It's hard to believe that Isabelle and I just concluded our third Suzuki Institute since she has been studying violin. The 37th Idaho Suzuki Institute held in Nampa was a great learning experience by three of us this year. Isabelle and I attended her Book 2 level classes, I attended parent classes, and Isaac enjoyed attending in the afternoon and taking enrichment classes.
Isabelle enjoyed arts and crafts as one of her enrichment classes. They did some very interesting and creative projects this year (but mostly she just enjoyed visiting with the other little girls while they worked on detailed tasks with their hands
besides playing their violins!).
Isaac loved his chess class and received some good instruction to help him polish his (already excellent) skills. He told us tonight, after the final concert, that he never lost a game during the entire week!
We were very privileged to work with out-of-town teachers including one of our very favorite from so many years past -- Diane Austin. Mrs. Austin spent three years in Japan working with and being taught by Mr. Suzuki. Her soft spoken nature, sweet spirit, and encouraging words are always a real boost to our morale each year. A majority of the violin technique we have learned and put into practice during our 8 years studying with the Suzuki method can be attributed to her capable teaching.
Both Isabelle and Isaac had a blast learning basic drumming skills using buckets. Yep -- buckets. They worked like a charm, were easily moveable, and gave a tremendous sound. After the first day, they were hooked (it was like a "Stomp" concert each day of class). Isabelle was two beats behind all of the other (older) students her first two days, but she pressed on with a determined spirit and conquered this class with a great attitude and a joy-filled spirit. In the end, it was her favorite class of the day.
Orchestra is always a challenge for my Suzuki ear learners and this year was no exception. As always though, it ends up being a favorite hour once the music is learned. Isabelle's teacher for orchestra is a gifted lady with enthusiasm through the roof! What a great atmosphere for my children to learn the gift of playing with others.
Our final day held a series of various concerts throughout the afternoon. We were entertained by the immensely talented Suzuki piano students (Isaac was relieved to hear that he has already learned and played several of their repertoire songs in spite of taking traditional piano). Next, the enrichment classes entertained us (choir, musical theater, folk dance, and fiddlers) including the drumming "bucket club" which Isaac and Isabelle performed in. They did awesome! It was really cool.
And finally, came the final strings concert of cellos and violins. It is an exhausting (lots of waiting and squirming and being shhhhhh'ed by the teachers) but also exhilarating and inspiring as level by level, beginning with the most advanced students, all of the violins join one another through a myriad of repertoire songs . . . all of which are memorized and deeply ingrained in the students through years of listening and playing and performing.
Isabelle played beautifully when her turn came. At her first Institute concert (at age 4), she got on stage and began playing, only to become completely engrossed in all the musicians playing around her. She ended up playing that early concert completely turned away from the audience and facing her fellow musicians, watching them with complete joy as she played with them. The only problem was .... she was in the front row!! :-) But alas! She's grown and matured and this time faced the audience like a good little musician.
The concert ends the way every Suzuki student begins -- playing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. No matter how many times I hear that song or see this concert played out ... I always cry. This journey towards musical excellence has been such a rewarding challenge every step of the way. I am so incredibly blessed to walk this path alongside my children. I praise God for His gift of music and for enabling us to give this gift to our children as we train them up.
It's hard to believe that Isabelle and I just concluded our third Suzuki Institute since she has been studying violin. The 37th Idaho Suzuki Institute held in Nampa was a great learning experience by three of us this year. Isabelle and I attended her Book 2 level classes, I attended parent classes, and Isaac enjoyed attending in the afternoon and taking enrichment classes.
Isabelle enjoyed arts and crafts as one of her enrichment classes. They did some very interesting and creative projects this year (but mostly she just enjoyed visiting with the other little girls while they worked on detailed tasks with their hands besides playing their violins!).
Isaac loved his chess class and received some good instruction to help him polish his (already excellent) skills. He told us tonight, after the final concert, that he never lost a game during the entire week!
We were very privileged to work with out-of-town teachers including one of our very favorite from so many years past -- Diane Austin. Mrs. Austin spent three years in Japan working with and being taught by Mr. Suzuki. Her soft spoken nature, sweet spirit, and encouraging words are always a real boost to our morale each year. A majority of the violin technique we have learned and put into practice during our 8 years studying with the Suzuki method can be attributed to her capable teaching.
Both Isabelle and Isaac had a blast learning basic drumming skills using buckets. Yep -- buckets. They worked like a charm, were easily moveable, and gave a tremendous sound. After the first day, they were hooked (it was like a "Stomp" concert each day of class). Isabelle was two beats behind all of the other (older) students her first two days, but she pressed on with a determined spirit and conquered this class with a great attitude and a joy-filled spirit. In the end, it was her favorite class of the day.
Orchestra is always a challenge for my Suzuki ear learners and this year was no exception. As always though, it ends up being a favorite hour once the music is learned. Isabelle's teacher for orchestra is a gifted lady with enthusiasm through the roof! What a great atmosphere for my children to learn the gift of playing with others.
Our final day held a series of various concerts throughout the afternoon. We were entertained by the immensely talented Suzuki piano students (Isaac was relieved to hear that he has already learned and played several of their repertoire songs in spite of taking traditional piano). Next, the enrichment classes entertained us (choir, musical theater, folk dance, and fiddlers) including the drumming "bucket club" which Isaac and Isabelle performed in. They did awesome! It was really cool.
And finally, came the final strings concert of cellos and violins. It is an exhausting (lots of waiting and squirming and being shhhhhh'ed by the teachers) but also exhilarating and inspiring as level by level, beginning with the most advanced students, all of the violins join one another through a myriad of repertoire songs . . . all of which are memorized and deeply ingrained in the students through years of listening and playing and performing.
Isabelle played beautifully when her turn came. At her first Institute concert (at age 4), she got on stage and began playing, only to become completely engrossed in all the musicians playing around her. She ended up playing that early concert completely turned away from the audience and facing her fellow musicians, watching them with complete joy as she played with them. The only problem was .... she was in the front row!! :-) But alas! She's grown and matured and this time faced the audience like a good little musician.
The concert ends the way every Suzuki student begins -- playing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. No matter how many times I hear that song or see this concert played out ... I always cry. This journey towards musical excellence has been such a rewarding challenge every step of the way. I am so incredibly blessed to walk this path alongside my children. I praise God for His gift of music and for enabling us to give this gift to our children as we train them up.
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