Back to School

School in our area started yesterday, which means my students and I are Back to Lessons today. I'm really revved up about it! In the past I never took the summer off; somebody always wanted summer lessons, Christmas break lessons, etc. and I agreed to do it. This year I felt totally burned out by the end of May. We were in the process of closing our shop. I wasn't even sure I would ~ever~ teach again. So I took June off, which pretty much turned into June and July both. 
Wow! What a difference that made. I made necessary choice about which kids to keep, and the ones I have this year are all MOTIVATED and INTERESTED and....they practice. Yayyy!
So. I can't wait to see you guys.

(note to self: Don't wait 3 years to take a break next time.)

Violin/viola/cello practice - it's a journey

Today's post is written specifically for beginning players.If you play cello or viola instead of violin, please just insert your own instrument name for "violin." There's no point in me typing them all out every time........

 A lot of people say that at the beginning of your violin journey, it is important to set a certain goal every day to make you learn faster. I actually disagree with this. You have probably already found that your biggest goal is to make your sound better and better. It's okay to let this be your main purpose for the day; other things will come as you practice.

Learning to play the violin helps you to learn more about your own personality. With the violin, you need a lot of patience and persistence. If you don't have those things, working to have more becomes part of your goal. If you are not persistent, you will eventually decide to quit.

When you're learning to play, you will inevitably make mistakes. Don't ignore them and move on, but stop and play that small part again. (See the last post about dividing the music into small chunks). If you will do that section about five times before moving on, it will be much better the next time you play. Again, persistence is key.

I would also like to talk today about distractions. Some of my students are distracted by the smallest thing. When I used to teach at home, the traffic driving by on the street outside would make their heads turn.This is not okay! You can't make good music If you are this distracted. I suggest that you practice alone, not in front of your family, and in a room that provides the least distractions for you. If something outside catches your eye, close the blinds. Remove anything that might detract from your practicing.

People who play the violin have been proven to have better math skills and to have better concentration in other areas of their lives. So this hard work that you're doing will benefit you in many areas. Violin mastery does not happen overnight, but by approaching it slowly and carefully, you can move from being a beginner to becoming a skilled violinist.

Happy practicing!