se come!

Remember - Master Class on Monday December 20 from 10 - 12 at the LDS church. If you need a makeup lesson or just want another lesson before Jan 11, plea

BRAVO!

WOW! Last night's performance was probably the best holiday performance we've ever done!
Thanks to all the parents for bringing cookies, canned goods, getting the students ready in their Sunday best dress and most of all for supporting music as such an important part of our youth's development!

Thanks to all the performers for following their teacher's leadership and making the music so beautiful! You were excellent!

Thanks to the Unitarian Univeralist Church of Clearwater for providing such a perfect place to perform. The auditorium's acoustics were wonderful!

I will see you all for your lessons next week, and still 2 more performances to go:
Dec. 14 at 3:30 at Highland Terrace Nursing Home and on Dec. 17 at 4:30 at Manor Care Dunedin.

If you took pictures at our recital last night, I would appreciate your sharing them with me, either here, on Facebook, or email, etc.

Bravo!

son and performance will be in the sanctuary.
Please bring cookies to share after the performance.
Also the church asks that we bring canned food to dona

te.

ater
2470 Nursery Rd.
Clearwater, Fl
Please note: UUC is on the North side of Nursery. ?Please do not go to Unity Church across the street.
The group les

Laurel was able to confirm a location for group lesson and for the performance.
Friday, 4:30 - 6:00
Saturday, 7:00 p.m.
Unitarian Universalists of Clearw

Please bring a plate of cookies to share for our Holiday Recital Sat. Dec 4. Plates napkins and drinks will be provided. Have violinists there to Tune by 6:45.

Holiday Performances

Here are the dates for December's Performances:

Friday Dec. 3, 4:30 - 6 Group Class Rehearsal for Holiday Recital

Saturday Dec. 4 - 7:00 p.m. Holiday Recital at the LDS Church 3303 Belcher

Tuesday Dec. 14 - 3:30 - 4:15 p.m. - Highland Terrace

Friday Dec. 17 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Manor Care Dunedin 870 Patricia Ave. park in visitor's or employee parking or on the grass.

Master Class - Monday Dec. 20 - 10 a.m. at the LDS Church 3303 Belcher (class for any makeups needed, etc)

Remember, no lessons til Monday Nov 22!

Group Class/ Master Class Schedule

There will be Group Class this coming Friday, November 12 from 4:30 until 6 p.m. at the Church.

Don't forget that there will be no lessons at all from November 15 through November 19th.

There will be Master Class lessons on Monday November 22 at the Church from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. and on Tuesday November 23 from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m. This will be your 'makeup' lesson for the week I am gone. Then there will be no lessons on Wed. Nov. 24 and Thurs. Nov. 25 for Thanksgiving

These Master Classes will be the same as those we had last spring. Students will each have a private lesson time for about 15 minutes, and will be expected to watch and listen to the other students' lessons. Parents also learn from watching all the student's lessons. This is most effective when you stay for about an hour to watch and play your lesson - so plan to come and stay for at least an hour of this class (you are welcome to stay for the whole time if you can). It is not allowed to visit, read, text, play video games, etc. during this time. If other siblings are there, they may read or draw quietly, but may not disturb the class. Parents need to participate by observing, taking notes, etc.

Suzuki Play-In

The event is on November 23rd at 7pm. There are 2 rehearsals, one on Nov. 6 from 2-4 and on Nov. 13 from 2-4. All take place in the TECO Theater at Patel Conservatory. The deadline to register is October 15, and the cost is $10 per performer, and $5 per observer, (or $30 per family ).

You can call the Patel Conservatory in Tampa to register at (813) 229-7827

Scottish Fiddle Recital Sunday Sept. 26

Here is the program for tomorrow's Scottish Fiddle Concert. If you can't come, then watch for it to repeat later this semester at a church (I'll find out the details to post here soon)

Chamber Music Recital:

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Lewis House, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg
4:00 pm, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010
Tickets $10

Scottish Fiddle Music in the 18th Century

The MacMillan Trio - Emmeline MacMillan, violinist, Cameron MacMillan, cellist, Duncan MacMillan, harpsichordist

Scottish fiddle music includes both anonymous folk materials and a large amount of music composed by eminent musicians who were major contributors to the classical music culture of Scotland. Thus Scottish fiddle music in the 18th century not only was a thriving folk music idiom, but also formed the basis for concert works including charming trio sonatas for violin, cello, and harpsichord. This concert showcases this blending of Scots folk material with the classical traditions of the 18th century by featuring traditional songs & dance tunes from before 1720, mid-century ensemble works in the "Scots Drawing Room Style" , elegant minuets, Variation Sonatas on Scots fiddle tunes, a classical Trio Sonata by John Reed (fusing the Italian Baroque manner with Scots idioms), and of course, reels, hornpipes, strathspeys and jigs.

Program

When she cam ben, she bobbit William McGibbon 1690-1756
Pentland Hills James Oswald 1711-69
Johnnie Faa Francesco Barsanti 1690-1772
There’s three good fellows ayont the glen William McGibbon

Sonata in G Gen. John Reid 1721-1807

The Belfast Hornpipe/Harvest Home Hornpipe Traditional

A Highland Battle (Fiddle Pibroch, transcribed for solo cello) James Oswald

Mrs. Grant of Arndilly’s Minuet Thomas A. Erskine, 6th Earl of Kelly 1732-81
Pinkie House – Slow Air William McGibbon
Minuet & Gigg from Sonata on “Pinkie House” Robt. Mackintosh 1745-1807 & Chas. McLean fl. 1736-40

The sow’s tail, with variations set by William Nisbet of Dirleton 1710-83

Intermission

Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk’s Strathspey Daniel Dow 1732-83
Colonel Hamilton’s Delight - jig Joseph Reinagle 1762-1836
The de’ils among the tailors - reel Traditional

Chapel Keithack – slow air/Mrs. Forbes of Boharm’s Strathspey/
Miss Wharton Duff - marching air/Miss Wharton Duff’s Jig William Marshall 1745-1833

Bonny Jean of Aberdeen – Slow air Anonymous

Sonata on “Bonny Jean of Aberdeen” Alexander Munroe n.d.

Robaidh dona gorach – air/Huntly Lodge – slow strathspey/
Lady Mary Ramsey – strathspey/
Largo’s Fairy Dance – reel (with variations after J.S. Skinner & J.M. Hunter) Nathaniel Gow 1763-1831

Honble. Miss Sempill’s Reel/Miss Fordyce’s (of Ayton’s) Reel/Miss Betty Robertson’s Reel/
Miss M Rose’s Reel/Lord Elcho’s Reel Robert Mackintosh 1745-1807

Group Class for September 17 and 24th

WHOOPS!
I always forget to take pictures at group, I guess because I'm just too busy teaching group!
Anyone who takes a picture should post it or send it to me, please!

See you all this coming Friday at 4:30!~ It is so fun when we are all there !~

If you want to brush up on Repertoire for Group Class, Here is a list I'm working on from now til Christmas:

Twinkle
Lightly Row
O Come Little Children
Long, Long Ago
Minuet 1
Minuet 2
Chorus from Judas Maccabeus
Waltz
Lully Gavotte
Humoresque

Suzuki Association Pepsi Grant

The SAA Every Child Can grant through Pepsi has slipped to #13 (it needs to be in the top 10 to win)
Please vote and text if you can!
Text 100547 to 73774
Text rates apply if you don't have unlimited texting. If you can't text because of a fee, vote online with the instructions below instead.

How to Vote Online
Go to refresheverything.com/everychildcan

Click the “Vote for this idea” button

Group Class for September 17 and 24th

Don't forget Group Class the next TWO Fridays -
at the church starting at 4:30 for Twinkle through Minuet 1, 5:00 Minuet 2 through Book 2; and 5:30 for Book 3-4.

I know there are two in a row because of the holiday etc., so plan now to make a priority of the next two weeks so we can get ready for our Holiday Recital and Performances, as well as a possible play in for all of Tampa Bay during the Thanksgiving Holiday (More on that soon, I hope!)

"I want to make good citizens. If a child hears fine music from the day of his birth and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heart."
—Shin'ichi Suzuki

"The main concern for parents should be to bring up their children as noble human beings. That is sufficient. If this is not their greatest hope, in the end the child may take a road contrary to their expectations. Children can play very well. We must try to make them splendid in mind and heart also."
—Shinichi Suzuki

Every Child Can! Scholarship

To Vote for the Suzuki Association of America's scholarship fund to receive a $50,000 grant from Pepsi Refresh, go to

http://www.refresheverything.com/everychildcan

or text:
100547 to "Pepsi" (73774)

We are at # 10 right now, and if we stay in the top 10 til the end of the week, SAA gets the grant money!

Maybe I can even go take new "Every Child Can" teacher training on a scholarship, which would help my students!

You can Vote AND Text every day.

Vote for Every Child Can! Scholarships at Pepsi Refresh Grant

Hi folks,

The Suzuki Association of Americas is trying to get a grant from Pepsi Refresh to give partial scholarships for the Every Child Can! Course

It takes very little time and labor to vote and text for us every day this weekend.

Remember, everyone's ranking the first week of the month on the Pepsi site can be way off. It settles in after the first week.

If we send an email to our studios with a note asking them to vote and text along with this link:

http://suzukiassociation.org/news/4684/

we can finally climb into the top 10!

Thanks again for your dedication to our ECC grant goal.

-James

You Can Vote Twice Every Day
Text 100547 to 73774
Text rates apply if you don't have unlimited texting. If you can't text because of a fee, vote online with the instructions below instead.

How to Vote Online
Go to refresheverything.com/everychildcan

Click the “Vote for this idea” button.

If you aren’t already signed up with Pepsi Refresh, choose the “No, I’m new here!” option on the sign in form. You will be asked to sign up for a voting account.

Fill out the registration form. You’ll be signed in after you register.

Click the “Vote for this idea” button again. It'll say "Thanks" if your vote was registered.

Come back and vote for us every day! You can use Resnooze to send you an email reminder every morning. And don’t forget to ask all your studio parents and friends to vote too!

Questionnaire for Suzuki Parents

Here is a Questionnaire that was handed out at Group last Friday - A great thing to take to start your new School Year right!


Do you see that your child listens regularly to the recordings?

Do you take good notes during lessons so that you can be a good home teacher?

Do you shout, scream, or make sarcastic remarks?

Are you positive about home practice, or does your attitude suggest it as a chore?

Do you plan practice as a daily havit, even if only a minimum can be done?

Do you arrange home concerts for family and/or friends?

Are your child's practice sessions too often just play/along times with the tape?

What is the ratio of praise to criticism in your comments to your child?

Do you show enthusiasm consistently?

Does your child always listen in advance to pieces he is about to study?

Do you practice after lessons, or discuss the lesson in the car afterwards?

Do you observe other lessons?

Do you take your child to concerts?

In practice periods, do you ask for too much at one time?

Are both parents involved in this phase of the child's development?


I hope that these thoughts will help you to motivate and inspire, and stay committed to helping your child become a person with a sensitive heart and a dedication to learning.

and it was so FUN!

We had so much fun at out Back to School Play-In on Friday: the students worked well and played beautifully; the parent meeting was very helpful; and we were so tired by the end that the food was GREAT!

It will certainly be a very good year for our violin group.
I hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. The one thing I forgot was to take pictures so I could post them - please help me take pictures next group class!

Here is your quote from Dr. Suzuki for today:

"The greatest duty and joy given to us adults is the privilege of developing our children's potentialities and of educating desirable human beings with beautiful harmonious minds and high sensitivity. I believe sensitivity and love toward music and art are very important things to all people whether they are politicians, scientists, businessmen or laborers. They are the things that make our lives rich."

Today is the Day!

WOW! It's Here!
Don't forget our Back to School Group Class Play-In is today at 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Bring a snack to share.
We'll play for about an hour then, have a short parent meeting and refreshments!
It will be fun and inspiring to start the school year, so please be there at the LDS church at 3301 N. Belcher Rd .

It won't be nearly as fun without everyone, so please try to be there!

Suzuki Violin Links

If you are interested in practicing with an accompaniment that is a bit slower and easier to play with, try:

www.suzukiviolin.com

If you want to check out the membership benefits of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, go to :

www.suzukiassociation.org

Calendar Updates http://calendar.yahoo.com/vla_virginia

The Calendar has now been updated for this semester. The performances are not totally set as to time yet, but the dates should be good.

Calendar

You can view the String Things Calendar at:

http://calendar.yahoo.com/vla_virginia

This is where you can check on Group Class dates, Recital and Performance Dates, and lesson times if you need to switch lessons with another student. I'll have a phone list at Group Class this Friday, August 27, for you so we can keep last names and phone numbers private, or you can email me for this list.

I'll be updating the calendar a bit in the coming week for this semester, so be sure to check it in September for more Group Class and Performance Dates.

7 Important Suzuki Concepts for Early Childhood Education

* Every Child Can Learn

* Ability Develops Early

* Enviornoment nurtures growth

* Children learn from one another

* Success breeds success

* Parental Involvement is critical

* Encouragement is essential

If you want to know more about these 7 Essential Elements to help your child Succeed, please attend our Back to School Suzuki Group Class on Aug. 27, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. (Bring a treat to share with everyone!)

See-Saw Bowing - tip #43 from Dr. Suzuki

The bow hand moves in special ways so as to execute actions necessary to proper bowing technique. The "seesaw" movement is one of these special movements.

With this movement, the thumb acts as a the fulcrum, or fixed central axis, and the stick functions as the bar that rests on the fulcrum. The two outer fingers, with alternating up and down motions, cause the stick to steadily rock, aligned with the bow path and in a controlled way. The thumb remains immobile, and the two middle fingers are passive, moving only slightly.

This seesaw movement allows string changes, while the elbow remains low.

"Where love is deep, much can be accomplished" - Dr. Suzuki

Group Class for August

Save the Date! The first group class for the semester will be August 27th, Friday.
We'll start at 4:30 and have a play in for everyone on every level from Twinkle through Book 5! Then we'll celebrate the new school year with a short Parent Talk and Party.

Everyone bring a small treat or snack and let's have fun!

2010/2011 Policies

Fall Semester 2010 includes 16 lessons beginning the third week of August through the end of the semester in December.
NO LESSONS November 15-19th; Nov. 24-26th; Dec 20- Jan 10.
* 16 private 30 min. lessons, 6 group classes, 2 performances - $500 (payable in 5 monthly payments of $100 each, due at the first of each month, Aug. through Dec)
* 16 private 45 min. lessons, 6 group classes, 2 performance $700 (5 monthly payments of $140, Aug through Dec)
* 16 private 1 hour lessons, 6 group classes, 2 performances $900 (5 monthly payments of $180, Aug. through Dec)

Spring Semester 2011 - 16 lessons between Jan 10 and May 31, 2011
NO LESSONS Feb 7-11; Mar 1-4; May 2-6.
* 16 private 30 min. lessons, 6 group classes, 1 Recital $500 (payable in 5 monthly payments of $100 each, due at the first of each month Jan through May)
* 16 private 45 min. lessons, 6 group classes, 1 performance $700 (5 monthly payments of $140, Jan through May)
* 16 private 1 hour lessons, 6 group classes, 1 performances $900 (5 monthly payments of $180, Jan through May)

These tuitions are based on an hourly rate of $50 per hour. Tuition for students joining the studio mid semester will have a pro-rated tuition . The posted tuition includes lessons, group classes and performances.

Missed classes and make up lessons are at the teacher's discretion. Make up lessons will not be given with less than 24 hours notice unless the teacher grants an exception for a true emergency.
A Studio calendar will be posted with phone #'s so that students may 'switch' lesson times if needed for important conflicts.
There will be two 'Master Classes' for Make-up lessons for lessons that were not able to be switched. If a student cannot attend the Master Class, or switch times, then the tuition may not be refunded.

Welcome to String Things!

Hello, Welcome to String Things Studio's new blog. I am going to keep this blog as a place for you to find news, calendar events and policies, as well as to post pictures and news of our studio's students.

Please help me by posting any pictures of our group or other musicians and things of interest in the music world.

I will try to update it regularly with group class info as well as the lesson schedule so that you may trade lesson times with each other if you find that cannot make your lesson.

Watch for the next post - it will be the new tuition and policies post, then on to the group and performance dates!