Sep 12, 2013 ... would like for all of us to remember Dr. Suzuki main guiding principle: ....
Berkman, 3:00 and 5:00 PM, for Suzuki piano students in books 3.
Dear Parents and Students,
We are all excited to be back and are ready to dive into another year of learning, practicing and sharing our love for music and children with all of you. We hope that this year will be enriching, exciting, full of learning and will go smoothly for all of us. As you and you and your children settle gracefully into homework and practicing routine I would like for all of us to remember Dr. Suzuki main guiding principle: "character first, ability second"; to develop children with noble hearts and fine character. The study of music, the cooperation, the triangle, between parent, student and a teacher, is a crucial component of developing that fine character. I want to make good citizens. If a child hears fine music from the day of his birth and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heart. —Shin'ichi Suzuki We are happy to present this calendar to you. It not only shows you our regular teaching days but also days off, make up days, and more. Please put those in your calendars now. You will also find a list of group classes, all taking place on Saturdays. Please, not the “Useful links” part of our newsletter. By clicking on them you will find wealth of concerts, musical and theater performances and more, offered by such illustrious organizations like Hartford Symphony, Hartt School, Jorgensen Auditorium at UConn, and of course, Yale School of Music. Listening to music regularly produces a well-‐round child, a truly remarkable human being. We hope you and your children will take advantage of the many opportunities. Have a GREAT year! And happy practicing! Fondly, Your Suzuki Piano Team
Suzuki Association of the Americas Membership The Suzuki Association of the Americas is the official organization that provides vision and leadership as well as organizational and financial support for all of its members throughout North, Central and South America. It is gratifying to take part in the work of this 40-‐year-‐old non-‐profit association. The Hartt Suzuki Program is recommending that you consider joining the Suzuki Association of the Americas as Associate Members. This relatively inexpensive membership ($35 per year) comes with American Suzuki Journal which offers many articles and resources that will significantly enhance your experience as Suzuki parents. SAA website has a Parent Forum where you can chat with other parents. The Association offers many outstanding publications which will help parents in the musical journey with their child.
www.suzukiassociation.org
ABOUT SUZUKI PIANO PROGRAM Music and equipment Music books, CDs, and piano boosters (or cushions) and footrests can be purchased on campus at the University bookstore or in various online stores. You can make a piano footrest yourself—we have plans—just ask your teacher. If your child outgrew the cushions and the footrest, please consider donating it to another family with the younger child. Please, talk to your teacher about it. “You only need to practice on the days you eat.” -Shinichi Suzuki
Parent participation
The parent attends all lessons and group classes, takes notes, and supervises daily practice. Don’t worry if you can’t read music. You can learn along with your child but your participation is essential. Your child cannot succeed without your help in the first few years. It helps to stay organized. For example, have one bag designed just for piano, perhaps with your child's name on it. Pack the piano bag together to assure that nothing is forgotten. Parent participation also means that the time at your lesson is all about your child. Please, leave all distractions in the hallway. That means NO TEXTING, NO PHONE CALLS, NO BOOKS (or Kindle or iPads unless it is used for recording parts of the lesson).
Pre-‐Twinkle Parent Lectures for all new Parents Pre-‐Twinkle Parent Classes Begin: Thursday, September 12th 5:00 – 5:45 pm (UUC, Choir Room) OR Saturday, September 14th 9:00 – 9:45 am (Hartt, Room 342) The classes run for 4 weeks. You, the Parent, need to come just once a week, choose the days that fits your schedule! SCHOOL INFORMATION:
Regular School Year Office Hours – September-‐May Monday-‐Friday 10:00 am-‐6:00 pm Saturday 8:30 am-‐2:30 pm Sunday Closed Extended Hours – September-‐October Monday-‐Friday 10:00 am-‐7:00 pm Saturday 8:30 am-‐2:30 pm Sunday Closed General Information: (860) 768-‐4451 Office Email:
[email protected] Web Address: www.hcd.hartford.edu
School year at the glance PLEASE NOTE the following: Ø Recitals in BOLD are for Suzuki Pianists ONLY. All Suzuki Pianists are participating. Ø Recitals in ITALICS are for wider range of students, either all Suzuki instruments or all students at our school, therefore participation in those is by teacher’s recommendation only. Ø HCD recitals are for all students and all instruments and voice. Those take place at 3:30 and 5PM on Saturdays noted below in your Calendar. Ø Suzuki Recitals are for all Suzuki instruments. Those take place on Saturdays at 3:30 and 5PM, and on Sundays at 1:00 and 2:30 PM on the dates listed below in your Calendar. Ø Only teacher can sign the students up for any of the listed recitals. SEPTEMBER 2013 • September 3rd, first day of classes • All activities as normal on September 5th (Rosh Hashanah) • All GROUP LESSONS AS SCHEDULED OCTOBER 2013 • All activities as normal on October 14th Columbus Day • October 19 and 20, All-‐Suzuki Recitals • October 5, All-‐School Recitals • October 26th, Halloween Play –In, 3:30 PM, Room 410/412. An event for our newest and youngest, those who just started with us this fall! Come dressed in costume, see your teachers dressed in funny, silly, sometimes scary costumes!!! Listen to scary musical story and play for your parents and friends. A very informal event to let our youngest students have the first taste of a recital experience. • ALL GROUP LESSONS AS SCHEDULED NOVEMBER 2013 • November 2nd, All-‐School Recitals. • November 5th, Election Day, classes as normal • November 16th and 30th, Suzuki Recitals. • November 16th ENSEMBLE RECITALS! Berkman, 3:00 and 5:00 PM, for Suzuki piano students in books 3 and up. The recital time assignment will be available from your teacher in the 1st week of November. • November 26, 27, MAKE UP days. No regular lessons unless a make up is scheduled by a teacher. • November 28 to December 1st-‐School closed, Thanksgiving break. • All GROUP LESSONS AS SCHEDULED. DECEMBER 2013 • December 1st, All School Recitals • December 7th, no lessons, school closed due to college auditions. • December 14th SUZUKI PIANO RECITALS! Berkman and Bliss. Times TBA. Your teacher will have recital assignments in after Thanksgiving break. • December 16 to 21, MAKE UP days. No regular lessons taking place unless a make up is scheduled by a teacher • December 22 to January 1, Holiday break • GROUP LESSONS as SCHEDULED
JANUARY 2014 • January 2nd, lessons resume • January 11th, All School Recitals • January 18, Suzuki Recitals • January 20th, Martin Luther King Day, all classes as normal • January 19th to 24th, opt-‐out week. See your registration form for more information • January 25th and 26th, no classes for HCD students due to college auditions • All GROUP LESSONS AS SCHEDULED FEBRUARY 2014 • February 1st, All-‐School Recitals • February 8th, Suzuki Recitals • NO classes February 14th and 15th due to college auditions. • February 16th to 21st, MAKE UP/February vacation days. • All GROUP LESSONS AS SCHEDULED MARCH 2014 • March TBA, HCD Piano Honors Auditions, for all piano students grades 6 to 12. • March TBA, Piano Honors Concerts • March 1st, All-‐School Recitals • March 8th, Suzuki Recitals • All GROUP LESSONS AS SCHEDULED APRIL 2014 • April 5th and 6th, All-‐School Recitals • April 12th and 19th, Suzuki Recitals • April 14th to 20th, MAKE UP/ April vacation days. No regular lessons taking place unless a make up is scheduled • All GROUP LESSONS AS SCHEDULED. MAY 2014 • May 10th, Suzuki Recitals • May 24th, All-‐School Recitals • May 31st, PIANO RECITALS, for ALL Suzuki piano students; Berkman and Bliss; times TBA. The recital time assignment will be available from your teacher in the 3rd week of May. • May 26th, Memorial Day, NO lessons JUNE 2014 • June 8th, Suzuki Recitals • JUNE 14th and 15th, AUDITION DAY for orchestras, choirs, bands and chamber music ensembles. ALL middle school and high school pianists are encouraged to audition. • JUNE 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16: MAKE UP DAYS
•
June 17, summer semester begins.
AUGUST 3-‐8, 2014: HARTT SUZUKI INSTITUTE!!!!!
Useful Links www.hartfordsymphony.org Hartford Symphony www.imslp.org Sheet music, free
www.jorgensen.uconn.edu Jorgensen Auditorium www.sheetmusicplus.com Music Store
www.harttweb.hartford.edu The Hartt School www.musicmotion.com Music books, gifts, gadgets
Just for fun…
What is a 64th note is called in British English? A hemidemisemi quaver. There are as many constellations in the sky as there are keys on the piano! The average medium sized piano has about 230 strings, each string having about 165 pounds of tension, with the combined pull of all strings equaling approximately eighteen tons. The oldest piano still in existence was built in 1720. No one knows where Mozart is buried. Each American president has had a personal piano -- with the exception of Gerald Ford and George Bush. Mozart once composed a piano piece that required a player to use two hands and a nose in order to hit all the correct notes.
GROUP CLASSES 2013/2014 The Importance of Group Classes By Susan Cheng The wonderful opportunity for your child to participate in group classes is one of the advantages of taking Suzuki piano lessons. As pianists, we often spend most of our time at the piano alone. The group classes are an excellent way for young pianists to learn from each other, play music for and with one another, foster new friendships, and also be exposed to new ideas about music and piano playing. We are very lucky at Hartt to have a facility that is perfect for these piano group classes – a room with eight pianos for ensemble playing. The Suzuki piano teachers have carefully set up these group classes according to levels. The classes are geared
toward reviewing Suzuki repertoire, ensemble playing, performance opportunities, and exposing the students to music theory and history to gain a better understanding of music. It is important for these classes to have full participation so that there is maximum interaction between the students and teachers. We ask that parents take notes during class and help supervise the completion of assignments before the next class. If your child is unable to attend a class, please contact the group class teacher as far in advance as possible so they
can plan accordingly. Here is the contact information for all group class teachers: Susan Cheng,
[email protected]; Tamila Humphrey,
[email protected]; Jane Bradley,
[email protected]; Barbara Johnson,
[email protected] ; Windsor Johnson,
[email protected]; Malgosia Lis,
[email protected];
ALL CLASSES IN ROOM 103 Jane Bradley’s Group Classes
September 28 October 26 November 23 January 18 March 1 April 5 May 3 May 31 10 am G
11 am
A
_________________________________________________________________
Barbara Johnson’s Group Classes October 12 November 9 January 11 February 8 March 8 April 12 May 10 June 7 9 am B
10 am 11 am 12:30 H J E
1:30 M
_________________________________________________________________ Windsor Johnson’s Group Classes
September 21 October 12 November 23 January 11 February 8 March 8 April 12 May 10 2:30 D 3:30 I
_________________________________________________________________ Tamila Humphrey’s Group Classes
September 28 October 19 November 9 January 4 February 1 March 1 April 5 June 7 2:30 L
3:30 F
4:30 N
_________________________________________________________________ Susan Cheng’s Group Classes BOTH CLASSES START AT 9:00 AM
Group K September 14
October 5
November 2
December 14 March 1
Group O September 21 October 19 November 16
January 18
March 29 May 3 May 31
February 1 March 15 April 5 May 17
_________________________________________________________________ Malgosia Lis’ Group Class Class starts at 12:00 PM Group C September 21 October 19 November 23 January 18 February 1 March 1 April 5 May 17
A food for thought…
Make-up Lessons From An Economist's Point of View I'm a parent of children enrolled in Suzuki music lessons. I'd like to explain to other parents why I feel - quite strongly, actually - that it is unreasonable of us parents to expect our teachers to make up lessons we miss, even if I know as well as they do just how expensive lessons are, and, equally importantly, how important that weekly contact is with the teacher to keeping practicing ticking along smoothly. I think that it is natural for us parents to share the point of view that students should have their missed lessons rescheduled, but if we were to 'walk a mile' in our teachers' shoes, we might change our minds about what it is reasonable for us to expect of our teachers. Like many parents, I pay in advance for lessons each term. In my mind, what this means is that I have reserved a regular spot in the busy schedules of my sons' teachers. I understand - fully - that if I can't make it to the lesson one week (perhaps my son is sick, or we are away on holiday, or there is some other major event at school) then we will pay for the lesson, but that my teacher is under no obligation to find another spot for me that week, or to refund me for the untaught lesson. And this is the way it should be. In my 'other life' I am an economist and teach at our local university. Students pay good money to attend classes at the university; but if they don't come to my lecture on a Monday morning, then I am not going to turn around and deliver them a private tutorial on Tuesday afternoon. When I go to the store and buy groceries, I may purchase something that doesn't get used. Days or months later, I end up throwing it out. I don't get a refund from the grocery store for the unused merchandise. If I sign my child up for swimming lessons at the local pool, and s/he refuses to return after the first lesson, I can't get my money back. (…) On the other hand, if I purchase an item of clothing, and get home and change my mind, I can take it back and expect either a refund or a store credit. So why do I believe that music lessons fall into the first category of 'non-returnable merchandise', rather than into the second case of 'exchange privileges unlimited' (…)? Speaking now as an economist, I would claim that the reason is that items like clothing are "durable goods' - meaning, they can be returned and then resold at the original price - whereas music lessons are non-durable goods - meaning, once my Monday slot at 3:30 is gone, my son's teacher can't turn around and sell it again. The only way she would be able to give him a lesson later in the week would be if she were to give up time that she had scheduled for her own private life; and that seems pretty unreasonable - I can't think of many employees who would be thrilled if their bosses were to announce that they couldn't work from 3:30 to 4:30 this afternoon, but would they please stay until 6:30 on Thursday, because there will be work for them then! Many teachers hesitate to refuse our request to shift lesson times, because unless they keep us parents happy, we will decide to take our child somewhere else for lessons (or to drop musical study), and they will lose part of their income. (…). So rather than telling us that 'well, actually, the only time when I'm not teaching and that you can bring your son for lesson is during the time I set aside each week to go for a long soul-cleansing walk, and I can't do that on Monday at 3:30 when you should have turned up', they agree to teach us at a time that really doesn't suit their schedule. Teachers who are 'nice' in this way often, in the long run, end up exhausted, and feeling exploited; they try to draw a line in the sand. However, too few parents ask to switch only when absolutely necessary, and too many parents want lesson times when it suits them this week, which is not the same time that suited last week. If the conflict arises because my child is in the School play, and they have their dress-rehearsal during his lesson time, then I feel that I must choose between the two activities, and if he attends the dress rehearsal my private lesson teacher doesn't owe me anything. During May, my eldest son will be missing three lessons because he is going to accompany me on a trip to New Zealand to visit his great-grandparents. I do not expect my son's teacher to refund me for those missed lessons, or to reschedule them by 'doubling up' lessons in the weeks before or after our departure. Since there will be lots of advanced notice, I might ask her to consider preparing a special 'practice tape' for that period, or to answer my questions via e-mail, but if she doesn't have the time (…) and so has to refuse, then that's fine. I certainly don't expect her to credit me with three make-up lessons; there is no way for her to find a student to fill a three-week hole in her schedule during our absence. Instead, I hope that she will enjoy the extra hour of rest during those three weeks, and that we will all feel renewed enthusiasm when we return to lessons at the end of the trip. Article Copyright © 2001Vicky Barham, Ottawa Suzuki Strings Parent.
