APRIL Studio News

  Thursday, April 1, 2021 by Cortney Baker | Uncategorized

  April tuition                                 

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

Ways to pay:

1. MAIL CHECK:  814 Pineland Dr, Cary, 27511
2. ONLINE PAYMENT:  PayPal (include fee) or Google Pay (no fee) 

What to do:

Reply to your invoice email on the 1st and let me know how you will send tuition this month. 

1. Check is in the mail, 

2. PayPal link on invoice (you will pay the 2.9% fee), or 

3. Google Pay (I will need to send you money request to go this route.  I will send out requests to everyone who chose this option prior)

  April Schedule                                

No Lessons are scheduled from Thurs, April 1 to Mon, April 5 due to Spring Break and the Easter holiday.

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! 

   Group Classes                                       

Group Classes will meet on Friday, April 23rd.  Location: Saint Francis UMC, 2965 Kildaire Farm Rd.  Weather permitting we will be under the portico again.  This month we focus on staging and rehearsing for the April solo recitals the next day.  

Here is our schedule:

*talk with me about condensing the time you are on campus by moving to a group with or closer to your sibling(s).  It is also fine to stay with your group.

 

   April Solo Recitals                                  

Our spring recitals are scheduled for Saturday, April 24 at 4:00 & 5:15p.m. at Saint Francis UMC (weather permitting, outside under the portico).  Due to the gathering restrictions still in place, we will hold two recitals back to back to allow us to meet in person.  Families will sit together (spaced apart from other families) in the parking lot where we had group classes in March. To help with seeing and hearing your child, performers and their family will be under the portico when they play.  

To help plan our audience numbers equitably, please fill out this Google form link (also included in the April news email).  Family and friends are invited to watch and support our performers via Zoom!  

All studio participants are expected to participate in our 2 recitals each year.  Recital pieces have been chosen or will be chosen in your next lesson. 

RECITAL ATTIRE:

Men/Boys - nice pants and shirt, dress shoes preferred (dark tennis shoes are fine)

Ladies/Girls - dresses (with a below the knee hemline) or dress pants and nice top, dress shoes preferred.

ARRIVAL:

4:00 Recital participants, plan to arrive by 3:45 PM to unpack and tune

5:15 Recital participants, plan to arrive by 5:00 PM to unpack and tune

Find your child(ren)'s name on the recital lists below and plan accordingly.

4:00 Recital	5:15 Recital
Ella Armstrong	Timothy Baker
Elizabeth Baucom	Carter Bettini
Eva Dyess	Katie Cantrell
Divya Kancharla	Rachel Cantrell
Hannah Katragadda	Claire Catalano
Christian Kelley	Ruthie Catalano
Cataleya Kelley	Zoey Cromartie
Lillian Moore	Campbell Fox
Wesley Payne	Charlotte Fox
Maitri Potukuchi	Luke Fox
Noah Wallace	Logan Isett
Selah Wallace	Glover Wilson
Annabelle Zipparo	Connor Raeman
Gabrielle Zipparo	Ameris Rood

   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 two articles:  

Help! My Child Won't Practice by Glenda Gail Walsh - an informative list of 22 walls that we often find ourselves standing in front of.  Take a moment to glance through the list and see if any of them speak to your needs.  Then read on to glean a nugget or two of wisdom or insight.

Play With Others and Fast Track Your Progress by Melanie Smith-Doderai - Read about 5 essential skills gained when a student participates in ensemble with other musicians.  This could be orchestra, chamber group or group class.  In addition to our studio group classes, there are several string orchestras in the Triangle area that your student can join.  Talk with me if you are interested in exploring these opportunities.  

One more idea...a few of the students in our studio have started meeting up on Zoom to practice together or to just play for each other.  Is this an idea you would like to explore for your child?  Talk with me and let's see what grows out of this seed that has been planted.

Toggle over to the Online Resources Tab>Parent Education folder to find this article.  View it online, Download it or Print it!

If you have time, send me your reaction, thoughts. etc.  I would love to know what stands out to you.  

A reminder:  This summer - 2021 -  is unique in that many institutes are already planning to be virtual!  You can reduce the cost and time commitment and check out what it is like to work with other teachers and students from around the country!  Several students in our studio and taken advantage of these opportunities in the past.  Each one has come away with a major boost in motivation and confidence!   Sign up now (see below), take advantage of Early Bird prices (usually in March/April)!!

 

    Summer Suzuki Institutes                        

Its that time of year again!  Summer Suzuki institutes have started accepting enrollment.  Due to uncertain summer COVID19 restrictions in many areas, several of the institutes have already decided to run online formats.  This might be the perfect summer to try out an institute without the added element of travel.  Here is the SAA webpage listing of all the Institute: https://suzukiassociation.org/events/institutes/

I will be on faculty at the Greater Washington Suzuki Institute again this summer.  The faculty at this camp are highly esteemed in the Suzuki community, and each summer proves to be an uplifting and motivating experience for participants.  I would love to have ALL of you join me at camp this summer.  Here is the SAA listing for the GWSI: https://suzukiassociation.org/events/loc/greater-washington-suzuki-institute/

A few others where colleagues of mine are on faculty or direct the institute, and I thought would be educational for you to read about:

https://www.ogontzsuzukiinstitute.com/

https://www.ithaca.edu/suzuki-institutes

https://www.atlantasuzuki.org/

AND, it looks like the North Caroline Institute (Greenville) is planning to be in person this year (they will make a final decision on April 15) - if you want to check out a camp close to home!

    MUSICAL MARCH MADNESS                   

I have enjoyed hearing about the pieces on your brackets that are "winning."  Stay focused on this awesome review activity!  Take as much time as you need to complete it.  What a wonderful way to encourage practicing and performing.  Remember to share with your child that this is an opportunity to be intentional about SERVING OTHERS with their musical talents.  

A few ideas for making this more of a challenge or simply enhancing the presentation: Instead of just playing these pieces "one more time," can you add something to make them more musical? more advanced? more entertaining?  How about playing with piano accompaniment video or tracks from the recording files?  Are they playing with dynamics?  the correct style of bow?

Need ideas?  ASK ME!  I love sharing ways to enhance the musical ideas in a piece.  Let's make this project FUN and beneficial!

    Suzuki Book Recordings                         

New recordings of the Suzuki Books 1-3 performed by violinist Hilary Hahn have just been released!   Use this link to read more and/or purchase from iTunes, Amazon Music or Alfred websites: https://www.alfred.com/suzuki-violin-overview/ 

   
   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 highlighted violinist is Bronislav Huberman (see notes below).  

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

Enjoy!

Bronislav Huberman (1882)

Huberman is probably best known for his founding of the Palestine Orchestra which helped save Jews from the Holocaust. But prior to this, he had established a reputation of one of the best violinists of his time. He performed throughout Europe from a young age, even performing Brahms’ violin concerto in front of the composer and receiving an impressed response. Brahms was so moved by the boy's performance that he gave him a photograph signed from "your grateful listener." His technical playing might not be as good as that of others, but his personal twist on the music makes him a long-standing favorite.  
  

Here are a few recordings of him performing, please share these with your student:

Chopin - Nocturne, Op. 9 No, 2: https://youtu.be/ByhwHJ5nRv0

Sarasate - Romanza Andaluza: https://youtu.be/_cM_bjE7BYs

Schubert - Ave Maria: https://youtu.be/YgNq0WOd9B4

Zarzycki - Mazurka op.26: https://youtu.be/GRAr-s7eTJk

Max Bruch - Kol Nidrei, Op. 47: https://youtu.be/pIrwaWojB78

   ZOOM Virtual Lessons                         

Thank you all for continuing to work on establishing lesson etiquette online.  A few reminders:

• Set up your lesson space with ample time to log in 5 minutes before your lesson time.  (music stand, music, tuned instrument, etc)
• Please have the video in landscape (horizontal) setting so I can see both arms.  Test out your bow arm at the tip...can you see your bow hold in the picture with your arm extended?  I do not need to see your music stand, that can be off to the side of the camera (your left side when you are facing the screen).
• Turn off as many Wi-Fi devices in your house as you are able.  The more devices you have accessing your router, the more delays and cut outs happen when you are playing.  I will have most everything here at my house removed from our router during lesson times to help us out.  
• Mute yourself and even turn off your video to be less of a distraction to the lesson in progress.
• Feel free to experiment with speakers or mics on your end to be able to hear me / make your audio sharper. 
• Turn ON original sound, so that Zoom will relay your instrument's sound without delay. If you need help with this setting, please ask.

You can access the Zoom link through the MMS website.  Log into your user account and click on the link associated with the event.