When it comes to violin lessons, kids have a short term goal.   Learn more new songs.  Period.  If that was all I wanted for your children, I wouldn’t need to write this message.

Long term goals are what makes the difference between a kid scratching away at a violin and someone you want to listen to.  It takes a parent to make long term goals happen.

Lets start with an easy one this week.  This is for parents of kids reading music.  Make sure they bring their reading book to their lesson this week and every week.  I want to cycle through these books and teach these kids to read music.  Thanks.

50 years ago and more there were very few amazing, young violin players scattered around the world.  Prodigies.  Dr Suzuki realized that these were the kids with access to violins to play, parents with enthusiasm,  and the means to hear good music performed.

Dr Suzuki set out to make this available to everyone.   He is the reason why we have violins made to fit young children.  He collected the music we play and made it available on 33rpm records in the 1960’s so everyone can listen.  Because of Suzuki, if a child plays every day, reviews his polished songs correctly, has interested parents and plays with other children he will succeed at violin.

We don’t have prodigies anymore.  Every Child Can.

Lessons start next week.  Are you ready to go?  Get your fiddle out and dust off the case and review so we can hit the ground running.

The challenge is to play every day from your first day of lessons till the final performance in June.  Christmas day . . . your birthday . . . Halloween . . . Saturdays and Sundays . . .  There are so many benefits to playing every day and it gets easier for everyone to keep it going.  No arguing about when or where to play.  Songs are learned more easily and quickly.  Take as much time as you need, play one song today or play an hour.  Review songs are quickly and easily played though because perfect practice makes perfect.

Simply start the challenge on the day of your first lesson.  Get out your fiddle again at home and play.  Yes.  Every day, even lesson days.  Then every day after that get the violin out and play something or everything that you know.

So talk to your kids this weekend before lessons start.  The rewards to you as parents and me as the teacher are HUGE.  The reward to your kid at the final performance is a gift card for $50 to whichever store they choose.

The catch is . . . you must play EVERY DAY.  If even one day is missed the challenge is lost.  Keep track on a calendar.  Utkarsh has done this.  Rhea and Uma too.  Holden and Molly,  Varun and Shruthi, Emerson and Violet and many more.

Play every day and win!

We are gearing up for a performance.

On that day we will stand together with all of our violin scrolls pointing at the leader.  All of our up-bows and down-bows will be together, and so will our bows.  Our play position feet will snap to attention together and our violins will move from rest position to play position all synchronized.  I also sneak in bits of technique that are easier taught in a group.

But to do that we need to practice together.  Each child needs to find out for themselves just what they know and don’t about the songs they review every day.  So at group lessons on scheduled Fridays from 5:30 till 6:45 I need everyone to give me at least half of an hour to work on these things.

Please find time to attend group lessons so our performances can be winners for everyone.  Thanks.

Leave a comment

* Stringed instruments evolved in size and shape and number of strings over hundreds of years.  The instrument we call a violin originated in Italy in the 16^th century.

* Antonius Stradivari, a 16^th century Italian also made harps, guitars, violas, and cellos–more than 1,100 instruments in all, by current estimate. About 650 of these instruments survive today. In addition, thousands of violins have been made in tribute to Stradivari, copying his model and bearing labels that read “Stradivarius.”