Wednesday, January 3, 2024 by Cortney Baker | Uncategorized

   January tuition                              

is due at your first lesson of the month.  Consult your monthly invoice for the exact amount. 

Ways to pay:

1. IN PERSON at your lesson
2. MAIL CHECK:  814 Pineland Dr, Cary, 27511
3. ONLINE PAYMENT: Google Pay or Zelle

   January Schedule                             

There are no lessons scheduled Monday, January 1 to Friday, January 5.

Looking ahead, there are no lessons scheduled for Thursday, February 1.

Log in to your MyMusicStaff portal to see your specific lesson dates, times and location.  Also included in your account: the link to access the Zoom webpage, previous lesson notes, the monthly studio news, and much more!

   January Group Class                        

Group Classes will meet this month on Friday, January 19th.  Location: Saint Francis UMC. 2965 Kildaire Farm Road, 27518, Sanctuary. 

Group schedule:

                                 *arrive 5 minutes prior to group start time

   December Caroling at Spring Arbor                  

Our December outreach concerts were amazing!  Thank you so much for your participation in and preparation for this event.  The staff and residents were so appreciative. 

Upper level concert

Lower level concert

   Outreach Concerts 2023-24               

All students are invite to participate in our monthly outreach concerts at Spring Arbor of Cary.  These events will require 2-3 studio participants each month.  We will prepare (during weekly lessons) a 20-min concert for the residents and perform it twice within an hour.  Please plan to participate in one of these monthly concerts.

Everyone is also invited to join us for caroling at Spring Arbor of Cary on Sunday, December 17th at either 1p or 230p. 

To participate, log into your MMS account.  Go to the studio calendar tab and add your name to the event on the month you are available (See the How to Register for an Outreach Concert file in the online resources for more details).  

**WE are in need of 2-3 students to sign up for the Friday, January 12th outreach event.  If you are available, please add your student to the event on our studio calendar.

    Studio Videos                                   

Reminder: link to our YouTube folders: https://pinelandsuzukistrings.mymusicstaff.com/Video-Links

For now, there the folders are for the Pre-Twinkle videos, Book 1 accompaniment, Daily Do (for Music Mind Games class), and Christmas Carols.

   Parent Education                              

I have loaded several articles to the Library & Downloads page in your MMS portal with articles and handouts for parents.  Find a title that interests you and read it!  I highly encourage you to take a moment this month to choose one and read it.  There is so much value in motivation for the Suzuki parent.  Let these articles give you that blessing!!    

This month I want to highlight an article from a part Suzuki Association Journal.  To access the article, log into MMS and use the tabs to find our Online Resource's folder>Parent Education. Or use this link:  https://app.mymusicstaff.com/FileDownloader.ashx?FileID=2118045&FileType=DownloadLibrary&Mode=Inline

Joyful Learning (part 3) by Timothy Durbin.  Dr. Durbin is an international Suzuki clinician who has visited NC numerous times.  Some of you have even attended his workshop classes!  For the past several decades, I have benefitted from his teacher enrichment classes and the unique way that he combines his knowledge of violin instruction/performance and passion for learning about the human mind/character. He insight is useful to all of us.  

Let me know what you think! If you have time, send me your reaction, thoughts. etc. I would love to know what speaks to you.

   Special Listening                             

Just a reminder that wonderful videos and audio recordings of professional performers can be seen/heard on YouTube.  Use this as the Special Listening assignment for each week.  This month's famous performer is Sarah Chang (see notes below).   

There are other recordings - enjoy looking around and learning more about this great artist of our time.

Please share these with the kids.

Enjoy!

Julia Fischer (1983)
     
 Not content with being a world-class violinist, Fischer is also a concert pianist on occasion - and perhaps it’s this that gives her that inimitable musicality, something more rounded than so many of her contemporaries.

German violinist Julia Fischer is recognized worldwide for possessing a talent of uncommon ability. Her “pure and fine-spun tone, blessed with seemingly infinite shadings” (The Chicago Tribune) combined with rare “technical brilliance” (The Guardian) make her one of the most-sought after soloist before the public today.

Born in Munich, Ms. Fischer began learning the violin at age three and soon thereafter started taking piano lessons. Teaching and passing on to her students what she feels privileged to have learned from her teachers has since been a pivotal focus of her professional life.  Julia Fischer was awarded the German Culture Prize in 2011 and the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2016. She plays a Guadagnini from 1742 as well as a modern violin made by Philipp Augustin.

J.S. Bach, Concerto in A minor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDyDHvZKl8g  (a Suzuki Book 7 piece! ☺)

Vaughn Williams, The Lark Ascending - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2SETH16Dzs

Saint-Saens, Violin Concerto No. 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5xRksP7fp4

Mozart, Sinfonia Concertante - recording session - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tIbPCe11tI

Grieg, Piano Concerto, mvt 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mGLMdVtUC8

    Local Performances                        

*February 2 & 4, NC Opera presents The Barber of Seville by Rossini: https://ncopera.org/2023-2024-season/the-barber-of-seville/

*April 21, NC Opera presents The Girl of the Golden West by Puccini: https://ncopera.org/2023-2024-season/the-girl-of-the-golden-west/

*denotes Dr. Baker is performing