Are you waiting for Spring?  If you are feeling like you can't wait for warmer weather and more sunshine -- you are not alone!  With all the cold weather, icy streets and sidewalks, snow shoveling, I think many of us are ready for it to be Spring!

This led me to thinking about projects and goals and how little time there is before deadlines are coming up!  It has been a particularly busy week…

At the beginning of a lesson or a practice session, we usually play a "warm-up." I remember reading that for the musician, it is not so much a question of warming up the body as it is warming up the ears.  I truly believe that Suzuki lessons should be an experience of elevating the level of hearing of a student. The best lessons I have had myself, have been when I feel like I am listening and hearing so much better and with more detail and awareness than before the lesson.  This ability to hear oneself is extremely difficult and one that even the professional musician works hard to achieve.  At the Suzuki School of Newton, we are teaching this to even our youngest three and four year old students!

We must "set the tone" of our Suzuki lessons by being in the right frame of mind to focus on the music we are making.  

The Cambridge (University) Academic Content Dictionary defines "to set the tone" as an idiom that means:  

"to establish a particular mood or character for something"

For busy teenagers, I ask my students to evaluate their energy and concentration level at the time they are about to practice.  Depending upon these and perhaps their general mood, they should choose where to start with their practice.  On a particularly difficult day emotionally or filled with activities and projects, perhaps that is the day to focus on making beautiful sounds and beautiful music with their review pieces. On a day that they have particular energy and focus, practicing the new technique carefully, slowly and repeatedly will help solidify their understanding and lead to more automatism. On a normal day, a warm-up, their working piece, a review piece and some sight reading could easily follow the pattern of the lesson.  The importance of understanding that each element of the lesson has a slightly different purpose allows for understanding that the practice session could have a slightly different emotional goal. Understanding this can lead to allowing the student to participate in the choices of the order of practicing, or the division of time spent on each portion.  On a day that a student is ill, please listen to the recording!  There is value to all elements of a practice session and allowing choices is the principal means that a child feels more autonomous and not forced.

In order to develop creative individuals, we need to develop the ability to see everyday occurrences in a new way.  Often problems that seem unsolvable just need an entirely different approach.  The ability to see things differently is typical among our creative individuals. The non-conforming child is sometimes our most creative and innovative individuals as adults. These are also sometimes the most troublesome students in school. 

A person who sees things differently from others sometimes questions the rules.  This individual who wants to do things their own way can be disruptive in a group situation.  In his book, Originals(1), Adam Grant points out that a survey was conducted of elementary school teachers of their favorite and least favorite students. The least favorites were the non-conformists who wanted to follow their own paths.  The favorites were the ones who quickly learned to follow directions and do what was expected. In this way, originality is no longer nurtured but hidden.(p. 10)

The practicing habits taught in the Suzuki pedagogy is backed by science.  Dr. Suzuki said, "talent is extreme ability. It comes from knowledge plus 10,000 times." The knowledge is what students gain from the Suzuki lessons.  The Suzuki teachers demonstrate to the student how to play, how to learn a new technique, and how to make beautiful tone. Then the student must practice at home with many repetitions.  Dr. Suzuki was not kidding when he said that after 10,000 times, the skill becomes so easy it seems effortless to the onlooker.  This, of course, only came about with hard work. The seemingly effortlessness of the skill is what audiences call "talent." As we all know, a lot of work went into acquiring a high skill level. The repetition of small steps that then combine into more complex skills is how talent is created. At the Suzuki School of Newton, that is happening in all our classes, lessons and in the preschool.  We are developing talented individuals by nurturing the skills and encouraging many repetitions (practicing) until the skill becomes effortless. We believe that all children, all students can develop talent depending upon the amount of time they are willing to put into practicing.

Part of our role as citizens is to improve the quality of life in our community.  This is an important aspect of our Suzuki philosophy. Sharing our music with others,contributing to society in a meaningful way, building self-respect and respect for others--are all part of our learning philosophy.  As a part of our role in society, we can also understand the importance of advocacy to our elected officials to make their votes in the legislature count towards the principles we value.

In our role as Suzuki teachers, we are responsible for nurturing our students to develop their abilities and to teach them how to learn.  We do this by teaching our students to make beautiful music, an ability that is commonly thought of coming from innate talent. Dr. Suzuki said, that talent is "extreme ability" which every child can achieve by practicing small steps and putting in the work.  He even said that ability comes with repetitions of 10,000 times.  This kind of dedication develops perseverance but also self esteem.  This comes because the student hears the results of their work in solo recitals, book graduations, outreach concerts, and even in playing in our tour group, In Harmony. These successes build the confidence to look at difficult tasks as surmountable if an approach of small steps, repetition, and perseverance is utilized. 

In a world that seems to be only speeding up, perhaps taking the time to slow down is a healthy and luxurious opportunity. Just being able to go for a walk with my dog before it gets dark is good exercise and clears the head. During these cold winter days, I highly recommend trying not to overschedule. Allowing ourselves the time to practice our instruments, share time together, and get enough sleep is perhaps the biggest gift of all.  

When we think of the meaning of the holidays, there is the idea of bringing light into a darker world. The light brought by the Star of David or the North star are also strong symbols. We light candles at Chanukah, Christmas Advent, and Kwanzaa.  The symbolism of light is also celebrated with fireworks and sparklers---always in bringing the concept of light into our existence and awareness. Light not only physically brightens us, but as a metaphor, it can mean bringing us knowledge and wisdom. 

As we teach our Suzuki music students to play by ear, many piano students are unknowingly affected by the occurrence of dissonance. An example of this is in m. 11 of French Children's Song, the 6th piece in Book 1.  In this measure on the 4th quarter note, there is a minor 7th between the Left Hand sol (G) and the Right Hand fa (F).  If the teacher points out this particular moment, and the student hears the dissonance and learns that it is intentional by the composer, the measure is learned smoothly.  Without this awareness of dissonance, many students stumble in this measure. Children hear the dissonance and consciously or subconsciously try to avoid the dissonance and thus, play the wrong notes. The presence of dissonance is a learning moment.

When playing a piece of music, it happens in "real time"---what an expression!  This means that the experience happens in the "here and now" and not as a recording to be listened to whenever one wants. It gives options to listen repeatedly or even stop in the middle and continue later. I find the perception of time is affected by one's emotions.  When a performer gets ready to perform, often the heartrate is increased, and the tempo of a piece speeds up accordingly.  Experienced performers know how to account for this and practice to ensure an appropriate tempo of the piece even under the stress of performing. This is part of the preparation we do when we teach students how to prepare for a recital especially their solo performances. To the nervous performer, tempos seem to be slower, so they tend to play much faster than their "normal" tempo.

As educators we know that sometimes we may say something and although the student may hear what we say, if the individual is not really listening, then the information is not being received. As music teachers, we are teaching music mostly be ear[-the teacher demonstrates and the student listens]because it has been proven to be highly effective in learning music where the concentration and focus of the student is on the sound they hear.  Then when the student is asked to reproduce the sound that was heard, many different senses become activated.  The student activates what he heard, what he felt, what he saw, and lastly what he understood intellectually as the way to imitate the teacher.  If we spend too much time explaining what we are doing, then the student often is no longer listening. To go even further, the importance of listening to recordings allows the student to reinforce this pathway of hearing music and by listening to it, activating multiple senses that will then facilitate learning the new piece.

Have you ever felt like your child is just stubborn?  I have come to learn that some of our most seemingly uncooperative students are actually some of our most persistent, dedicated and successful students as they reach their teenage years.  One of the challenges of being a parent is understanding how a chlld's resistance behavior is actually a good sign!  A child who is persistent and not easily swayed from their opinions often have a sense of determination and are often absorbed by the task that occupies them.  Hence, when we steer that child away from their activity, we are interrupting that sense of determination.  When we tell a child, it is time to leave for school or for another event, we expect compliance and an immediate response.  We call that "cooperation."  However, an individual who resists this can be 'in the middle of something' and they want to finish it.  When we, as adults, are interrupting and hurrying our children, students, or subordinates, we may be undermining that individual's penchant for perseverance.  That is, we may be undoing a characteristic we value, by rushing from one activity to another and by overscheduling.  Allowing the student to work at their own pace may lead to better focus and attention in each activity.  If we moderate our own behavior, we may need to be more patient and allow for the transition time necessary to complete one task before embarking upon another.

What makes Suzuki pedagogy different from other music methods, is the bond that teachers build with their students and families.  Suzuki teachers are very dedicated to teaching tthe whole child, not just music. Thus, their effect on supporting parents and supporting home practice and its environment is key to the success of Suzuki learning.  This is also present in our Suzuki Preschool.  Our teachers already are there to model positive behaviors and responses in the developing child.  They work step by step through new skills with patience and repetition.  All students are encouraged to respect themselves and each other.  Through this environment the student may grow and gain confidence even before they start kindergarten. 

Perhaps we can say that our lives are in rondo form. We have a main theme that resonates with us as our 'home key" and is filled by our core values such as family, religion, learning, and maybe music. We then divert our lives into other areas or interests such as traveling, learning a new sport, etc. We must always prioritize our core values and return to them in order to feel at home and authentic to ourselves.  This is our return to our personal "A section".  We may have different periods of our lives where we venture off into new areas, new careers, and new experiences, but we must continue to return to what is truly essential in our lives.

In the young child, every step along the path of learning how to play an instrument can be akin to going to a playground or taking a gymnastics class. Each lesson is a discovery. We set the tone of the environment for the child, and the expert Suzuki teacher guides the student step by step towards making their first sound on the instrument.  If a child were at the playground, the experience of going down the slide might be scary.   We guide the child to climb the stairs or we even climb alongside the child.  We hold their hand, we guide them down, and we catch them at the bottom with cheers and a smile.  This step by step is essential in building the confidence of the child to learn new things.  It is also the same step-by-step we offer in Suzuki lessons.

We can be sensitive to students' learning needs and styles, but the main goal is guiding them through a process that allows them to succeed at complex skills, like playing an instrument or tying shoelaces. When a student realizes their success, it brings joy to learning. Progress is gradual, and we should celebrate accomplishments. The Suzuki Book graduation is a celebration of hard work, not merely a way to say, "I finished a Suzuki book in one year." Slow progress, especially through Book One, lays the foundation for learning.

Music is like this, too.  We teach our students that they can create beautiful tone one note at a time.  From silence we play our first note. Dr. Suzuki teaches that we must play this one note beautifully, with our hearts and from our inner humanity.  We do not seek to play lots of notes moving our fingers technically and proficiently without the spirit that comes from inside us.  Dr. Suzuki said "Beautiful heart, beautiful tone."  As Suzuki teachers we value the student as a person first.  We need to educate our students to have a good heart, to be kind, to be respectful, to care for one another as priorities.  From there, we can play beautiful music.  We repeat the work of our pieces in very small details and subtleties that go beyond just the notes. We must take time in this process so that the music can be felt deeply and without technical barriers.  "The real essence of art turned out to be not something high up and far off--it was right inside my ordinary daily self.  If a musician wants to become a finer artist, he must first become a finer person." - Dr. Shinichi Suzuki (Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, Waltraud Suzuki (1983). “Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education”, p.82, Alfred Music.)

In our Musicianship program, students learn the basics of ear training, note reading, music theory, and composition. Recently I have heard from a few parents that they are so excited because their children are writing their own music!  It is truly the epitome of creating something from nothing. When a student learns to write their own music, it is their own inner being released through the expression of their music.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Suzuki!

To have the ability to sing, we must realize the vocal cords for singing are actually a muscle. We have two vocal cords that are very thin, and by using them, we learn how to sing.  This fall we have started our Suzuki Voice Department with two excellent teachers, Rose Hegele and Nicholas Ford.  Moreover, we want all students to sing!  We want them to sing in Musicianship class, in their lessons, and at home!  As a child, I would sing American folk songs while my mother played the piano.  We want to celebrate the joy that singing can bring, but also develop better musicians by requiring them to sing.  All persons learn how to speak using their vocal cords.  It only takes a little more training, to learn how to sing---and what  a wonderful way to take part in a very human connection with our peers, our families, and our community.

Sleep is very important to us. It is important for well-being and learning.  During these times that our society is faced with many challenges, I have noticed the high stress level around me. Due to our very busy schedules and the very busy schedules of our children, people are not getting enough sleep. This is not productive in the long run, because not only is the work quality going to go down, it will also take longer. It will not be as efficient because the memory process is being hindered by lack of sleep. Similar to my laptop that slows down when the memory is full, we human beings slow down when we are tired. 

During these days when sunlight is lessened and days are shortening, it is the best time to think about getting more sleep. We need to take advantage of breaks and rather than plan more activities, think about our own well being and that of our children by getting more sleep.