Thanks and Assignments/Another Summer Suzuki Institute

Hi all,

Thank you all for your flexibility this weekend with the location change for group and fiddle classes. Although it was stressful to find out last minute that we couldn't be in our usual spot, Ivy Chapel was wonderfully accomodating and a beautiful space, so it was a nice provision. Thanks again to you all for bearing with us as we got things sorted out.

I'd like to pass along the assignments for the group and fiddle classes.

For Suzuki groups:

We'll be passing out review lists this week that will have all of the songs we'll be performing as a group on the Spring Festival at 2pm Sunday, May 9th. Students should plan to extensively review these pieces to have them performance ready. As pieces are ready, your teacher will give you a check for each piece on your review sheet. Once you receive a check for a piece, it should stay that good which means continually reviewing it. If you work on it really hard and then forget it, your teacher will have to erase the check! Any piece you would like to perform in the festival must be performance ready (have a check) at least 3 weeks before the Festival. Students must also attend the dress rehearsal on May 8th. (2pm-3pm Suzuki students, 3pm-4pm fiddle students.)

For fiddle students:

Please, please, please work on getting first fingers more in tune! We sound so great when we are all in tune! A great way to practice intonation is to practice scales or twinkles very slowly and really listen to the pitch. When you play too fast, you don't have time to hear if you are in tune. Try also practicing your fiddle music slowly and try stopping on the first fingers to hear if they sound in tune. Have your teacher help you with this if necessary.

Mason's Apron (fast version): in the second half, practice making sure your first finger doesn't "lean" when you place it on the E and A strings. If it leans you will be out of tune on one of the strings. Be sure to work on this with your teacher. (It's called playing on the "inside corners")

Mason's Apron (slower version): rememer the circle bows! and remember to watch the leader!

Finnish Polka: Have at least the first line learned for next week's rehearsal if you have not already learned this piece.

Tango students: I believe we may have our accordion player joining us for a bit this weekend. It's not confirmed yet, but we may get to rehearse with him a bit on Saturday. Because of that, let's really do some good practice on tango at home and in lessons this week.

Redwing: please work on the spot where there is a D# (high 3). We want to be really in tune there!

Overall, please really listen that you are in tune. Be picky! We sound great when we all match pitch together so let's do more of it.

Last of all, I received an email about another summer Suzuki institute. It's in Idaho. You can learn more here http://idahosuzuki.org/

Group class change

Hello everyone,
We've got group classes this weekend, but we'll be at a new place just for this weekend. We'll be at Ivy Chapel at 620 N. Woods Mill Road in Chesterfield 63017. It's just a couple of minutes down the street from the school.

Here's the schedule
2pm: Suzuki groups 3 and 5
3pm: Fiddle group.

We'll have goodies and juice available after the Suzuki group classes.

Sorry for any inconvenience the changed location causes. See you soon!

More Suzuki summer institutes and camps

Hello,
I received another email about a Suzuki institute this summer. This one's in Ottawa, Kansas.
You can see the information here http://suzukiassociation.org/email/95/

The website for the program is here http://www.ottawasuzukistrings.org/

I also received an email about the summer Suzuki camp at SIUE. Here's the email:

What? SIUE String Camp
When? JULY 20-23, 2010 Tues.-Fri.
What time? 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Final Concert: Friday, July 23, 2:00 pm
Dunham Hall, Room 1115

Who should come? Violin, Viola, Cello Students
Parents and Observers welcome!

Vera McCoy-Sulentic, Camp Director Susanna Woodard, Co-Director
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Dunham Hall


Tuition: $135 includes 3 Daily Group Classes (Technique, Repertoire, and Music Reading/String Orchestra/Chamber Music)

Additional Opportunities:
Private Lessons: $45
Two 20 minute private lessons before or after classes.
Mariachi Violin: $35 (2-3 pm Tues, Wed, Thurs)
Class will be taught by Alicia Kulla Branz, former Suzuki Student, and teacher from Parkway School District
Musical Theater: $35 (2-3pm Tues, Wed,Thurs)
Class will be taught by Marc Schapman, SIUE Voice Faculty

Faculty: Teachers from SIUE Suzuki Program, Webster University
Community Music School Suzuki Program, and Local String Teachers

**Students 5th grade and above will be chaperoned at all times.
**Children younger than 5th grade must be accompanied by Parent or Responsible Adult

Further information: Contact Vera McCoy-Sulentic: vmccoys@siue.edu,
Susanna Woodard: swoodar@siue.edu or SIUe Suzuki Program Office:
Ph: 618-650-2839 618-650-2839, Fax: 618-650-5988, www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/music/suzuki

Go to www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/music/suzuki for more info!

Let your teacher know if you have any questions or if you need suggestions for summer programs. In the meantime, stay warm!

TANGO!

Hi again Fiddlers!

I've got the last of the fiddle recordings for you. Thanks to Kirby and Maggie for recording it for me! Since the recording is just to help with practice, it doesn't have the piano part. When we perform it, our pianist will be filling in some of the gaps with some cool piano parts.
You can download the audio file at http://public.me.com/laurayeh. Just go to the file that says "Fiddle Tunes Spring 2010."
See you at our next fiddle class on Saturday, February 27th at 3pm. Kids that play the tango will be in a separate class with Kirby for the whole class. Everyone else will be with me (Laura) downstairs in the Parish Hall.

See you then!

Theory/reading classes this Saturday

Hi Guys,
We'll be having the theory/reading classes again this Saturday, February 20th at 2pm and 3pm. We'll be at St. Timothy's as usual. See you then!

Festival Attendance Policy

Hello Everyone,
We've had some questions about attendance policy requirements for students wanting to take part in the spring Festival on May 9th as well as who would be taking part in the festival.

First of all, the festival is for Suzuki students (we will have a play-in which is a traditional Suzuki group performance), viola students who attend viola studio class, students in the fiddle group, and hopefully students who take part in the violin studio classes will also have a performance.

To participate, students must regularly attend their classes, and must attend the dress rehearsal on May 8th. For fiddle students this means that they cannot miss more than 3 of the 6 scheduled classes and must attend the dress rehearsal.

Please feel to contact me (Laura) if you have any questions. Thanks and Happy Valentine's Day!

Yet another summer Suzuki institute

Here's another Suzuki institute this summer. It's at Stephen's Point, Wisconson and has a good reputation.

For details check out the website at http://www.uwsp.edu/cofac/suzuki/

Theory this Saturday

Hi everyone!
Just a quick reminder that this coming Saturday, the 13th we'll have theory classes at 2pm and 3pm at St. Timothy's church.

Fiddle

Hi Guys!
I've finally got some sound recordings up for our tunes. I haven't gotten tango recording up yet since it's a two part piece, but will have it shortly. Everything else we are performing this semester is there though. I did it all on my iphone, so hopefully the quality is decent enough. I've posted the audio files on my idisk account at http://public.me.com/laurayeh where you can download them. If you need me to make you a CD copy, please let me know.

Thanks also for bearing with me Saturday since I'd left the papers we needed at the school. We'll be working all semester on how to read chord charts, so don't worry if you're a little confused now. By May we'll have worked on it enough that it'll be easy! Our next fiddle rehearsal will be February 27th. We'll divide into two groups. Students who play the tango will rehearse upstairs and the rest of us will be down in the Parish hall. Be prepared to work on Mason's Apron, Redwing, and Finnish Polka.

Theory/reading class assignments

Hi theory/reading kids and parents!

Thanks for coming to the class Saturday. I had a blast! You guys are all fantastic! I have just a couple of important items:

1. In theory class A (2pm class) when I taught the hand signals for solfege I did the hand signal for "Fa" upsidedown. (whoops!) The thumb should point down, not up. Those of you in the 3pm class, I got it right that hour so no worries there. I found a chart for the hand signals on this website to help you all practice this week:
http://www.kodaly.org.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=21&Itemid=74

You just have to go down to where it says "hand sign diagram" to open the pdf document.

2. Did everyone who owns their own materials have everything? Nothing missing? I am missing a purple "C" card and am wondering if anyone ended up with an extra purple "C." I'm also considering labeling with my initials all my cards so it's easy to tell which are mine. Those of you interested in this, let me know. I have a labeling gun and could bring it next time for before or after class.

3. Homework assignments:

2pm class:
-Practice making 3rds. Remember that it is every other card. (ACEGBDF ACEGBDF....) If this is still a bit confusing, try it in your lesson with your teacher this week.
-Practice your solfege (do through So) and hand signs. You can play snake, what's missing (we played that on Saturday) or Fine. You'll need to have the solfege and hand signs memorized for the next class. Sing as much as possible when doing solfege.

3pm class
-practice making 3rds by playing 3rds fine or making a 3rds snake. Can you start from a letter besides A? Can you go up and down through your letters/notes? How fast can you say your thirds? Lightening fast?
-Practice finding the open strings on the staff. You also have an open string reading assignment that I have given to the teachers to play with you this week in the lesson. Be sure to ask them for it!
-Practice your solfege (Do through D0) this week with hand signs. You can do solfege fine and make a solfege snake if you'd like. Be sure to sing the solfege and memorize the hand signs. (See above for a link to the chart). If you are feeling really ambitious, you could try making 3rds with solfege even though that isn't something we've tried in class yet!
-Write a rhythm on a card and practice passing with a family member to a steady beat. Try something repetitive like Puur-ple or huckleberry.

We will have our next theory classes on Saturday, February 13. Can't wait!

Suzuki opportunities

Hi all,
I just got some mailings about Suzuki opportunities coming up. This March, the annual Suzuki workshop will be taking place at Webster Community Music School on Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7th. The registration deadline is February 8th. If you are interested, please contact me (Laura) for details. I also have registration forms available.

This summer, the New Mexico Suzuki institute will take place July 25-30. Details can be found on their website at www.nmsuzuki.org.

Saturday Classes

Hi everyone,

This Saturday we'll start up our Saturday group classes at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church (808 N. Mason 63141.)

1pm: Advanced violin studio class.
2pm: Suzuki Groups 1, 2, and 4. (Students have new class assignments, so be sure to check with your teacher)
3pm: Fiddle Class

We'll have goodies available after the Suzuki group class. See you there!