Dear Parents,
Thank-you for taking the time to come to the parent meeting. I hope that the discussion of the terms "mother tongue method", "Natural learning" , and "Ability Development" in regards to your questions was useful so that you can refer often to these in your thinking about education and environment for your children. The discussions about the class environment were useful too and I hope that you are feeling comfortable in the class and also in how to work with your child.
I am very happy that the boys are so eager to come to the piano and all are doing their very best.
They really just need time to really absorb the physical/mental/emotional/spiritual skill of "ready". Physically this means arms above the keyboard with thumb on the note "do" and the other fingers relaxed but not touching the keys. I think all of the students can be more above the keyboard and you can observe my helping them with this on the lesson video. Once they can do this playing the piano will be infinitely easier with a much better tone/sound. So, if you can have them get ready 5 or so times during practice (each time counting to 5 or another number) that would be great. When you look at the video you will notice how each time I had them get ready the position improved. Then with some of the lessons there is the point where the ready was not as good. That is because I asked too much. So, it is good to know that "too much is the same as not enough". This is the kind of research we have to do as parents and teachers.
The seeds are planted. We can cultivate with care. Remember the old adage of the farmer who was so eager to assist his crops that he went out at night and tugged on the new shoots.
Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is the same thing with faith that ability is accumulating.
The following video from my Youtube channel would be great for the students to watch as they can really see hands over the keys, and a beautiful sound. Zak studied Suzuki Piano Basics in my studio for many years.
Zak Beard performing Mozart Concerto #20, 1st mvt. part 1
Zak Beard performing Mozart Concerto #20, 1st mvt. part 2 -(it will also come up as an option on the screen at the end of part 1)
At the parent meeting we discussed playing a Mozart Concerto for your children as recommended by Dr. Suzuki to develop an aural understanding of the language of music:
Here is a link to Amazon for the Mozart Concertos #20 and #21 You can buy the disc or the MP3 download. I recommend the disc however as you can always upload it to your computer and then still have the disc and the information insert. It is only $7.98!!
you all are doing a great job,
all the best,
Leah Brammer
Click for Link to next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Fall Performance Recommendations
Click on the links below for more information and tickets:
#1 Recommendation not to missed concert!
October 11 -Sunday 7:00PM -Davies Symphony Hall
Murray Perahia in solo piano concert
Other Great Concerts:
October 7-9 -Davies Symphony Hall
Yefim Bronfman plays Brahms Concerto #2 with the SF Symphony
December 5-Saturday 8:PM -Stanford
"From the Top" a live radio recording featuring young musicians-very fun
December 15 -Tuesday 8:00 PM -Herbst Theatre in San Francisco
Marc Hamelin in Solo Piano Concert
See you there!
#1 Recommendation not to missed concert!
October 11 -Sunday 7:00PM -Davies Symphony Hall
Murray Perahia in solo piano concert
Other Great Concerts:
October 7-9 -Davies Symphony Hall
Yefim Bronfman plays Brahms Concerto #2 with the SF Symphony
December 5-Saturday 8:PM -Stanford
"From the Top" a live radio recording featuring young musicians-very fun
December 15 -Tuesday 8:00 PM -Herbst Theatre in San Francisco
Marc Hamelin in Solo Piano Concert
See you there!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Recital Announcement
Invitation to all Atlanta Friends!
You are Invited!
You are Invited!
What: Solo Piano Recital by Peter Carter
Why: Senior Recital to share his music with family and friends
When: Saturday October 3 at 4:00 PM
Where: Southern Keyboards
Program
Prelude in D (WTC II) JS BACH
Sonata no. 8 (Pathetique) BEETHOVEN
Suite Bergamasque DEBUSSY
Ballade no. 1 CHOPIN
Everyone is welcome! Refreshments following program
Hope you can come.
Robin Blankenship
Thursday, September 17, 2009
4_Twinkle Group class #3
Dear Parents,
In the moments of the class this week I felt very busy with taking care of the students and making good decisions about the environment. After viewing the videos I am so impressed with how the students are responding. Thinking through this carefully and remembering raising my own children I realize that often this is the feeling a parent has. It is in the looking back we are able to realize how much the child was learning. This is because children learn in a very different way from adults. They are able to take the whole environment in at a time. So while they are busy moving around and looking everywhere they are learning at a very high rate.
I traveled with my daughter to Japan regularly from the time she was 7 years old. From the very first trip she was able to communicate with our home stay family. The children and her immediately began running around and playing together while the adults tried to talk to each other without much success. When our Japanese host family would speak English with a very strong accent I could not understand them at all. My daughter however was immediately able to understand "Japanese English" So, I would say something in English and she would "translate" it into Japanese English-that is should would say it in English but with the Japanese accent. Suddenly they understood! How could she do this so easily and I was completely in the dark? Next she picked up a few Japanese words/phrases and began saying them over and over. One of them was "cheese-e-wa doku deska" which is part English, part Japanese and means something like "Where is the cheese?". (Obviously I still don't know Japanese) Anyway they kept buying more and more cheese for her! Mostly I was just concerned that we were offending them and didn't realize how incredible it was that my daughter had figured out how to get what she wanted while I couldn't understand the first thing...
And so it goes. Now she is fluent in Japanese and I still can only say "Thank-you" and 'I'm sorry" in Japanese. This story is not unique. Children in a foreign country will always will pick up language and accent faster than their parents. This is the natural learning process we want to preserve and nurture.
Children are so amazing. Please know they are learning even when it seems they are not "paying attention".
Next, we balance this with building skill step by step and affirming that which they are doing well. The general assignment this week:
Bow
Ready position- 2 0r 3 times
Twinkle A on thumb-3 or4 times if it was presented in class for your child
Please make sure the thumb is moving sideways, the sounds are short and the tone is clear. Soft is fine, Too loud means tension
finger numbers - begin mixing up which ones you ask, or have them point to your fingers and you answer
make-up sounds/song -black keys are great for this
Bow
mark the assignment sheet
Total time-definitely under 10 minutes, probably around 5 minutes with the make-up song
The following link is to the book "How to teach Beginners" by Dr. Kataoka. It was intended for teachers and is also great for parents to refer to as they are going through the process. Please keep the following link for reference and read the first part:
http://core.ecu.edu/hist/wilburnk/SuzukiPianoBasics/KataokaSensei/HTB.htm
From this point forward the lessons will be individualized according to the child's readiness on lesson day. So the exact assignment will vary from child to child. This is natural. As Dr. Kataoka says in "How to teach Beginners": " The difference is inconsequential."
We will discuss this and more at the parent meeting next Monday night at 6:30.
see you then,
Leah Brammer
Click for link to next Twinkle Lessons blog
In the moments of the class this week I felt very busy with taking care of the students and making good decisions about the environment. After viewing the videos I am so impressed with how the students are responding. Thinking through this carefully and remembering raising my own children I realize that often this is the feeling a parent has. It is in the looking back we are able to realize how much the child was learning. This is because children learn in a very different way from adults. They are able to take the whole environment in at a time. So while they are busy moving around and looking everywhere they are learning at a very high rate.
I traveled with my daughter to Japan regularly from the time she was 7 years old. From the very first trip she was able to communicate with our home stay family. The children and her immediately began running around and playing together while the adults tried to talk to each other without much success. When our Japanese host family would speak English with a very strong accent I could not understand them at all. My daughter however was immediately able to understand "Japanese English" So, I would say something in English and she would "translate" it into Japanese English-that is should would say it in English but with the Japanese accent. Suddenly they understood! How could she do this so easily and I was completely in the dark? Next she picked up a few Japanese words/phrases and began saying them over and over. One of them was "cheese-e-wa doku deska" which is part English, part Japanese and means something like "Where is the cheese?". (Obviously I still don't know Japanese) Anyway they kept buying more and more cheese for her! Mostly I was just concerned that we were offending them and didn't realize how incredible it was that my daughter had figured out how to get what she wanted while I couldn't understand the first thing...
And so it goes. Now she is fluent in Japanese and I still can only say "Thank-you" and 'I'm sorry" in Japanese. This story is not unique. Children in a foreign country will always will pick up language and accent faster than their parents. This is the natural learning process we want to preserve and nurture.
Children are so amazing. Please know they are learning even when it seems they are not "paying attention".
Next, we balance this with building skill step by step and affirming that which they are doing well. The general assignment this week:
Bow
Ready position- 2 0r 3 times
Twinkle A on thumb-3 or4 times if it was presented in class for your child
Please make sure the thumb is moving sideways, the sounds are short and the tone is clear. Soft is fine, Too loud means tension
finger numbers - begin mixing up which ones you ask, or have them point to your fingers and you answer
make-up sounds/song -black keys are great for this
Bow
mark the assignment sheet
Total time-definitely under 10 minutes, probably around 5 minutes with the make-up song
The following link is to the book "How to teach Beginners" by Dr. Kataoka. It was intended for teachers and is also great for parents to refer to as they are going through the process. Please keep the following link for reference and read the first part:
http://core.ecu.edu/hist/wilburnk/SuzukiPianoBasics/KataokaSensei/HTB.htm
From this point forward the lessons will be individualized according to the child's readiness on lesson day. So the exact assignment will vary from child to child. This is natural. As Dr. Kataoka says in "How to teach Beginners": " The difference is inconsequential."
We will discuss this and more at the parent meeting next Monday night at 6:30.
see you then,
Leah Brammer
Click for link to next Twinkle Lessons blog
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
3_Twinkle Group class #2
Dear Parents,
Great second class! Here is a review:
Listening: The students are becoming familiar with the songs on the recording. Please keep up the listening and find more places/times to have the recording on. You can make extra copies of the recording from your computer so that you can have a copy in every room as well as the car and can put it on an MP3/Ipod type player as well. It is good to begin casually saying the names of the pieces as you hear them.
Also, please listen to the "Do a deer" links from the last blog entry if you have not already done so. This children will really enjoy this. They can begin to memorize the words to the song. We will continue to sing it every week. We will use this song to learn the names of the notes. Also you can sing the solfege for Twinkle when it comes on the disc. We will begin adding more songs to our solfege singing next week.
The Bow: Please read the Please and Thank-you article listed in the last blog entry if you have not already done so. Please bow at home together with your child in the same way that I bow with them during their individual lesson. This will be at the beginning and at the end of your practice time each day. So this week the children can bow (with you), find the ready position and hold, then bow again (with you) at the end.
Rhythm clapping and finger numbers: We are doing these as part of the class activities.
It is best to keep the actual practice to the bow and ready position for this week. We will add to the assignment gradually.
The Assignment Sheet: Please have the child put a mark, drawing, sticker, or color of some kind on the sheet for each day after the practice. This way they are being empowered by the accomplishment. The mark is a recognition and not a reward. This is an important distinction.
About the Ready Position: Ready is focus and intention. It is the point of integration of body/mind/emotion/spirit. This is the most important point for beginning. The body is still in balance with the hand above the keys without tension. The mind is in a place of no thought (words) which is present moment awareness. The practice of counting in the ready position is a way of centering the mind. This will enable the child to become still/ready.
Later, this is not necessary and the word "ready" will suffice to mean focus/intention-body posture/mind still.
The lesson videos are up on the Twinkle blog site. This last week was focused on helping you know how to adjust the bench and footstool for you child, and the beginning of finding the ready position.
You are all doing a fantastic job of supporting your child's progress. It takes real dedication to be a Suzuki parent! Your children will thank you for it - I promise.
Leah Brammer
Click for link to next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Great second class! Here is a review:
Listening: The students are becoming familiar with the songs on the recording. Please keep up the listening and find more places/times to have the recording on. You can make extra copies of the recording from your computer so that you can have a copy in every room as well as the car and can put it on an MP3/Ipod type player as well. It is good to begin casually saying the names of the pieces as you hear them.
Also, please listen to the "Do a deer" links from the last blog entry if you have not already done so. This children will really enjoy this. They can begin to memorize the words to the song. We will continue to sing it every week. We will use this song to learn the names of the notes. Also you can sing the solfege for Twinkle when it comes on the disc. We will begin adding more songs to our solfege singing next week.
The Bow: Please read the Please and Thank-you article listed in the last blog entry if you have not already done so. Please bow at home together with your child in the same way that I bow with them during their individual lesson. This will be at the beginning and at the end of your practice time each day. So this week the children can bow (with you), find the ready position and hold, then bow again (with you) at the end.
Rhythm clapping and finger numbers: We are doing these as part of the class activities.
It is best to keep the actual practice to the bow and ready position for this week. We will add to the assignment gradually.
The Assignment Sheet: Please have the child put a mark, drawing, sticker, or color of some kind on the sheet for each day after the practice. This way they are being empowered by the accomplishment. The mark is a recognition and not a reward. This is an important distinction.
About the Ready Position: Ready is focus and intention. It is the point of integration of body/mind/emotion/spirit. This is the most important point for beginning. The body is still in balance with the hand above the keys without tension. The mind is in a place of no thought (words) which is present moment awareness. The practice of counting in the ready position is a way of centering the mind. This will enable the child to become still/ready.
Later, this is not necessary and the word "ready" will suffice to mean focus/intention-body posture/mind still.
The lesson videos are up on the Twinkle blog site. This last week was focused on helping you know how to adjust the bench and footstool for you child, and the beginning of finding the ready position.
You are all doing a fantastic job of supporting your child's progress. It takes real dedication to be a Suzuki parent! Your children will thank you for it - I promise.
Leah Brammer
Click for link to next Twinkle Lessons Blog
Thursday, September 3, 2009
2_Twinkle Group class #1
Dear Parents,
Congratulations on a great first class. The videos of the lesson are on the video blog. I am sending you an invitation for that blog. They will be put each week after the lessons.
This week is up now so that you can view it. If you have problems viewing it please send me an e-mail.
The notebooks which were given out at the lesson for each student contain the calendar, assignment sheets, the first pieces in Book One with the solfege written above the notes, staff paper for writing notes on, and a disc of selected pieces in the Suzuki repertoire which you can use in addition to listening to the Book One disc most hours of the day/night.
The listening is the most important part of providing the optimum environment for learning. There is no such thing as listening too much! It is important to keep the volume down low so that it is in the background. Pretty soon you will find yourself humming the pieces when you are in the grocery store. This is a good sign.
When the children do this that means they are internalizing the sound of the pieces. This is the readiness for actually playing those sounds on the piano. This is natural learning.
The assignment sheet can be used this week to mark off each day they practice the bow. You can also mark the listening box. Please bring the assignment sheet back to the lesson so that they can show it to me.
It is good if they want to go to the piano to make sounds after the bow, and then bow again at the end of the piano time. Just a bow is good too. Each week as practice evolves you will bow at the beginning and the end of the practice in the same manner that the child bows with me at the lesson.
Please read the post in this blog entitled "Please and Thank-you". You can just click the link, or search it on the top by name or find it under Past Posts on the right side of this blog. Go to 2008, then down to October, and then you will see the title "Please and Thank-You".
You can begin writing the solfege notes in your score. You can use the photocopies as reference. However if you can sing the solfege without the names written above the note you do not need to do this. Also please sing "Do a deer" so that the children can learn the words as we will continue to sing it for the next few weeks.
Following is a great link for "Do a Deer":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY&feature=channel_page
Enjoy!
Link to next Twinkle Blog
Congratulations on a great first class. The videos of the lesson are on the video blog. I am sending you an invitation for that blog. They will be put each week after the lessons.
This week is up now so that you can view it. If you have problems viewing it please send me an e-mail.
The notebooks which were given out at the lesson for each student contain the calendar, assignment sheets, the first pieces in Book One with the solfege written above the notes, staff paper for writing notes on, and a disc of selected pieces in the Suzuki repertoire which you can use in addition to listening to the Book One disc most hours of the day/night.
The listening is the most important part of providing the optimum environment for learning. There is no such thing as listening too much! It is important to keep the volume down low so that it is in the background. Pretty soon you will find yourself humming the pieces when you are in the grocery store. This is a good sign.
When the children do this that means they are internalizing the sound of the pieces. This is the readiness for actually playing those sounds on the piano. This is natural learning.
The assignment sheet can be used this week to mark off each day they practice the bow. You can also mark the listening box. Please bring the assignment sheet back to the lesson so that they can show it to me.
It is good if they want to go to the piano to make sounds after the bow, and then bow again at the end of the piano time. Just a bow is good too. Each week as practice evolves you will bow at the beginning and the end of the practice in the same manner that the child bows with me at the lesson.
Please read the post in this blog entitled "Please and Thank-you". You can just click the link, or search it on the top by name or find it under Past Posts on the right side of this blog. Go to 2008, then down to October, and then you will see the title "Please and Thank-You".
You can begin writing the solfege notes in your score. You can use the photocopies as reference. However if you can sing the solfege without the names written above the note you do not need to do this. Also please sing "Do a deer" so that the children can learn the words as we will continue to sing it for the next few weeks.
Following is a great link for "Do a Deer":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY&feature=channel_page
Enjoy!
Link to next Twinkle Blog
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