Monday, January 31, 2022 by Cortney Baker | Uncategorized

  February 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:  PayPal (includes fee) or Google Pay (no fee) 

  February Schedule                              

NO Lessons are scheduled Feb 21-25.  

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, February 4.  Location: Saint Francis UMC*. Sanctuary. 2965 Kildaire Farm Road, 27518.

As this is the final rehearsal for our group recital the next day, we will meet in person only.  NOTE: the times below have changed for some of you to help streamline the rehearsal time we have together.  We will follow the mask policies of the church at the time.  

Feb Group schedule:

^Meet your duet partner downstairs at 4:30 to rehearse your duet. 

    February Group Recital                   

Our first studio group recital is Saturday, February 5 at 4:30 p.m., Saint Francis UMC, Sanctuary.  At this time, masks are strongly encouraged in all buildings at Saint Francis.  There is enough space for us to spread out so that families do not have to sit close to each other, unless they are fine doing so.  Please find a space apart that fits your comfort level.

The recital will be streamed for family and friends to watch from home to support all of the performers!

All studio participants are expected to participate in our 3 recitals each year.

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 - our "stage" is at eye level for our audience, so please plan accordingly) or dress pants and nice top, dress shoes preferred.

ARRIVAL:

Plan to arrive by 4:10 PM to unpack and tune

Repertoire for the Group Recital:

Please add these pieces to a weekly rotation in your practice.  I will be hearing the ones your student knows in lessons over the next 4-5 weeks to make sure all students are prepared for the group recital.

    Studio Videos                                  

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

For now, I have posted links to 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 Online Resources 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 am sharing an article that aligns with our current studio focus: our Group Recital.  Why is group class important?  How does playing in an ensemble with other musicians enhance your child's education?  Take some time to find the "Play with others and Fast Track your Progress" article and read over it!    Go to the TAB: Online Resources>Parent Education Folder

      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 Ivry Gitlis.  (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!

Ivry Gitlis (1922)

always played in such a way that he reached extremes – either too much emotion or too little, too much pomp and circumstance or not enough. Born in Israel, Ivry began playing seriously at the age of 12 and played with some of the best in pop culture, including the Rolling Stones and John Lennon. He was an UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and performed with the world's top orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He died at the age of 98 years old in 2020. 

Various pieces on his album 19 Greatest Masterpieces for Violin  Choose a piece or two to listen to from the list in the description below the video.   https://youtu.be/iEvB69EZWZQ

Violin Concerto, Op. 35, mvt 1 by Tchaikovsky:  https://youtu.be/MSTxvtIDX90 

Violin Concerto, Brahms: https://youtu.be/_XMUVAMRpXw

Chaccone from Partitia No. 2 in D Minor, by J.S.Bach:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh8pKgwapSA

  Tuesday, January 4, 2022 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:  PayPal (includes fee) or Google Pay (no fee) 

 January Schedule                              

NO Lessons are scheduled Jan 3-7.  

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, January 21.  Location: Saint Francis UMC. Room TBD. 2965 Kildaire Farm Road, 27518.

All class will be streamed on ZOOM and will meet in person.  When the weather is nice we will gather under the portico of the Admin building.  When the weather is not tolerant for us or our instruments, we will meet in the choir room and follow the mask policies of the church at the time.  

Group schedule:

    February Group Recital                   

I am excited to put together a studio group recital!  Saturday, February 5 at 4:30 p.m.Location: Saint Francis UMC. More details will be given in the February news.  For now, make sure this date is on your family calendar.  All students are expected to participate.  

Repertoire for the Group Recital:

Please add these pieces to a weekly rotation in your practice.  I will be hearing the ones your student knows in lessons over the next 4-5 weeks to make sure all students are prepared for the group recital.

    Studio Videos                                  

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

For now, I have posted links to 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 Online Resources 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 am sharing an article that I don't really know where I acquired. Nevertheless, it is packed with a great tidbits that might just be what you need to start of this NEW YEAR.  Take some time to find the "FIVE little Ideas" article and read over it!    Go to the TAB: Online Resources>Parent Education Folder

      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 Isaac Stern  (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!

Wieniawski, Polonaise Brillante: https://youtu.be/zW_4xR72JBc

J.S. Bach, Chaconne: https://youtu.be/1zvRWFD_1_M

L. van Beethoven, Piano Trio, Op. 1 No. 2: https://youtu.be/tG7Z590f6MY

F. Kreisler, Liebeslied: https://youtu.be/ModXTjydx7k

A MUST WATCH:  Short Documentary (Grammy Lifetime Achievement award) + performance of Concerto for 2 violins by Bach (7:30): https://youtu.be/DSWxpsItJRg   (also includes piano performance by the pianist in the trio link above)

Isaac Stern

Isaac Stern was more than just a violinist, he was also a strong force behind many great and famous violinists, including Itzhak Perlman. Highly respected in the violin community as a statesman as well as a premier violinist of the 20th century, he was both a violin teacher and a player.

When he was 6, Stern started learning to play the piano but he would soon turn his interest to the violin which led him to study at the San Francisco Conservatory and then later under Naoum Blinder.

Since making his debut at the age of 15 with the San Francisco Symphony, he would go on to collaborate with the great Russian pianist Alexander Zakin before going on to discover great violinists like Pinchas Zukerman.

Before his death in 2001 at the age of 81, Isaac Stern had already had many recordings and awards to his name.