suzuki practise.doc

8/11/2019 suzuki practise.doc

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From One Parent to AnotherPrinted with permission. An extract from the STEAA (NSW) Inc. publication TE!P"#.

Elizabeth Robinson, A Suzuki violin teacher and mother of three school-age children, un derstands

the challenge of daily music ractice! "ere, she shares her #lo ten tis$ for getting the most out ofyour child#s ractice time!

Encoura$in$ m% own children throu$h their music practice is definitel% the hardest thin$ I do all da%.I#&e $ot ' children one * doin$ piano one + doin$ &iolin and one , doin$ piano. The eldest hasbeen at it for - %ears now and I ha&e to admit that there are fleetIn$ moments when I thin that m%life would be simple if it weren#t for music. /ut this time spent one on one with each of them hasalso been some of the most rewardin$ and worthwhile times we ha&e had.

I now that as we perse&ere and $raduall% mae pro$ress that the% are learnin$ priceless life

lessons. The% are learnin$ that nothIn0 worthwhile comes instantl% or without considerable effort.Their brains are bein$ trained to function 0uicl% memor% is de&elopin$ co1ordination is refined andabilit% $rowin$.

"&er the holida%s I ha&e had the chance to re1read a few old fa&ourites from the boo shelf and Iwould lie to share a few thou$hts which I hope will encoura$e %ou as %ou face a new %ear of bein$the 2home1teacher2.

Whene&er we si$n up for Su3ui music lessons we as the parent tae on the role of bein$ the2home1teacher2. Shinichi Su3ui set up this model of the teacher parent and child trian$le. This wasinspired b% the simple obser&ation that he was onl% with the teacher for 45 hour per wee but theparent was with the child all wee. It is clear who has the $reater influence. So as %ou $o alon$ tothe lessons turn off those mobile phones and watch and listen. In the lesson the teacher ismodellin$ how %ou should practise at home. 6ou and I the parent ha&e such cluttered brains as we

tr% to 7u$$le the dail% lo$istical details of who#s where when that we are unliel% to remember whatthe teacher does and sa%s unless we write it down8 So rule 9 is $et writin$8

:ere are m% Top Ten Tips for better practice;

. Simplify, simplify, simplify. In our attempt to brin$ up well1rounded children we ha&esacrificed proficienc% and excellence in one area for a taste or fleetin$ ac0uaintance withman% areas. "ur children ha&e therefore not perse&ered in an% one discipline lon$ enou$h tounderstand #how to train# nor #how to persist# throu$h tou$h situations. The% are experts indabblin$ in a bit of this and that and $reat at 0uittin$ when the $oin$ $ets tou$h. Not a bit of it. This child is able to de&elop hi$h abilit% in

one field learnin$ precious lessons for life about how to learn? In later life these sills will betransferable to an% pursuit he desires.

5. Turn off the TV. =o %ou find %ourself callin$ %our children six times to dinner because the%are $lued to the tele> The% ha&en#t practised because the% are surfin$ the net pla%in$$amebo% or a computer $ame> !% ad&ice is $et rid of the competition. !onda% to @rida%ban all technolo$% that is not strictl% school related. No chattin$ no #!essen$er# and a timelimit on those phone calls. "n the weeends the% can indul$e once all the essentials aredone. ids will compl% with these limits if %ou administer them consistentl%. And %ou won#t feellie a na$$in$ banshee.

'. If at all possible, get the practice done before school . This is eas% when %our child is atthe local preschool or school. /ut it $ets tricier when the% lea&e &er% earl% to tra&el lon$erdistances to hi$h school. When m% older two started to lea&e at ,.5- am I put it to them 1would the% $et up earl% and fit it in or would the% lea&e it until B.'- ,.'- C.'- in thee&enin$> The% opted to $et up earlier and %ears down the trac the% are happ% with that


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choice. The% had both tried the late option once or twice and new how painful it was. At thesame time I had once tried to do a mae1up practice with m% %oun$est child when she was +or B. It was so excruciatin$ and we $ot so little done that I &owed I would ne&er do it a$ain. Iam not particularl% a mornin$ person but I can#t bear to $et little milea$e for m% time. I wantto $et the $reatest benefit out of m% input. et it clear in %our head and eepremindin$ the child.

,. Get stuck into the new piece while the child is fresh . =on#t necessaril% start at thebe$innin$ 1 start with the tric% bit and $et it out of the wa%.


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-. #on$t even consider %uitting. 2Huitters ne&er win and winners ne&er 0uit2. In m% experienceit is not alwa%s the bri$htest or 0uicest that $o on and succeed in music. Some exceptionalindi&iduals $i&e up because the% ha&e ne&er stru$$led with an%thin$ in life before and whenfaced with a lon$ steep learnin$ cur&e wear% alon$ the wa%. "ften the #plodders# eep $oin$because the% are used to life bein$ difficult and the% habituall% perse&ere. 6our child ma% rantand ra&e and tal about 0uittin$. In m% opinion the% are mostl% tr%in$ to tell %ou that the% are

stru$$lin$ and findin$ it tou$h. =on#t listen to their precise words but the messa$e behind thewords. The% need %our support at this moment not permission to 0uit. I firml% belie&e that weha&e to be a safet% net# for our child. et them blow off steam listen to them. It is tou$h. Empa1thise with them. Thin of some endea&our in %our life with which %ou stru$$le e.$. 0uittin$smoin$ losin$ wei$ht exercisin$ re$ularl% etc. These disciplines are incredibl% tou$h.Support %our child but don#t $i&e in. "ne of m% children used to test me re$ularl% in m% resol&eabout 0uittin$. !% heart would pound but I didn#t $i&e in. !onths later he would hear of a pupilof mine that had 0uit and would sa% 2%ou#re iddin$ 1 wh% did his mother let him 0uit>2 :e felt letdown that the parent had laced the stren$th to stand up to the child. I don#t pretend this iseas%. It taes loads of emotional ener$%. /ut I belie&e our children are cr%in$ out to us to ha&ethe $uts to stand up to them.

Su3ui News*Term ' 5--+

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