Resume of the Practice Seminar

Resume of the Practice Seminar

Hosted by the Lothian Suzuki Group and held in the Candlish Hall, St. George’s West Church, Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, on Friday, 1 September 2006

I am grateful to you for coming along to this venture. The evening has been voted a great success by those I have spoken to. Parents reported on how good it was to feel supported by events of this kind, realising that problems experienced at home in the practice time were far from uncommon.

I was asked by Suzuki piano teacher Nicky Bradford, who runs the Deeside Suzuki Piano Festival, to organise something for all the parents with children attending this last July. With the September seminar in mind, I decided to initiate a preliminary discussion on practice and approached one of my parents who is also undergoing Suzuki piano teacher training. I asked her to come up with five topics that would help to address some of the chief practice issues. They were: -

- How to maintain an upbeat approach in home practice sessions.

- How to create a perfect practice environment.

- How to maintain practice during the holidays.

- At what point does the parent become less involved in practice with the older child?

- How to practise sight-reading.

We broke up into small discussion groups. Each group was led by a Suzuki teacher and someone else acted as a scribe. At the end I took in the notes and collated the findings. The following day these were presented as points on a flip-chart which have been replicated and are provided with these notes for reference.

The main problem involved in gathering information into something that appeared to be a comprehensive “how to do it” guide was not at all straightforward. Many points seemed to contradict one another! However, as one teacher pointed out, what might be appropriate at one stage might not be at another and so it is important to have a flexible toolkit upon which to draw for ever changing and developing situations.

On the evening of the Practice Seminar we took these discussions to a new level. With the addition of wine and cheese conversations flowed along. For the first half hour parents and teachers studied copies of the article “The Role of the Parent: Creating a Nurturing Learning Environment” based on a talk given by Dorothy Jones of Canada.

Several weeks before, when still on holiday, I began to make final preparations for the seminar. Over several years I had made a collection of articles on this very emotive subject. The one by Dorothy Jones struck me immediately. Here was a Suzuki piano teacher who had experienced all the difficulties that parents encounter.

She had first heard of the Suzuki method when her eldest daughter was only four years old. Together they enrolled as the first violin student and parent with a teacher who had read about Dr. Suzuki’s works but was willing to admit that he didn’t really understand it. So they agreed to experiment as no other teacher in the area was prepared to teach a four year old.

They received a good grounding in technique but little in the way of Suzuki parent education. “Nurtured by Love” – a must for parents of all Suzuki pupils – had been read, but without parental support it was difficult to take in at the time. Instead the whole process was dominated by a daily practice routine which became a chore. The daughter practised because her mother insisted and meanwhile a little sister looked on, noticing that playing the violin really wasn’t much fun at all.

Luckily they were able to find another teacher who had been involved with Dr. Suzuki’s teaching project at the Eastman School of Music, New York. Soon Dorothy Jones became involved in not only accompanying for violin classes but also a special parent programme. This was an environment that, instead of forcing, actually encouraged.

And so began her quest into the component parts of practice upon which real success hinged. Four main goals emerged: -

• enjoyment of the process

• listening

• motivation

• co-operation

After a short talk on “The Value of Parent Seminars” given by Mary McCarthy, which reminded us all that we are part of a wider and supportive Suzuki community – she is now Director of the Scottish and Irish Suzuki piano teacher training course – we broke up into groups, each with a leader and a scribe as at Deeside, to discuss selected paragraphs.

As it so happened, my choice of article turned out to be even more appropriate than I had at first realised. It was in fact the transcript of a talk given by Dorothy Jones in her role as Chairman of the Suzuki Association of the Americas at the International Suzuki Conference held here in Scotland at St. Andrews University in 1990. On this occasion not only did the university confer a doctorate on Shinichi Suzuki, but among those present were Mary McCarthy, and a little girl of six, in the audience with her mother, who having heard Suzuki violinists perform, wanted to learn the instrument. There were no Suzuki violin teachers in St. Andrews, so instead Isla began piano lessons with Anne Turner, co-founder of the British Suzuki Institute. The rest is history. Anne started a Scottish piano teacher training course which I joined along with a number of other Scottish teachers. Isla is now on the teacher training course in Edinburgh and was at the seminar with her mother Maggie. Also at the seminar was a parent who has recently moved to Edinburgh from Cambridge where her children had been learning piano with Stephen Power. It was he who had arranged the taping and transcripts of Dorothy Jones’ talk.

We came away from that evening fired up to tackle the new term and some exciting things are emerging from the seminar. One parent says she now feels quite content to sit and listen to her son play without feeling that she must necessarily “interfere”, instead they have a time of praise and evaluation at the end – the atmosphere being most definitely one of cooperation rather than competition. Numbers of parents agreed that the very act of sharing ideas during the evening was comforting.

My own quest into the subject of practice continues as situations never stand still. In our shared journey, assisting children in their development as musicians and more importantly as people, we must always remain open to new ideas and embrace new ways of doing things.

Notes taken from the Parent Seminar on Practice

Deeside Suzuki Piano Festival

July 2006

UPBEAT PRACTICE

• Avoid the words “practice” and say “play” instead. Balance “work” and “play”.

• Praise even small things

• Eliminate the words “no” and “wrong”.

• Finish practice on a high note

• Short and frequent sessions are best

• Variety for small children

• Small sections

• Games

• Rewards and deals

• Attitude of parent i.e. positive

• Give child responsibility i.e. when, what to practice

• Triangle agreement over practice.

• Specific goals for practice

• Mum/Dad “transform” into teacher

• Clear expectations

• Systematic but flexible approach

• Review system.

PERFECT HOME PRACTICE

• In lesson, note specifics. Teacher should recap.

• Repertoire. Cards and Lucky Dips are useful

• Parent lessons

• Wait for right moment to practice

• Time of day when child is not tired.

HOLIDAYS

• Arrange social occasions.

• Attend Musical Events / Workshops

• Lessons over the holidays.

• Mixed age range activities.

• Be a pianist for younger groups.

• Visit piano shops!

• Take a keyboard or roll-up piano away with you

• CD listening

PARENT INVOLVEMENT WITH OLDER CHILD

• The older child may or may not want to take responsibility

• Depends on relationship

• Gradual weaning is best

• Teacher and teenager need to communicate directly

• Group interaction

SIGHTREADING

Different approaches: -

• Follow score while listening/playing.

• Set sight-reading material.

• Beginner piano books are useful.

• Easy pieces or self-teach and play in group.

• Duets.

• Notes and pitch

• Rhythm – clap first

• Notes and rhythm

• Say note names.

Feedback from the Edinburgh seminar discussion groups with teacher input

Enjoyment of the Process (Part I)

(quotes in this report appearing in italics are from 'The Role of the Parent: creating a nurturing learning environment' by Dorothy Jones. The article was published in the Ability journal of the British Suzuki Institute in the summer of 1991.)

“It was easy to enjoy the process in the lesson because the parent was responsible then; all I had to do was sit back and take a few notes. But at home it wasn’t always easy”.

Parents can feel under pressure on taking on the role of home teacher. For some this works – the idea that they are stepping in for the real teacher at home as the teacher can’t be there themselves. For others the idea is frightening so beware of labels! Perhaps the concept of home helper, practice assistant or coach would ease things – don’t worry too much if you don’t have all the answers. Most teachers would be happy for a parent to phone them during the week to check something- that is if it can be explained by this means. Either that or leave a “thorny” area until the next lesson and await clarification. Parent and pupil should be encouraged to enter a journey of discovery together – the concept that “practice is a time of exploration”.

Entering into a practice agreement emerged several times. This is something that works best if instigated at the lesson itself. – a triangular agreement between pupil-parent-teacher; shake hands on it even! Or agree to wave a magic wand and turn the parent into the teacher.

Parents sometimes say that they find it hard to make meaningful notes and they would therefore need to ask the teacher to go over the point. I feel that it is really important that the teacher makes time at the end of each lesson to recap on the main teaching points. As children grow older the parent does become more of a scribe so that the lesson flow remains uninterrupted and the pupil is able to read and discuss the notes a home. This gives an element of responsibility. One teacher records the pupils’ lessons for them to listen back to at home, either on audio or video.

Signing a contract between parent and child was even suggested – why not if it works? Often children like to see something on paper. Rewards, stickers, points for cooperation (along with keeping the bedroom tidy for example!) have been found to work. It is a natural human reaction to want to strive towards something – a prize or reward of some kind. The greatest reward of all is in the mastery of practice, and therefore playing, but recognition in some other way highlights the achievement. Watching tick charts grow, carrying on a weekly tick chart set up in the lesson for younger children, all contribute to the growing sense of achievement: and threats are also part of this sometimes – being cruel to be kind. “No screen until practice” etc. or cooperation/teamwork charts may be required. Aim however to be positive and avoid the word “no” as much as possible.

So the other side of the coin is one of practice being made a special time, a time set aside to be together. The child could sometimes choose the time for themselves, but many parents prefer to stick to a routine. The word “practice” is also a label, for some it works perfectly, for others the word “play” has a more pleasing ring to it, and for teenagers “a time of exploration” can be more appropriate. Ultimately it will become one of enjoyment of the process (a goal in itself), a time of experimentation – seeing what works and what doesn’t – “what they have a bend for” – and less about attaining other goals. Use what works, discard what doesn’t.

Above all, even when things seem to get tough, remember how lucky both parents and children are to be part of this three-sided team. In the past, as a more mainstream piano teacher, I was often quite shocked when a pupil told me that Mum or Dad had said “Must you keep on playing that same tune all the time?!” They dropped the child off at the lesson, had little idea of what was involved in its content and indeed what goes into playing an instrument. Suzuki parents are in a unique position and they are able to gain a great insight into this, first-hand. And the fact that the child likes going to the lesson and leaves feeling inspired by it goes a long way towards helping things at home.

Enjoyment of the Process (Part II)

“So I began to try to look at our own situation; it’s very hard to step outside your own practising and look at what’s wrong with it…… the more I realised that my role was to be quiet during practice time, the more successful the practices became”.

It would seem that the best way to establish a meaningful practice routine is again by the teacher setting something very specific in lessons. This can be done in a number of ways according to the age, stage and natural inclination of the child.

Setting up tick charts and entering into agreements are starters. But parents and pupils need pointers – categorising of pieces is good here. As the list of things to practise grows the task can become quite overwhelming. There are ways round this. On the tick chart and/or in the parent notebook specify what needs practising everyday. Other pieces, or parts of pieces, can be done on other days. Special practice tricks can have an allotted area in each practice i.e. beginnings, middles or ends of tunes and technically demanding passages. Review pieces can be cycled round. Different Twinkles or Twinkle medleys can be played each day and lucky dips employed. Perhaps one day a week can be designated a “concert day”– practising to perform is also important.

As children work towards their book concert, maintenance of repertoire can seem awesome. I suggest to my parents that they make up menu cards, about four in all, for Book 1. On each card goes one Twinkle, a tune from near the beginning of the book, one from the middle and another from the end. Each day a different menu card is used. For Book II onwards a practice schedule can be based on the notion of learning pieces, performance pieces and review (or rusty!) pieces. Something like the following for example: -

• start with a performance piece

• do Twinkles/scales etc. (Twinkles can be played in different keys for variety)

• work on one learning piece or shorter sections of several.

• Do one or two review pieces

• Sight-reading/rhythm work

• Finish with a performance piece.

Parents of “tweenage” and teenage pupils in particular have reported back that this process makes practising simple and that they are able to get through a meaningful amount between lessons.

I also refer frequently to the “Three S’s of Practice” – Slowly, Separately and in Sections (or with Stops).

The technicalities of how as well as what to practise also rests with the teacher, the details need not concern us here as this varies according to the instrument. However it does all start at the lesson and with teacher clarification.

With this in place it should be easier for the parent to take on a more passive role in practice sessions.

Interference and confrontation came up as the big baddies. For the parent to be quiet in practice was seen to be valid but it was necessary also to point out helpful hints. This is where having a specific and understood schedule as guided by the teacher is important – one parent said that they insist on doing what the teacher wants them to do. However, positive parental involvement was also perceived as “going with the flow”, letting the child decide what to do next but always bearing in mind the things that have been set for practice.

No child enjoys being told how to correct things during a practice session. It is important, just as it is in the lesson with the teacher, to let them complete a piece without interruption and to ask to repeat it if necessary – maybe a bit at a time. Take stock, and be positive about the work done so far. Praise basic things like correct notes, or even, sitting still. Rather than saying what is wrong let them play the piece again and then suggest a correction. Perhaps the child could be asked what they think the teacher would have said; this lightens things up and gives the child some responsibility. Letting them take the lead became a key feature of this discussion, paving the way towards the child being able to break loose when they are older.

Mirroring bad behaviour was considered effective e.g. “That was absolutely awful (element of humour here!) – now I’ll play it badly then see if you can make it even worse than me!” Then “Let’s see who can play it best?”

Pointing out what is good about the playing was also important – however small! And the last word on this lies with a parent at the seminar: -

“We are the wallpaper- the facilitators. That’s where I’ve been getting it wrong – I try to be a teacher not a supporter.”

Listening

“I began to realise that perhaps the most important thing I could do to create that natural environment at home was to make sure these children heard beautiful music, and we become very knowledgeable about good violinists (or pianists), good orchestras, and of course, the Suzuki repertoire.”

Listening to the CD regularly is necessary for the Suzuki approach to work effectively and it puts the pupil on the fast track to success. It was also seen as important for parents to set specific times to do this, i.e. at breakfast or on car journeys.

For some parents however this was a chore and even stretched to a candid report of being “bored rigid with Suzuki music”. Pop music was more familiar and the notion of “voiceless” music therefore alien. Coming to something new and hard for an individual to relate to is an understandable fear. This was an honest comment and may well echo a similar reaction from other parents.

Presumably there was some attraction to starting Suzuki lessons in the first place so perhaps there are solutions too. Depending upon the child’s age of course, setting words to the music (several Suzuki teachers do this) could help - singing along to the CD maybe? It might be necessary to step out of the comfort zone a bit – how about additional listening to short pieces of classical music with a narrative or a piece of music with a storyline? Then there are familiar tunes from movies and TV themes and instrumental folk music. It need not be too dramatic. Alternatively, joining a children’s’ group where singing is a feature might prove more satisfactory. Just some ideas. However, once involved in a Suzuki education programme, and for it to work properly, it really is important that the child does not pick up any hint of a negative parental response to the CD.

Certainly listening to repertoire outside of Suzuki was thought to be important, broadening a child’s knowledge of listening to music on the radio for example. Classic FM has some very good programmes geared to children. And taking children to concerts and shows was also considered helpful – an “It’s all about music” approach, and not necessarily having to be “snobbish” about what they listen to.

Variety definitely emerged as a key matter. Listening to Suzuki CDs from higher books in the repertoire could be intermingled with their actual book CD so that when children hear the pieces played at concerts and workshops they can recognise them. As my pupils get onto Book II I encourage them to follow the notes and listen to the CD at the same time, a different kind of listening still.

There was also a need to learn a wider repertoire of music outside of the set Suzuki pieces.

Motivation

“It seemed that this motivation was infectious, it caught on with the families who were not able to attend, and so we began to promote these kinds of activities in our own city and people …… were invited to come and join us.”

Dorothy Jones describes the setting-up of “year-in” festivals when families would gather for a long weekend. Children played together in groups and there were lectures for parents. These festivals proved highly motivational.

Most people who have attended workshops, festivals and group lessons know just how motivational and inspirational these can be. Being with other children, involvement in social activities and parental interaction are generally very helpful indeed and in some cases have turned whole families around. Going to the International Suzuki Conference in Turin last Easter was a big motivator for some other teachers and pupils and group playing for violinists gave them much encouragement.

Parents can feel anxious about the expected level of group commitment, when the groups have to be fitted into a busy life. However group lessons are an important part of the Suzuki approach. Getting together and listening to one another is very helpful and peer understanding was seen to be stimulating. Some children can be shy but consistent exposure to a supportive environment helps this to eventually wear off.

Special events could be considered expensive for some people but generally workshops etc are reasonably priced for what is on offer. Certainly parents can link up and organise “get-togethers” themselves, meeting up outside of groups and lessons. In Glasgow distance was thought to be a difficulty and it would take time to build a community. E-mailing information would help to keep people together, to keep on top of what is going on and it would be down to individuals to initiate these things on a more localised basis.

Co-operation

“What I believe really in this triangle with the teacher, parent and child is one of co-operation rather than competition …. And so it (practice) was always a competition, when we could turn it around and decide very coolly together what it was we wanted to accomplish then it became a co-operative one.”

This one was regarded by some as being a bit cryptic. In essence it welds together all the other parts; enjoyment of the process, listening and motivation.

In some areas it was felt that as we spend the rest of life “in control mode” why be different with Suzuki? The answer surely lies with Suzuki’s own philosophy, an approach based on the belief in creating a natural and nurturing environment. Indeed Dorothy Jones’ view is that through the channel of agreement and therefore co-operation during practice times her children learned a great deal more than the Suzuki repertoire. They developed a sense of punctuality and commitment, regular study patterns, the importance of repetition and review and a calm and focussed mind.

I can only speak from personal experience. Having taught the same pupils over a long period of time I have watched them gradually change and develop. I can see teenagers and school leavers who have learned not only to treat each other with respect but also have gained a sense of confidence and self-respect. Together we have built on individual strengths, or to quote Dorothy Jones “what they have a bend for”, and by sharing this process we have all grown as musicians and human beings. I do believe that it is indeed all about being a constant observer of the learning process and an enjoyment of the natural way in which learning can take place.

My thanks go to all of you for your contribution to and participation in this worthwhile discussion.

Marie

PIANO TEACHER TRAINING IN IRELAND

PIANO TEACHER TRAINING IN IRELAND

Edinburgh Suzuki piano teacher, Mary McCarthy, is now running teacher training courses in Scotland and Ireland.

Interest in the Irish course began with Suzuki violin and viola teacher Maire Ni Dhuibhir from New Inn, near Kilconnell in Co. Galway. Wishing to train as a Suzuki piano teacher to satisfy local demand, Maire and other teachers in the area have come forward to join Mary’s course. There are now a total of ten teachers from Galway City, Loughrea, Kilconnell and Roscommon training with the Suzuki Education Institute of Ireland.

Mary visits Co. Galway several times a year. In March of this year the Irish teachers flew to Edinburgh and joined their Scottish counterparts for a 3 day training course. Their trip included a visit to the Russell Collection of harpsichords, in St. Cecilia’s Hall (Edinburgh University).

Back in August 2004, some Suzuki piano pupils from the Edinburgh area combined holidays in Co. Galway to coincide with the Irish course, and in the mornings received individual lessons from the trainees and group lessons from Mary. This took place at St. Killian’s College, a secondary school in New Inn where Tom McCoughlin, Maire’s husband, is Head Teacher. While the facilities of the music department, situated in two huts at the rear of the school enabled the course to take place, a really good piano was needed.

Finally after looking around for a suitable instrument for some time, Maire took the plunge and this year a deposit was put on a Yamaha grand. The proprietor of the nearby Slateford Restaurant at Loughrea, Maura Winters, was prepared to house the piano there permanently. “Friends of Loughrea Heritage” gave 20,000 euros, backed mainly by business people in the area and a series of recitals over the winter months was set up to fund the whole project. Inaugurated by Mary this summer around fifty people attended her concert, which included works by J.S. Bach, Beethoven and Chopin as well as a contemporary Serbian piece. After wine and cheese sponsored by the restaurant, Mary continued her concert with about twenty minutes of Scottish and Irish folk music.

Never having been to Ireland before and interested to see what was happening on the course there, Mary invited me to join her at New Inn in August this year. Some teacher trainees from the Scottish course also took part and Suzuki piano pupils from Edinburgh came along again.

The moment I stepped off the Dublin-Galway train I was in another world. This was Woodlawn, a tiny halt, with a profusion of fuchsia bushes growing beside the narrow platform. The station was opened specially for a local landowner many years ago and is within easy reach of New Inn by car.

The morning sessions of the course were held at Slateford Restaurant, itself an impressive barn conversion in the heart of Co. Galway countryside. The new piano is kept in a modern extension to the building, which forms the main part of the restaurant. With its high, cathedral-like ceilings and big windows, it was nothing less than inspiring to sit and listen to piano music surrounded by a vista of woods and rolling farmland.

Each day began at 9.00am with two teachers’ lessons; most of the course members arriving by 9.30. Everyone then performed a small concert before the Suzuki families arrived for a group lesson. Next, coffee was served by the restaurant staff who at the same time took orders for lunch. I cannot think of a better venue, where, halfway through the morning and wilting a little, we were offered a choice of a fish, meat or vegetarian dish with some tempting desserts! Parents and teachers mingled and the children were able to play outside in the restaurant grounds.

Then it was back to work again; the children each had an individual lesson with a designated trainee; each trainee kept the same pupil throughout the course.

After lunch we drove to St. Killians College, where the trainees received their own lessons, teaching points on the pieces were covered and discussions on the Suzuki method took place. On the final afternoon I managed to rendezvous with one of my own pupils from Edinburgh, who just happened to be touring Ireland by car with her parents. Somehow they had managed to find us! Katie had a piano lesson with Mary, after which she was presented with an ice cream Maire had bought for her at the village shop next door to the school. Not a bad start to a holiday!

One evening some of us repaired to an inn at Ballyfa, where a band of local traditional musicians which included some of Maire’s Suzuki violinists, played Irish music.

Altogether it was an exhilarating experience and my thanks go to Mary, Maire and Marie, my hostess, as well as the teacher trainees, who made me feel most welcome. I hope to go again.

Marie Barton

Article first published in 'Ability' Journal of the British Suzuki Institute, Spring 2006

Nourished by Music

DEESIDE SUZUKI PIANO FESTIVAL

Parent Afternoon

Saturday, 14 July 2007

“Nourished by Music?”

An exploration of the role of practice within the Suzuki environment

Introduction

Dr. Suzuki said “only practise on the days you eat”. In William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” Duke Orsino opens the play with the famous words “If music be the food of love play on”. And a passage from Suzuki’s “Nurtured by Love”, that little book which describes the growth of his philosophy, reads:

“One day the principle of Talent Education, based on the way we learn our mother tongue, will certainly change the course of education. No one will be left behind; and based on love, it will foster truth, joy and beauty as part of a child’s character. If nothing else, it will at least teach children ….. to be warm-hearted and enjoy doing kindnesses to others”.

A dictionary definition of nurtured is nourished. So the consumption of music through, ideally, daily practice might, therefore, be compared to the daily regular intake of nourishment received from food.

Please think about the following in preparation for discussion in groups:

How perhaps could we apply the components of a good, healthy diet to the practice routine, in order to produce the kind of results Suzuki speaks of? Here are some ideas to chew over (sorry!). You may think of others.

• regularity
• timing
• ingredients
• appetising and appealing
• balance
• variety
• health giving (versus junk)
• digestible
• environment (where and how practised/consumed)
• social (times to be together)
• preparation for special occasions
• well presented
• experimental
• element of choice
• planned
• spontaneous
• suited to the individual (dietary needs)
• growth and development

Each discussion group will need a scribe so that ideas can be gathered in and collated later on.

See the follow-on discussion.

Discussions on 'Nourished by Music'

Discussions on 'Nourished by Music'

July and September 2007

Continuing our discussion on the topic of practice, which began in 2006 in Deeside and Edinburgh,we explored the idea of music practice as daily nourishment. Initially aimed at Suzuki pianists, this topic can of course be applied to other instrumentalists as well. It was inspired by Dr. Suzuki's famous quote:- 'only practise on the days you eat.'

In Suzuki's view therefore, daily practice is essential for the healthy maintenance of technique and repertoire, in the same way that a daily intake of food keeps us fuelled. But it also poses the question of the kind of food we should consume in order to have a good, healthy diet as well as how we consume it. In the same way it begs comparison with what and how practice is carried out.

At Deeside, the parents and teachers concerned were sub-divided into five groups. Between them they managed to cover most of the points on the list provided for consideration. (Refer to 'Nourished by Music' Deeside Suzuki Piano Festival parent afternoon by returning to the Home Page). The findings are as follows:-

Regularity

The idea of regularity could make a parent feel very guilty which would have a destructive effect upon practising. It was also dependent upon the moods of the parent and child, nevertheless it was acknowledged that practising became more difficult if regularity was lost. The parent could take control of the irregularity and make compromises with the child if they wished to change times through negotiation. Regular practice depended for the most part on the child. And regularity did not necessarily involve a specific time of day, but more the fact that it takes place at frequent intervals (some even do it twice a day!). The same can be said of mealtimes – practice has to fit around individual lifestyles. For some children, 'creatures of habit', a particular time worked well. But some parents had to juggle the day's routine, so even though they had the time to do the practice the child would not always be willing to cooperate with that. This was summed up by the identification of two types of child:-

1. those (often boys but not necessarily) who go back and forward throughout the day.

2. those (often girls but again not necessarily) who need security and routine.

Regularity enabled practice on specific sections of the music to take place resulting in familiarity. This would in turn make regularity more appealing. Linking and attaching practice to another physical activity was considered helpful eg. practice before telly. Reward schemes could be used if they worked successfully.

Timing

Again, this was considered to be dependent upon the child. The parent needed to be sensitive to their commitments. These could be used as a way to find the time to actually get the practice done. It was important that the practice schedule did not compete with other activities, so the child must choose the time to fit around these. Certainly the practice didn't need to be the same time every day. And timing of practice could change with age, as indeed eating does. In general, the worst time to practise was considered to be just after school and the best time just before. But of course this is a very individual thing. Sometimes split practices produce the best results. Daily charts, with agreed timings were often helpful as were reward stickers for completion of practice. Flexibility over the length of practice was thought to be important because of concentration.

Ingredients

The ingredients of practice were listed as:-

• what you play (basic recipe)
• how you warm up (heating the oven first)
• detailed ingredients (list given in recipe book). These would include review of 'rusty' tunes, maintaining concert pieces (always having a prepared meal stored and readily available should there be an unexpected dinner guest, which can be compared to being asked by someone to play on the spur of the moment).
• twinkles, scales ( like preparing the cooking utensils such as greasing the dish, lining the cake tin etc.)
• lucky dips (like the dips we eat from time to time, why don't we have them in practice too?)
• CD with games instead of normal practice (rather like a quick, alternative snack)Ingredients had to be broken down into using the usual learning aids and having bite-sized bits to work on.
• ingredients of practice/food as a menu. Parents are essentially responsible for this, just as a cook is for the meal. However, it is very important that the teacher, as instigator of the recipe, initiates and makes clear just what is appropriate between lesson times to work on – they are the authors of the cook book!

Appetising and Appealing

It was noted that 'weeds in the garden come up' – perhaps amongst the vegetable plot?! By this it was meant faults in the parent/child partnership existed and needed to be addressed in order to make practice both appetising and appealing. To make it so, it was considered good to let the child choose the practice content. This suggestion was countered by the reminder that there is a core curriculum, and that 'you can't be eating ice cream all day long'. A teacher's dyslexic 13 year old liked to do unconventional things in his practice, but Bach was still essential in order to progress forward. Another teacher pointed out that there can be a need to deviate in order to keep the show on the road, and it was agreed that teachers need to be aware of new opportunities that may motivate the child. The Suzuki method therefore need not exclude other things. It was a two way process and it was sometimes necessary to divert in order to come back. Variation, fun, a sense of humour, positive remarks, single points to work on and minimal verbal intervention were therefore thought to be the main constituents here. Experiment was also considered important , for example starting a tune on different notes, or beginning in the middle of a tune.

Balance and Variety

Again, this embraced different sectors of work:- learning,concert and review pieces, Balance and variety could also be brought about by not concentrating too much on a new piece. 'Small but new, lots of review'. 'Going with the flow', introducing non Suzuki books and a variety of listening was thought to be a good idea.

Health- giving versus Junk

What was meant by junk exactly? Perhaps it was a quick fix, like pressing a button on a keyboard and getting a sound effect which gives instant gratification. No need for the hard slog of practice then, as fast food doesn't require time spent on gathering together the ingredients and the preparation of a health-giving meal. The Suzuki approach is health giving, with no watered down versions of well known pieces eg. 'Fur Elise'. But junk was also seen as negative parental behaviour and the difficult attitudes of children. It was all about how to cope with this. Linking up with the child's interest was one way to do so, which ties in with making the practice material digestible, well presented and enabling an element of choice of pieces to be practised. This and previous topics also embrace the idea of the experimental with planning versus spontaneity. Working with the child could also be equated with dietary needs. The digestible element could be considered here too, ensuring that practice did not contain too much material on items that were difficult to attain in one go. Small amounts were healthier. This involved an element of understanding and learning how to speak up, thus pacing and enhancing the practice with language and voice tone.

Environment

Dr. Suzuki's philosophy advocates a nurturing environment. As stated earlier, it does have a lot to do with the mood of the parent. The ideal is of course a happy, friendly and peaceful environment with a prepared parent. Within this topic a question was posed as to what age do pupils come to a lesson without a parent? It does of course depend on the individual and will become a subject for future seminar discussions.

Social

It was seen as useful to bring children together so that they could practise more. Special occasions also enabled this. Being well prepared was seen to be essential; just as it would be necessary in a catering situation. Here, each individual should have done their preparation well but there was also a need for the teacher to consider all the individual pieces/dishes to provide balance and contrast within the concert framework. This also provided a chance for children to dress up and develop their social skills further. It was certainly thought advantageous to make an effort, even if just a hair clip!

Experimental

It was believed that this needed handling with care. Certainly it was good to allow children to experiment and not simply follow a pre-ordained menu. Some children liked to play a tune in a different key or to make up another left hand, which encourages improvisation and musicianship. However care should be taken for doodling when used as a smoke screen. Doodling though, sometimes develops into interesting ideas that are brought along to lessons and the teacher can then encourage continuation of an idea in future practice sessions. Some worthy compositions develop this way.

In conclusion to the Deeside discussion groups, it will be noted that the list of topics relate closely to one another. However compartmentalisation made it easier to draw comparisons with food. In the first Scottish newsletter, piano teacher trainee and psychology student Maria Falsone writes under the heading 'Scales as Protein'. Her younger brother, interested in dietary matters in relation to being a healthy sportsman, sees scales as providing this necessary requirement! And one group at Deeside summed up the discussion well by stressing the importance of encouragement. This included creating situations in which children can listen to lots of good music and the parent can explore ways to stimulate the imagination.

Almost two months later a group of parents met for the 2^nd Suzuki Piano Support Seminar held in the Candlish Hall at St. Georges West Church, Shandwick Place, Edinburgh. I presided over the meeting and was delighted that Mary McCarthy could also join us. Also present at the discussions were teacher trainees Isla Pitkethly, and Maria Falsone. To my great surprise Maria had invited along my ex student Nicola Sukatorn who is now at university. The three of them were able to make extremely interesting observations as they had all learned the piano by the Suzuki method . This proved to be a great inspiration to the parents who attended.

We continued the theme of 'Nourished by Music' by walking the talk as for the first half hour we socialised over glasses of wine and nibbles! Before we split up into two main groups we had an open forum at which parents were invited to ask questions. As it was the end of the long summer holidays the topic of how to keep practising going over that time was raised. Attending the various clubs, workshops and masterclasses laid on during the summer helped enormously. Impromptu get-togethers were also encouraged, particularly as Suzuki said 'children teach each other'. Giving small concerts or simply playing to each other was as important as playing together away from the piano. The social aspect was then of great benefit, more so than the musical activity itself. When away on holiday with no piano the linguistic aspect of music could be developed by doing lots of listening. This emphasised the need to go back to the sound in order to engender quality.

The main discussion around the theme of food continued. The first group agreed that practice was a good analogy with food. It was acknowledged that each family and each individual is different. Letting go of control was the key here, replacing this with positivity even when mistakes were being made. This was described as gut-free fun! There was a new spin on healthy practice, the need for pianists to practise hands separately first. As to regularity, not many people might be able to practise at the same time every day – regular becomes something that changes regularity! It was also thought that not everyone gets exactly all the necessary nutrients everyday, so it was important to be realistic. The social aspect was also addressed; Suzuki keeps parents and teenagers together more than other methods of learning, and Suzuki children are much more comfortable playing to other people because they have become used to it.

In the other group similar themes were covered. The fact that different people eat in different ways for example. 'Social 'meant times for family members to be together and that spontaneity was really important. One mother said her daughter was particularly difficult to feed, what she liked one day she disliked the next! She had to learn to match her moods and to slide into that frame so it was a case of different things for different days and it was the same for practice as well. Again, fast food practice was compared to diving in hands together. There was also likening of the Suzuki approach, as the mother-tongue method, to language, which involved both listening and doing.

This then, completes the study on 'Nourished by Music', in as much as it could ever be concluded. It was hard to get those gathered at this event to leave, so engrossed were they by this subject. And it is one which I am sure will live on the daily lives of all those who took part in these discussions. I hope also that it will be the same for those who are now able to read and reflect upon these evaluations.

Marie Barton. October 2007.

Tips for Tip-Top Practice

LOTHIAN SUZUKI GROUP

The Suzuki Approach

Tips for Tip-Top Practice

How are you getting on? Here is a checklist, in order of priority. All of these points need to be maintained, but some of the most important ones can be overlooked.

1. Listen to the CD everyday

Have it on in the background: meal times, school runs, during other quiet activities (failure to do this turns learning the pieces accurately into hard work and will result in the following: -

• difficulty in memorising notes of new tunes

• incorrect rhythm – a big giveaway!

• forgetting repeats – another big giveaway!)

2. Twinkles, Scales, Arpeggios and other technical studies

The Twinkles form the basis of the Suzuki method and have a bearing on every piece you will ever learn! Likewise, when ready, scales and arpeggios form the backbone of more advanced piano skills.

3. Practise Everyday (But eat first!)

Dr. Suzuki said only practise on the days you eat! Put aside a special time each day to do your practice. Aim to keep a routine and stick to it, but don’t practice on an empty stomach!

4. Practice: Supervised versus Unsupervised

The parent takes on an active role in home practice. The child should not be merely told to go off and do their own practice (in this case there is no point in following the Suzuki method – traditional piano lessons tend not to require a parent to take part in practice sessions). Ensure your child practises with a parent or both parents if they are involved in the lessons, otherwise meaningful practice will not occur. Keen practicers can also be encouraged to play by themselves, but not as a substitute for supervised sessions. Older children, teenagers for example, should be able to take more responsibility for themselves in this respect.

5. Make notes during Lessons

Details covered with your Suzuki teacher in lessons can get easily overlooked during the week. Making notes to refer to ensures high quality practice. Again, teenagers can take on more responsibility here and make their own notes.

(PLEASE NOTE: parents are “off duty” from teaching in lessons. Giving instructions alongside the teacher to your child at these times only causes confusion and frustration. Making notes is the parent’s role at the lessons; points for discussion can be raised with the teacher, preferably at the end of the lesson).

6. The 3 “S”s of Practice

Slowly, separately and in sections. Middles and endings of pieces often need more attention. Quality is more important then quantity. Bad habits, once learned, become very fluent bad habits!

7. Bring Variety to your Practice

For younger children: use lucky dips, practice cards (menus), practice project sheets, games, charts, motivational stickers and intersperse practice with other activities; - make it lively and fun! Aim to practice everything daily: Twinkles, scales, new pieces, review pieces, sight-reading and aural, when appropriate.

8. Two Ways to Practise

1. Practise to learn: Stop and repeat until things are right (see the 3 “S”s of Practice). Always review old pieces; play together first then take apart and re-appraise.

2. Only practise performing pieces you know well. (These pieces should also still be practised as review – see Step 1).

9. Quit on a High

Always finish a practice session with something easy that you know well. Parents – always praise younger ones! Older pupils give yourselves a pat on the back!

Above all, enjoy your practice.

Good luck!

Up the Garden Path

Up the Garden Path

a short journey to the classics

by Marie Barton

During the month of July, I have for the last two years run a mixed age-range music activity club. This has catered for my own pupils as well as those of other Suzuki teachers. The participants come for a minimum of five three hour sessions and we indulge in a wild extravaganza of solo and ensemble performances, as well as improvisation, percussion and art work, poetry or story writing and drama. At the end of each morning we stage an ad hoc performance. Despite the time constraints, the children always manage to pull something off, having learnt how to work together as a team. The results are often worthy of a much older age range.

We start each session by listening to two or three items of selected classical music which sets the scene for that day. I choose the classics not because I don't think that other types of music aren't important – my own tastes are eclectic – but because it is an area in which pupils tend to have the least experience. The material is selected according to the topic being covered and I am always impressed by the way the children all sit together quietly, no matter what their age, sometimes the gap has been as much as ten years! The rest of the morning is quite hectic as the participants are split up into sub-groups and given appropriate tasks. The older ones have special responsibilities, sometimes to produce the entire sound effects for the end of morning production. The music they have listened to undoubtably gives them inspiration and ideas.

Each session, therefore, begins with a restful and reflective time after which individual responses to the music, always positive, are encouraged and given. Their reactions are both fascinating and insightful.

The child of much older parents, I was exposed to classical music from a young age. I realise now just how fortunate I was. Each night I would fall asleep to the sound of piano music played by my father, which wafted up the staircase to my bedroom. Although he performed classical pieces there was always a mixture of styles which included some folk, blues or 'easy listening' music.

When my father was fourteen years of age he had no option but to leave school and join the Royal Navy. As a school boy he had never had any opportunities to have music lessons, but as he was walking home one afternoon he heard the sound of piano music coming from a house in the street where he lived. After that he heard the music often, until one day he marched up the garden path, knocked on the front door and inquired of the mystery pianist the title of the piece. It was called 'Clair de Lune' (yes! there is another version!) by the French Impressionist composer Claude Debussy.

At first my father taught himself to play by ear, which he continued to do in the navy, using any old honky-tonk he could lay his hands on. Then gradually he began to read music, also self-taught. Eventually he became a very competent pianist and could play most things.

He came from Portsmouth, a naval garrison town, which became a target for air-raid attacks during the second world war. While he was away at sea his home and family belongings were destroyed by a bomb which killed his mother and his first wife who happened to be in the house at the time. Consequently when my parents married soon after the war was over, they had very little and certainly no furniture. Yet the first thing my father bought was a reconditioned upright piano. And so, later on, I was lulled to sleep by the sound of 'Clair de Lune' and other pieces of music.

Some time ago, a Suzuki parent asked me for a list of suggested pieces of classical music that she could play to her children on CDs. Inspired by this request, I decided to experiment with a venture which I started last January. Each month parents have received by e-mail an information sheet which features a piece of music suitable for the time of year. For example, in June we had the 'Scherzo' from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by Felix Mendelssohn. The recommended extracts are short and a couple of optional points to listen out for included. Amongst the selected music are several pieces from the Suzuki piano repertoire: - Beethoven's 'Fur Elise' from the start of book five, for St. Valentine's in February,and 'The Cuckoo' (also another version!) by the French Baroque composer Claude Dacquin from book six, for the month of April.

When it came to running this year's Activity Club I decided to use some of these pieces as they fitted in with the topics we were doing. Of the children who attended the club and whose parents were also receiving the monthly sound byte only some of them had clearly heard the music before.

This didn't surprise me at all. At the outset, the scheme was greeted with much enthusiasm by those who opted to take part. Then came the reality. Not only was it necessary to purchase a copy of the CD but there was the discipline of finding the time to listen to it as well. Wasn't this something more that had to be fitted into an already busy week of juggling school, homework, after-school clubs, instrumental lessons and parties – not to mention practising!?

You-Tube was suggested as a good way of accessing visual performances without having to spend any money but this is a video facility which does not facilitate repetition of the listening process easily. Downloading from iTunes onto to an MP3 player was thought to be another and more satisfactory alternative.

However, of the families who joined in this venture, four stand out as having really benefitted. They made that extra journey. One already had a lot of the recordings and it encouraged them to take them down off the shelves. The mother reported on how much calmer her children were after listening to classical music. From the second family I received regular feedback; how they had enjoyed certain pieces in particular. This mother had purchased the recommended CD of the month, often very reasonably priced – most of the music was available on cheap labels from HMV and Virgin Megastore. More importantly, she had managed to incorporate the listening into their busy week by playing the music while homework was being done. These times, she said, became more relaxed and the music helped the children to concentrate better.

The third mother did use an MP3 player with speakers. The family took all the recordings they had received so far away with them on holiday. The children brought them along to their first piano lesson of the term and gave me a demonstration. I observed an even greater eagerness and enthusiasm. Finally, the fourth family have the recordings playing on car journeys, and like the Suzuki CDs, they are absorbing the music without being conscious of doing so.

The piano has a wide compass range, that of a whole symphony orchestra in fact. As the music becomes more advanced the textures are increasingly complex, sometimes embracing the equivalent

of up to three or more individual parts. Listening to instrumental music therefore helps the pianist to appreciate the subtle nuances needed at this level. But there are huge advantages to listening, no matter what instrument a pupil plays.

There is also the question of aural/listening tests in school music and instrumental examinations for those who choose to do these. Aspects of the tests are more easily addressed when the candidate has a good listening background. Naturally teenagers like their pop music so the time to start this listening is at a much younger age when foundations can be laid for life

The two schools I attended had very little to offer in the way of music. Everything I learned took place out of school, from choirs to private piano lessons and later tuition in harmony and counterpoint. But I am certain that my innate understanding of music was gained through the gift of listening as a young child at home.

We live in a comparatively affluent age with easy access to information and products. Thanks to the internet we often don't need to go anywhere to make a purchase. Either that or else it's unusual to have to go very far. Recently, I bought a CD of Debussy's 'Clair de Lune' from HMV in Princes Street, Edinburgh – it's close to where I live. But they do have a website and CDs can be ordered by post. HMV stock two cheap range labels, with over an hour's worth of listening. These cost £6, and there is also the Naxos label with CDs at the same price – hardly expensive! Even more economical are the boxed sets at £15.The music on these CDs are either arranged by composer or genre. Virgin Megastore have similar facilities and good deals. Then there are the local libraries, I'm told that they will always get any requested CDs for their members.

The path to the world of classics is much shorter and easier than the one my father took. So I would certainly encourage every parent to take that short journey out of the 'busyness' of life. And if it is done soon, the rewards will be great.

This article has been written for the first edition of Music Notes and is also posted on http://www.mariegbarton.blogspot.com/

Welcome

Welcome!

Hello! and welcome to this site. Let me tell you a bit about myself. I live in Edinburgh,Scotland, and run a private piano teaching practice. Initially I trained as a class music teacher at Newton Park College of Education, which at the time was part of the University of Bristol education department. Later I specialised in piano teaching and for a number of years I taught class music lessons as well as giving individual piano tuition.

I have taught in all manner of schools, situated in the south of England,Brussels,and now Scotland. Although I specialised initially in secondary education my teaching experience has embraced all age groups ranging from three to seventy three! My school teaching posts have included several as head of department,as well as other senior positions. Currently I visit two schools as a piano teacher in addition to the lessons I give at home.

Always searching for new ways of doing things from a more holistic and therefore alternative viewpoint I eventually trained as a Suzuki piano teacher. This nurturing, mother-tongue approach to learning an instrument works so naturally and organically that I now cannot imagine teaching the piano any other way. But I still like to include other repertoire as and when appropriate and my students often take higher graded practical examinations or at least follow the syllabus. Certainly I like to encourage the exploration of a wide range of styles.

I also enjoy composing and arranging and have recently written material for my students' use. These have been performed at my own gatherings and concerts as well in school on the students' own initiative. We have had a number of notable successes in the EPTA(European Piano Teachers' Association) young composers' competitions and recently I have started up a special group for those aspiring composers from amongst my students. During the summer months I organise a mixed age-range music activity club and teach at the Deeside Suzuki Piano Festival which is a highly popular event in the Scottish Suzuki piano calender and a very special experience.

Complimentary to my teaching I have qualified as an NLP( Neuro Linguistics Programming ) practitioner and as a life coach. I constantly find myself applying the skills I have gained in these areas to my teaching. I also love writing stories for children as well as educational articles on musical subjects. The object of this site is to make these and other materials I have produced available to parents, teachers and students. I hope you will find it helpful. Good wishes. Marie.