Just as the sun makes a regular appearance, it;s back to school we go!
Gone are the days of sleeping in, eating when we like, staying up late, playing with friends, holidays with family, and cruising through the day. Now we have deadlines, routines, structure to navigate our way through the numerous activities and events that make up our lives.
This takes some getting used to!
I always look forward to the new year. The anticipation of possibility in the year, that feeling of newness with new stationary, new classes with new people.
At the same time, it is unsettling and takes some adjustment. There will be grumpy faces, additional naps required, some jollying along, and that's just the parents! While everyone is hoping to settle in to the routine as quickly as possible, aim for week 3 rather than week 1.
If you haven't touched the violin for the holidays, son't expect everything to come flooding back easily. This is the perfect time to put on the CD before you head in to the practice room. Make sure you keep them short to begin with, and be as positive as possible.
Suzuki is a big advocate of the one point lesson. We definitely need to start with one point practice! Lots to choose from including:
- bent thumb
- bent pinky
- bow hold
- mouse hole
- feet in play position
- violin on shoulder
- strong tone
- Kreisler Highway
Incentives/rewards may be required. Practice charts are good (find some on my links page), 5 practices in a week and they get to choose dinner on Friday night (with limited options provided) or hire a DVD for the following weekend, have a friend over or go to the park. These are all positive rewards that can quickly establish the practice routine.
If you do have questions about establishing the routine, please talk to your teacher or other parents. While some things work for you, they may not work for someone else, so be patient. Enjoy the process!!
