October

Well, we have had lessons for a month now and so far it has been amazing! All of the students have a joy of learning the violin and I have loved seeing how eager they are to learn each lesson!!! I have had a few parents say that they don't know how to help their child practice the violin because they don't play the violin!

The best thing I can tell you is...ENCOURAGE THEM TO PRACTICE EVERY SINGLE DAY! If you help them develop a habit of daily practicing and encouraging them to listen to the Suzuki CD daily, that is the best thing you can do! Helping them figure out what time of day is best to practice, helping them to have a successful set up in the house where they put their violin, stand and music will help them significantly! You do not have to play an instrument to have your child be successful at one.
A few years ago, I read a book called Battle hymn of the tiger mother by Amy Chua. This Mom is pretty extreme in her parenting, but one huge thing that caught my attention is that she has 2 daughters that are amazing musicians, however she does not play an instrument. She would take the notes from the lessons and make sure they practiced daily. I was very impressed by this!

Another book that I love is called Nurtured by love by Dr. Suzuki! This will show you the love behind the music.

Encourage your child to practice daily and to color in ALL of the leaves on their practice chart I put in their music notebooks this week. They will get a prize at the end of the month if they filled them in!!!

Andrea