Teaching the whole student since 2009
by Elizabeth Gergel “To make a resolution and act accordingly is to live with hope. There may be difficulties and hardships, but not disappointment or despair if you follow the path steadily. Do not hurry. This is a fundamental rule. If you hurry and collapse or tumble down, nothing is achieved. Do not rest in … Read More
It’s no secret that the holidays can be a challenging time for regular practice. School is out. Holiday activities pack the schedule. You might be traveling, or family and friends might be visiting from out of town. With so much happening during the holidays, how do you manage to fit in practice? But there’s a crucial … Read More
ESMA’s 100 day practice challenge Students aren’t the only ones who need regular practice—teachers need it too. I recently started a #100DayPracticeChallenge with some fellow Suzuki teachers. It’s simple: practice 100 days in a row. And you know what? That’s something I’ve (surprisingly) never done. As I was preparing for the challenge, I realized that … Read More
What happens when you combine strips of construction paper with the review songs you play in practice? You get a review chain! All term we are making a paper chain for the studio. For every review song played, take a strip of construction paper and make a new link for our chain. I have strips of … Read More
Want to try something new in your child’s practice? Here’s a suggestion from Julie, whose daughter and son are ESMA violin students: In our family, stuffed animals are called cozy friends. In this practice game, 8 cozy friends “compete” against each other to see who is the best at guessing which of 2 practice spots … Read More
Attending live performances can be inspiring and motivational. Summer can also be a time of low motivation since lessons are not regular and we don’t have group class. Summer is also a great time to enjoy concerts, because they are often family friendly. Check out these great opportunities for your family: Eugene Symphony in the … Read More
Every once and a while (usually around recital time) someone asks me the same question: why do we need to perform? Some students are very comfortable with performance. Others get nervous. Regular performance can make the difference between a fun experience and a feeling of failure. No matter how a student feels when performing, there … Read More
Most parents start their journey of being a Suzuki parent without very much knowledge of what the Suzuki Method is. Often they’ve heard about the Suzuki Method in passing, but the philosophy is something new. When we start talking to a new parent about music, the first thing we tell them about is listening. This … Read More
We have spied some excellent bow holds over the last few weeks, and we’re spending the rest of winter term brushing up on our bow hold technique. There are many reasons that a good bow hold is important: Get a Big Sound: Having a flexible and curved bow hold is one of the easiest ways … Read More
When talking about practice, motivation can often be the elephant in the room. What motivates us to play music? Why do we spend hours and hours practicing our instruments? Often people who have not had experience with learning music believe it is full of passion all the time. However, when you talk to any musician, … Read More