark Bjork

The dynamics of the Suzuki Triangle change from year to year and sometimes even day to day. Eventually, your child will need to become responsible for their entire home practice.

Analysis by the student should be part of every practice at home to help your child later assert independence in their violin practice.

Here are some sample questions that when asked in this order will foster in your child the maturity to decide what and how to practice. Use this like a script until you and your child have comfortably integrated these questions (or your own version) as a part of your daily practice.

  1. How do you think you played?

  2. What do you think you could improve?

  3. What did your teacher suggest to take care of that problem?

  4. How many times do you think that should be repeated for it to become easier?

  5. How secure does that feel now?

  6. Are you ready to try that section/piece all at once?

It is assumed that you will give your child ample time to answer your query.

Please be sensitive to your child's thought and response time. Remember that this is a chance for them to learn to analyze how to practice problem areas.

Parents must also be sensitive to when the child tires of the responsibility of making the decisions and needs the parent to take over. Maturity such as this is not achieved all at once, so use this practice method a little bit each day to grow their independence slowly over time!

This will prove to be an invaluable skill later in their violin practice.

The Practice Process

Mr. Bjork outlines as an interesting approach to decide what to practice using the analogy of a doctor's visit.

  1. The Examination: Play a piece, decide if anything can be improved.

  2. The Diagnosis: After identifying the problem, decide how to correct it.

  3. The Medicine: Do the necessary work to affect a “cure.”

  4. The Check Up Exam: Play the piece/section again to see if the cure has been achieved.

  5. The Follow Up Exam: Decide if the medicine needs to be administered again or if the cure should be reviewed at the next practice in order to maintain excellent health of the piece/section.

Posted
AuthorAnna Bross