Brendon captivates the audience

“Ms. Megan! How does he play so fast?” 5 year old Sophia whispered in my ear as we were gathering questions for Brendon Elliott’s Q & A session last night with my studio.  Brendon, the 17 year old violin sensation that I keep bragging about has just graduated from Menchville HS in Newport News, VA, and is on his way in the fall to the prestigious and highly selective Curtis Institute of Music.

He dazzled and amazed both the parents and students with his command over the violin, yet was so humble in his answers to the many questions that he unselfishly answered for the full 90 minutes.

He gave his perspective on:

• Practice
• What it was like growing up in his household
• What role his parents played in his development
• What the audition process was like for all the schools he applied for
• How he balanced his school work
• His other interests, and
• many, many more.

He even answered questions from 4 year olds asking if he plays in school and when he actually got a violin!

All the families felt that this experience was invaluable for their child and it set the tone for more cultural activities like this for the Crispus Attuck’s Theater, in Norfolk, VA where the event was held.  String Presence Academy will be offering private and group lessons there on Wednesdays starting September 2012 as part of their Arts Incubator Program.

Because he was one of only 10 violin students selected to attend Curtis in the fall, his $50K annual tuition is covered in full.  However, he still needs assistance with his room and board expenses as well as money to purchase a better violin that will support his caliber of playing.

Brendon In Concert Tonight, June 21, 2012 @ 7 pm.

Great Job Brendon!

To help raise funds to support his continued education and pursuit of a very promising career in music, he will be performing tonight in one last fundraising concert like never before.  He has been playing in smaller concert performances his entire senior year in HS while maintaining a 3.5 GPA in AP classes.  He hasn’t asked for any handouts.  He’s worked his whole life for this.

He will be playing virtuosic repertoire that is robust, complex and very difficult for even the most seasoned professionals to play.  He will be doing so at age 17.

The concert will be held tonight, Thursday, June 21, 2012 at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center. 2410 Wickham Avenue, Newport News, VA.  The show starts at 7 pm.  Tickets are $20 for adults and $8 for children.  For more information and to make donations if you can not attend the concert, visit http://www.elliottfamilyquartet.com/Purchasetickets.htm

In closing, if you are able, there are three important reasons to make it your business to be there tonight:

This is his last solo performance as an amateur.

Money raised helps cover room and board expenses.

Its the right thing to do.

Teen violin prodigy to perform in NN: wavy.com

Stuart Shanker, professor of psychology and philosophy at York University speaks about research conducted with kindergarteners and how self-regulation influences their performance in the classroom and testing.

His findings reveal that education using materials, which enhance self-regulatory capacities, has proven to increase students’ test scores.  Common characteristics of self-regulatory behavior include staying calm, focused and alert.  The need for self-regulation exists because to learn the foundations of reading and seeing patterns, the ability to self-regulate is required.  This is a learned skill that children can be taught.

Additionally, Dr. Shanker’s research revealed that students learn more easily through play-based education and are then more relaxed and less sensitive to stressors in their environment that can be draining their energy, making it more difficult for students to “show up” and learn.

Instead of labeling children with perceived negative behavioral weaknesses as “bad,” parents and teachers where possible, should spend more time with the child in observance.  This will help reveal what’s happening so the child’s learning strengths & stressors can be uncovered, and the caregivers can adjusting accordingly.  According to Dr. Shanker, the better they understand the child, the lower amount of stress in the household and other learning environments.

How does learning violin innately include self-regulation education?:

• Learning rest position
• Taking a bow
• Listening with eye contact to the teacher without speaking
• Private lessons increase the teacher’s ability to understand the students’ learning styles and stressors
• Communicating with parents the importance of creating a nurturing environment at home similar to learning their native language
• Learning spatial reasoning through auditory and kinesthetic patterns
• Developing musical memory
• Group play and self-expression with peers
• Focused listening
• Consistent repetition
• Attention to detail
• Developing sensitivity to appreciation and musicality
• Heart-centered expression through music
• Keeping a steady beat and playing in time with an ensemble
• Body control
• Diligence
• Goal setting and achievement

This is only a partial list.  What are other ways you recognize the skill of self-regulation innately within teaching or learning to play the violin?  List them in the comments below.

Video: Dr. Shankman’s interview about Self-Regulation on TVO

Triangle Image from SuzukiAssociation.org

Every year, the Suzuki Association of the Americas publishes a video series called Parents as Partners that helps Suzuki families fill in the blanks that their Suzuki experience may not cover at the moment.

It’s that time of year again where open registration is available for parents in Suzuki Studios.  I encourage all parents in String Presence Academy and SMSS to register for the program that is asynchronous.  You can watch the videos at your leisure, during a time that works for you.

Here’s a direct excerpt from the newsletter containing the details:

Start your new year off on the right foot by registering for Parents as Partners Online!

The 2012 event will begin Monday, January 30
and run through the end of June.

During February and March, new talks on parent education and Suzuki-related topics will be posted weekly, as well as selected presentations from PPO 2011. What better way to nurture yourself and your own studio parents along the Suzuki journey than watching a short video at your convenience?

Last year, a couple of the parents definitely appreciated the videos and saw direct benefits from viewing them.  This year, I would like to encourage ways to make participation more universal and something the entire studio can benefit from.  Here are some suggestions from the email I received:

- **Share the gift of Suzuki inspiration** by registering a parent(s) for the Parents as Partners Online Project.

- **Studio incentive:** Challenge your parents to a New Year’sresolution to watching a post a day!

- **Remind parents weekly** to schedule PPO watching time throughout the five months’ PPO event.

- **Post signs within your studio** listing talks you as a teacher recommend for that particular week. Call attention to highlights!

- **Arrange a parent meeting and watch a presentation** or two together, followed by discussion. If interest merits, make it a monthly gathering! Remember, the PPO will be open until the end of June!

- **Schedule a parent get-together to share ideas** from presentations they have already watched. Perhaps have the get-together be a potluck or provide a wine-n-cheese gathering.

- **During group class time, arrange for parents to meet in a separate room**, watch and discuss a topic while kids are occupied at group.

- **Start a PPO Club in your studio!** Similar to a book club, those participating would meet informally to discuss specific talks. Ask a parent to organize the gatherings and help build community within your studio.

- **Collect questions from within your studio** on posted talks and submit those questions on the Parent Exchange.  A PPO moderator will answer the questions on a weekly basis.

- **Consider volunteering** to serve as a PPO moderator for a week!

- **Post your comments** or write an article on your experience with PPO 2012.

These are all AWESOME ideas, and I would LOVE to incorporate one or two of them in the studio this year!

REGISTRATION DETAILS

**Studio**
(Me plus studio parents) I will need the name and email of each parent to enroll them. Parents do not need to
be SAA members.

$45 for teacher plus 1 to 5 parents (I can pay the $45 amount and it will be free for the first 1-5 parents)
$8 for each additional parent

**Individual**
$25 for SAA members
$45 for non-members

Here is the link to register with more details about the topics covered this season: Register Now!

I hope that you will take full advantage of this opportunity to further your knowledge of Suzuki Talent Education so that you can continue to be life-long learners who help shape our future through your children.

There are several directions I want to go with this article, but I’ll make it as focused and direct as possible. Let’s simply look at “skill.”  There are many factors that come into play when trying to learn a new skill. Examples of more socially accepted and required skills are speaking, reading and writing.  There is no question or debate whether any human in any culture should learn how to speak, read and write. It’s essential for thriving in a society.

Are they required to be emotionally mature enough to learn them?  No. Is it up for discussion and debate whether or not they will learn them? No.  Is giving up an option when practicing these developing skills? No.  Does the parent have to be “talented” at speaking, reading and writing for the child to learn these skills? No.  Are many opportunities, circumstances, environments and behaviors established to ensure that these skills are learned no matter what? Yes.

Yet, somehow, for whatever millions of reasons, we believe that learning an instrument is completely different than learning how to speak, read or write, when in essence, it isn’t.

Let’s look at 5 ways you can help your child learn to play the violin without fighting by treating it like learning those other skills, more specifically, speaking.

Don’t Make Assumptions.  A parent doesn’t make assumptions about whether or not their child will speak.  It is believed from birth that a child will learn how to speak their native language.  Whatever language the parent(s) uses to verbally communicate with the child is what language they will learn.  There is no question about this.  In terms of learning how to play the violin, playing violin music, more specifically the violin music they will be learning how to play regularly in the home will present the “language” that the child will begin to appreciate and attempt to mimic, just as they will mimic their native language.  So do not assume that because no one else has musical talent in your family that your child won’t do well.  Don’t assume that since you don’t know how to play the violin, you can’t help them.  Don’t assume that they can do this all by themselves at a young age.  Don’t assume that all will be smooth and that it will be easy and without challenges.  Assuming projects beliefs on the situation that can make it more difficult than it should be.  So to minimize that, simply don’t make any assumptions about what it would/should be like for your child to learn violin.

Create an Encouraging and Supportive Environment.  It’s tempting to scrunch up your face and say negative things when you hear or see your child working on their instrument in the beginning stages.  Instead of criticizing them and scolding them for not doing it “right,” gently encourage them to try again paying more close attention to what element is out of sync. Reassure them that they are doing a great job and to keep doing their best.  This keeps them from criticizing themselves and being apprehensive about playing/learning.  This creates room for their expansion and growth.

Include Repetitive Game-Like Elements.  Children learn by imaginative play.  Out of my many years of teaching, this doesn’t change.  Some children are “old souls” so to speak so they may not require as much “gaming” but overall, most children thrive in learning, retention, attention, participation & repetition when games are played.  This also applies to learning an instrument.  Small elements of learning a particular skill on the instrument can be broken down into bite -size pieces that can be “chewed” with repetition until it is “mastered” relatively speaking.  To do the required repetitions without extreme boredom, elements of repetitive play can be included such as dice rolling, setting up dominoes and then knocking them down, collecting puzzle pieces, adding design elements to a communal home art project, etc.  This involves practicing the violin in a very inclusive, rewarding and productive manner.

Make Violin Part of the Daily Routine.  Just like eating, bathing, sleeping, brushing teeth, etc. are part of a child’s daily routine, so should practice.  Establish the element of daily practice somewhere in your day.  It shouldn’t be optional.  Some days will work better than others, and it may be unique to your circumstances.  However, just like other established routines, it doesn’t stick unless the parent sets the standard and enforces it.  Once violin becomes part of “what we do at home” then it doesn’t become a question of whether or not practice will be done.  It’s a matter of when. Turn off the TV for a sec.  Take 15 minutes after dinner before putting food away and washing the dishes.  Get up 20 minutes earlier in the morning.  Whatever it takes to make it “normal” and part of the household routine.

Attend Violin Concerts. Listen to or Watch Professional Violinists Perform.  Seeing and hearing a violinist play continues to spark the desire in the child to learn how to do that one day.  By being around other violinists and constantly hearing the music, its inspirational for them to try to mimic and imitate what they see and hear.  This inspiration helps to tighten up their practice habits.  Put them in local group events such as STAHR in Hampton Roads or Youth Orchestras.  Encourage group participation with other students in the studio so they form violin camaraderie and violin-based relationships/friendships.  Having a violin “community” helps to reinforce everything that is being established in the home and at lessons.

Practicing doesn’t have to be difficult if you follow the above recommendations.  It can be a rewarding and fulfilling bonding experience between parent and child.  Ask any other Suzuki parent what they had to go through to get their child to where they are today.  They will say some of the same things.  In the end, it’s all worth it and the child is proud.  They do not regret learning how to play.  It’s those children who are allowed to stop prematurely that always say they regret quitting the instrument.  Keep these items in mind when you get discouraged.

I get asked this question a lot! “How do you tune a violin?”

In lessons, it can take almost the whole period to teach a parent or student how to tune their violin properly. It’s super important  a violin student learn how to tune their violin correctly so they can develop sound pitch recognition and know when the instrument is in tune.  I find that once playing for a while, they can tell “something doesn’t sound right.” That usually means their violin is out of tune.

So, how DO you tune a violin?

In the video above, I demonstrate 3 different ways to do so:

• On the lap bowing using mostly fine tuners
• On the lap plucking using the pegs
• On the shoulder using pegs and fine tuners

The latter is the way you will see most violinist tuning before they play a piece.

If you’re not a video person and would rather read pictures and text, you can do so at my studio site.

What you will need:

View of Bridge & Fine Tuners

A chromatic tuner that can be purchased from Amazon or from your local music store. Or you can search for a free app on your mobile device.  Look for something like “guitar tuner” or “violin tuner.” Either should suffice.

I’ll let the video do most of the talking and will highlight a few important points to remember while tuning:

Factors that could cause the violin to go out of tune:

There are three main reasons that can cause this:

• Temperature
• Reckless handling
• New Strings

Pegs in Peg Box

Its never a good idea to leave your violin in extreme temperatures. That trip to the grocery store with the violin in the trunk at 92 degrees outside? Not a good idea. Likewise, the 30 degree day with the violin in the car all day while you’re at work isn’t good either.

Make sure the student handles the violin gently and carefully. Although the case protects the instrument, it’s still not immune from hard bumps. If accidentally dropped with or without the case, check the bridge, and gently shake the violin to see if anything sounds like it’s rolling around inside. Hopefully all is well, but the bridge may be a little crooked or lopsided.

If you do hear something rolling around, that’s the sound post and it needs to be taken into a shop to fix at about $35. No need in trying to tune in this situation.

New strings on a violin take time to get used to the tension so the instrument will continually slip a little out of tune. As the strings are stretching, it will continue to go flat over the next week or so.  Once the strings get settled, you should only have to tune them once before playing.

These are simple terms what’s involved with violin tuning and how to do it. I’ve have written a more in-depth description of the process at my studio website.

Let me know if this was helpful or not. I appreciate all feedback.

I’m Megan Jenifer, a fun-loving and quirky violinist who not only teaches violin to beginning adult and children budding violin students, but also inspires people in general (especially business owners) to live transparently and authentically their passion, purpose and mission.

I’ve taught hundreds of students and thoroughly enjoy contributing to their lives in a profound way, which spills over positively in other areas of their lives.

Smiling and instilling self-confidence is my specialty!

To learn more about how I can help you totally fall in love with your life, visit our products and services pages here on the site.

Let’s have conversations on Facebook and Twitter:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mjenifer
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I look forward to our continual communication!

Hugs!!! ♥