Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Benny's violin teacher is awesome. If you told me to take a bunch of three year olds and teach them how to play an extremely complicated and expensive and fragile instrument, oh, and also teach their parents how to play it simultaneously, I would look at you as if you were crazy. My jaw might even drop. Mrs. Ford however is sooo up to the challenge she just bristles with it, and is so completely unperturbed, unflustered, unbothered, I stood in awe. She believes in letting them have breaks if they get anxious, and in these breaks for the kids she teaches the parents -- brilliant.
Benny has had two lessons. His first lesson was with his group which also includes two little girls and their parents. His second lesson was by himself at Mrs. Ford's house because the Academy of Music doesn't have electricity still this week, after the hurricane. In week one Benny learned about holding the bow, the parts of the bow, and learned some rhythm games on the merry trail to the Twinkle variations. This week he is learning about the strings of the violin, how to hold the violin up with a heavy head, and how to put the bow on the violin.
I always knew that parents are super-involved with Suzuki but I see now also that it, like everything else, is something better taught interspersed throughout the day rather than a "Let's sit down and practice" type of thing. The physical mechanical part of it of course has to be practiced with the instrument MOSTLY, but actually there are a lot of ways you can practice the movements and definitely the mental aspect of it while you're in the tub, or the car, or whatever. Sometimes I think Benjamin does his best learning in the bathtub. ANYWAY, here are some pictures of Benny at his lesson, and then some silly pictures of Benny at home when he first got the violin, practicing rest position, play position, and bowing.
Benny has had two lessons. His first lesson was with his group which also includes two little girls and their parents. His second lesson was by himself at Mrs. Ford's house because the Academy of Music doesn't have electricity still this week, after the hurricane. In week one Benny learned about holding the bow, the parts of the bow, and learned some rhythm games on the merry trail to the Twinkle variations. This week he is learning about the strings of the violin, how to hold the violin up with a heavy head, and how to put the bow on the violin.
I always knew that parents are super-involved with Suzuki but I see now also that it, like everything else, is something better taught interspersed throughout the day rather than a "Let's sit down and practice" type of thing. The physical mechanical part of it of course has to be practiced with the instrument MOSTLY, but actually there are a lot of ways you can practice the movements and definitely the mental aspect of it while you're in the tub, or the car, or whatever. Sometimes I think Benjamin does his best learning in the bathtub. ANYWAY, here are some pictures of Benny at his lesson, and then some silly pictures of Benny at home when he first got the violin, practicing rest position, play position, and bowing.
