Be a fan!
Being a fan is good for you. It does not matter what it is--a sport, a hobby, a subject, a rock band, a musician, etc.--the spirit of going "all in" is very important.
Recently, our SSN Director of Operations, Eytan Wurman, shared with me that he is a total fan of an amazing jazz singer, Samara Joy, and so I listened to some Youtube recordings of her performances. I have always been a huge fan of pianist Martha Argerich. When we can allow ourselves to be drawn into something, it becomes a shared experience with others who are also fans of the same thing. Often children can be drawn to become a fan when the adults around them show this enthusiasm. As a teenager in high school, my friends and I would hang out and listen to recordings of some of the most famous orchestral recordings around.
Samara Joy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dASwqa2li5o
Martha Argerich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEQJYMqDfu4&t=417s
Children are more than likely going to discover baseball or the Red Sox from the modelling and exposure that parents and older siblings bring into their environment.
https://www.inverse.com/article/7120-science-explains-why-being-a-fan-is-good-for-you
As educators, we must strive to be models for our students and parents are models for their children. What music do you listen to? Are you practicing with your child daily? If they show reluctance, do you practice anyway for yourself?
If music becomes the environment in which our children live, they will feel the natural draw to pick up the instrument and make the sounds that they have learned and play the pieces they have accomplished. We use the term "review" in our Suzuki lessons, but what we really want is for our students to enjoy the repertoire they have learned and make music with these pieces because they have been mastered. If they share this music daily with those around them, they learn how to better communicate through music.
We adults must become the fans of our students' music--eager and enthusiastic to hear their songs over and over again. I like to describe the important role of the Suzuki parent for their child, is really being the "cheerleader" and not the coach. As a cheerleader, if our team has a set-back, they are the ones who encourage the players to keep trying, to pick themselves up and keep going!
Next week, starting October 1st we are having our Listening Challenge!
Listen to music, the Suzuki CD or recordings, for 30 minutes each day! We encourage you all to listen daily, and be a fan! Recordings are linked below!
https://www.alfred.com/suzuki-method/suzuki-audio-downloads/
- Sachiko
P.s.
By the way, it's Fan Appreciation Weekend at Fenway--are you a fan?