Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Musicians often experience pain in discomfort when playing or studying their instrument. Students often share these same painful experiences.

How can parents and teachers help young students avoid painful issues? This episode discusses this question and relates many personal stories of pain and discomfort in an effort to bring awareness of the large scope of the pain issue in the music world, for professionals and students alike.

I mentioned a few resources in the episode, and I find the information in both of the following publications to be quite useful. These are affiliate links, which means that if you use these links to order any of these resources, the podcast will receive a small benefit at no additional cost to you. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything, but if you do, please consider using the links that I have provided (click on the image).

How Muscles Learn: Teaching the Violin with the Body in Mind by Susan Kempter

What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body by Benjamin and Barbara Conable

**********************************

If you are a parent of a beginning violin student and looking for help in between lessons, consider my book The Twinkle Project as a resource of teaching points, learning steps, and games and activities to assist the parent in practicing at home. I include a great deal of information, tools, worksheets, and checklists to assist parents. A parent who struggles to remember what to do in between weekly lessons will find all the answers in this book.

Many teachers will also find this book a helpful resource because it gathers in one place all the information to be used to teach a beginning violin student from the initial start up steps to the point of performing all the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star variations. I have included all the tiny steps that I use when I begin a young violin student.

wonderful resource and guide that has all the nuts and bolts organized so nicely for the twinkle stages of study … looking forward to sharing with parents as a useful tool towards goal setting, pacing and achievement! — MD Suzuki teacher

For more information about The Twinkle Project, including the two short movies that explain why I wrote the book and give a good overview of what the book is about and what it contains, visit here. You can purchase the book here.

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

—– Paula —–

© 2017 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Rhythm is all around us and can be the bridge or connection between people. How can we incorporate it in our lessons, group classes, and practices?

I mentioned a few resources in the podcast episode. If you are interested in any of these resources, please consider using the links I have provided here. You are not under any obligation to buy anything, but if you decide to purchase any of these resources and use the links provided, the podcast receives a small benefit at no cost to you.

Here are some of the music teaching resources that I use in my own studio:

I Can Read Music by Joanne Martin

I Know a Fox With Dirty Socks by William Starr

The Rhythm Train by Dana Bowen

Music Mind Games by Michiko Yurko

Here are some of my favorite books for jingle possibilities:

Dr. Seuss (my favorite book as a child!) — “Do you like my hat?”)

The Gingerbread Man — a timeless classic!

Here are some cool videos for rhythmic activities and other resources:

Step Dance for Beginners video

Shane Bang teaches pen tapping

Rhythm Cup Explorations

**********************************

If you are a parent of a beginning violin student and looking for help in between lessons, consider my book The Twinkle Project as a resource of teaching points, learning steps, and games and activities to assist the parent in practicing at home. I include a great deal of information, tools, worksheets, and checklists to assist parents. A parent who struggles to remember what to do in between weekly lessons will find all the answers in this book.

Many teachers will also find this book a helpful resource because it gathers in one place all the information to be used to teach a beginning violin student from the initial start up steps to the point of performing all the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star variations. I have included all the tiny steps that I use when I begin a young violin student.

wonderful resource and guide that has all the nuts and bolts organized so nicely for the twinkle stages of study … looking forward to sharing with parents as a useful tool towards goal setting, pacing and achievement! — MD Suzuki teacher

For more information about The Twinkle Project, including the two short movies that explain why I wrote the book and give a good overview of what the book is about and what it contains, visit here. You can purchase the book here.

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

—– Paula —–

© 2017 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This podcast episode looks at the issue of siblings in the studio and whether siblings should be invited into the studio and group class situation. Siblings provide teachers, parents, and students with learning opportunities that can enrich a lesson or group class as well as benefit the sibling’s development.

I mentioned a few resources in the podcast episode. If you are interested in any of these resources, please consider using the links I have provided here. You are not under any obligation to buy anything, but if you decide to purchase any of these resources and use the links provided, the podcast receives a small benefit at no cost to you.

I think every teacher and parent should have Dr. Suzuki’s two books in his or her library. These are timeless books in terms of philosophy that lasts and never goes out of style. We will always care about children and how they develop their talent and ability.

 (and here is the Kindle version)

(and here is the Kindle version)

**********************************

If you are a parent of a beginning violin student and looking for help in between lessons, consider my book The Twinkle Project as a resource of teaching points, learning steps, and games and activities to assist the parent in practicing at home. I include a great deal of information, tools, worksheets, and checklists to assist parents. A parent who struggles to remember what to do in between weekly lessons will find all the answers in this book.

Many teachers will also find this book a helpful resource because it gathers in one place all the information to be used to teach a beginning violin student from the initial start up steps to the point of performing all the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star variations. I have included all the tiny steps that I use when I begin a young violin student.

wonderful resource and guide that has all the nuts and bolts organized so nicely for the twinkle stages of study … looking forward to sharing with parents as a useful tool towards goal setting, pacing and achievement! — MD Suzuki teacher

For more information about The Twinkle Project, including the two short movies that explain why I wrote the book and give a good overview of what the book is about and what it contains, visit here. You can purchase the book here.

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

—– Paula —–

© 2017 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This podcast episode looks at two ideas that may be useful to ease the friction associated with practicing: activation energy and juggling. For many people, finding a way to adjust or minimize the amount of energy it takes to activate or initiate the practice session will help immensely to ease the pain of getting the practice going. Juggling provides us with easy to understand metaphors and observations of how a practice session for learning music might be structured.

I mentioned a few resources in the podcast episode. If you are interested in any of these resources, please consider using the links I have provided here. You are not under any obligation to buy anything, but if you decide to purchase any of these resources and use the links provided, the podcast receives a small benefit at no cost to you.

I started my juggling experience with this set of materials. Everything I needed. Click on the picture for more information.

I have used these balls recently and enjoy them. Click on the picture for more information.

Here is a link to a terrific juggling instructor:

Juggling Video (3 balls): Niels Duinker breaks down the juggling experience into small steps that make it easy to understand, practice, and progress.

**********************************

If you are a parent of a beginning violin student and looking for help in between lessons, consider my book The Twinkle Project as a resource of teaching points, learning steps, and games and activities to assist the parent in practicing at home. I include a great deal of information, tools, worksheets, and checklists to assist parents. A parent who struggles to remember what to do in between weekly lessons will find all the answers in this book.

Many teachers will also find this book a helpful resource because it gathers in one place all the information to be used to teach a beginning violin student from the initial start up steps to the point of performing all the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star variations. I have included all the tiny steps that I use when I begin a young violin student.

wonderful resource and guide that has all the nuts and bolts organized so nicely for the twinkle stages of study … looking forward to sharing with parents as a useful tool towards goal setting, pacing and achievement! — MD Suzuki teacher

For more information about The Twinkle Project, including the two short movies that explain why I wrote the book and give a good overview of what the book is about and what it contains, visit here. You can purchase the book here.

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

—– Paula —–

© 2017 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.