The Studio Program
Private Lessons | Group Classes | Beginner Pod | Home Practice | Performance
The Artistic Expressions program revolves around private instruction three times a month combined with group classes. Several times yearly, public performances occur where the students present what they have learned for a loving community of family and friends.
What happens in a private lesson?
In private lessons, parent and child (students through age 12 require parental involvement) come together to optimize the learning experience. The child faces the teacher while the parent sits comfortably nearby, taking notes and paying attention to the details of the lesson so that they will be remembered in order to replicate in home practicing.
sys-tem-ic: Adj. Relating to or affecting the entire body
The teacher works systemically, paying attention to the whole child: physical balance and health, violin technique, tone, expression, musicality. Throughout the lesson, the child claps, sings, dances, and plays. The parent is often invited to participate, however, it is important that during the lesson the teacher remains the authority figure and will deal with most behavior issues as they arise without interference from the parent.
What happens in a group class?
In group class all the students of the studio come together. The group class is repertoire based, meaning that the raw materials for the class are the pieces that each student has been preparing in private lessons. A whole host of new challenges await at group class: leading, following, watching, playing exactly together, musical expression as a group, lending one's individual voice to the process of learning, and growing a piece through ensemble rehearsal. Each student is an integral part of the class and students lead pieces equally; there is no hierarchy here, only cooperation and friendship. We strive for a democratic process of making musical decisions and choosing leaders for individual pieces, in the spirit of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Indeed, this is the essence of chamber music: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and the joy and freedom and passion that can come from playing a piece with a group of other violinists in perfect unison is often astounding. In group class we become friends and the voices of our individual violins create a conversation of joy and cooperation.
What happens in a beginner pod?
In a beginner pod, three to four beginners of similar ages come together for a learning environment where each child's success feeds off of the other children and parents involved. Each child gets 15-20 minutes of "private lesson" time, and they share approximately 15-20 minutes of group class time. During each child's private lesson time, the other students quietly observe and learn without the pressure of always being "on the spot". Parents sit nearby and take notes - not just of their own child's private lesson, but also during the other children's lessons and the group class time. It has been found that this method of learning enables quicker progression when utilized for approximately the first year of lessons. It is recommended that beginners placed in a pod commit to at least one year of lessons, as this is usually how long it takes to discover whether this is something that is working for you and your child.
At home, parent and child work together (through approximately age 12) to practice. Not only is practice necessary to art, it is art. Parents, with notebooks in hand, replicate the assignments given at lessons while creating an atmosphere of safety, encouragement, and learning for their child. The goal is to build ease through repetition, and to reveal the artistry that is inherent in each child. Refer to the Policies Page for expected practice times dependent on level.
In addition to practicing, a musical environment must be cultivated in the home. The Suzuki method depends on adequate amounts of listening, not only of the Suzuki literature, but also to a permeating environment of music and violin music in particular. A passion for the sound of the violin must be cultivated and this happens largely through listening and exposure. Progress is severely inhibited by lack of proper listening.
Performances are scheduled several times yearly in order to give students the opportunity to share what they are learning and growing at home and in lessons with others. Recitals mix group performances with solo performances, and prior to performance each piece must reach a superior level of ability and expression, in order that performance remain stress-free. We view recitals as a seriously prepared party, lovingly prepared over months of practice and concentrated learning, and given to celebrate the child and the music itself.