Jan 30, 2020
Need support for practicing with your child? Yes, please!
Ever wonder…how can we….?
…make practice more fun? …more positive? …more productive?
Every year, the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) hosts an online event called Parents as Partners. This is a video conference, essentially, that allows you access to some of the most creative minds in the Suzuki Community. Teachers, parents, and even some Suzuki teens participate in this online video event that provides ideas, support, and future fuel for your continued successful Suzuki journey.
Each Monday for 10 weeks, at least five short videos will be aired with accompanying audio only format, and transcripts as well. Once posted, all talks will be available online through December 15, 2020. Check out the Suzuki Association’s website for more information.
Tip: On the page linked above, there is a GREAT video by my colleague, Suzuki violin and viola teacher, Sarah Bylander Montzka and it includes so many fun practice tips! Enjoy!
Dec 9, 2019
OP String Academy Advanced Violinists to perform this Saturday, December 14, 7p at Unity Temple.
Unity Temple Restoration Foundation presents its 2019-20 Chamber Music Series with artistic directors MingHuan Xu and Winston Choi. All performances are at 875 Lake Street, Oak Park. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Oak Park Area Arts Council, and the Alphawood Foundation.
As part of this new concert series, students of OPSA will join forces with Chicago Consort of Western Springs for a beautiful holiday concert. Come and hear them this Saturday at 7p at the beautifully restored Frank Lloyd Wright Unity Temple in Oak Park. Tickets and more about this concert series at: https://www.utrf.org/event/holiday-concert/
Tickets for this concert are $30 for general admission or $25 for members. Season passes for all 6 shows are available for $105 or $90 for members. Or buy the Unity Chamber Music Series AND Henry Fogel Presents at the 19th Century Club combined season pass (10 shows) for $200 or $175 for members!
Chicago Consort in Western Springs
Nov 28, 2019
As holiday seasons quickly approach, we have a few suggestions to help parents who are encouraging their children’s musical studies with gifts that support their efforts. Enjoy!
1. Music stand
Having a sturdy music stand available in your child’s practice area is a great way to show support for their music studies. A solid stand will hold all of their music books and because of its solid desk, it will support any writing you or your child might need to do during practice. (And who can resist these colors??).
2. Practice Space makeover
If you already have a stand like the one above, try adding a few inspirational messages or images for your child in or around their practice space. You could consider framing images of famous violinists such as Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn or Sarah Chang and/or printing some nice quotes about practice such as,
“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good, it is the thing that makes you good.”—Malcolm Gladwell
“Only practice on the days that you eat.” -Shinichi Suzuki
“The slower you go, the faster you get there.” -John Link
3. Accessories
Metronome. Every music student needs a metronome. While there are many metronome apps available, I am a fan of the ‘old school’ metronome placed on a stand or shelf nearby for several reasons. First, it is loud. And second, there are no distractions from other apps or excuses to wander into social media during practice. 😉
Pencil Holder. Don’t be caught without one!
Page markers. A fun way to mark the pages of assignments in your music books.
Highlight tape. Students enjoy using this tape to mark the “map” or form of a piece or to use it to mark spots that need extra practice.
4. New Case strap
Having a new accessory for their instrument could not only zhuzh up their violin case, but also perhaps their enthusiasm for it (and even the practice it demands). These straps at Strapsy are fun and unique!
5. Fun Games and Practice items
A great way to bring some humor and play into a hard working practice session is to use little trinkets and games to keep things light and the corrections impersonal. Can you balance a friend on your violin while you play your review piece? Can you move a bead for every “keeper” achieved in a phrase? Along the same lines, try adding a fun music game to your practice or for a family game night. Michiko Yurko, a Suzuki piano teacher in Washington D.C, developed these fantastic materials. Many of our students order the puppy pack. Try playing traditional card games like War, Solitaire, or Go Fish with these music note cards.
6. Concert Tickets
We are so fortunate to live in an area where there is an abundance of live music ready to be heard almost anytime. OPSA teachers perform in a many different places around the Chicago area. You can hear them in a chamber concert, downtown in an orchestra performance, in River Forest in a Bach cantata, and more. The Chicago Symphony has lovely children’s concerts like these. You can also find inspiration together by attending a Chicago Youth Symphony concert.
Here is a special concert opportunity to hear OPSA violin faculty, Elizabeth Huffman and Meg Lanfear at the Harris Theater in downtown Chicago for a Beatles Tribute concert. 
7. Subscription to Spotify
Having access to music anywhere, anytime as well as the ability to share songs between devices and people (such as your teacher!) makes a Spotify subscription a great choice for music students. And, as you may know, the Suzuki albums are all available here. We prefer the Suzuki Evergreens playlist as this offers the Suzuki version of the violin pieces as well as the original version (e.g. a German children’s choir singing O Come Little Children).
8. A personal musical history file
I recently saw a great idea a parent had to collect their child’s funny sayings, some photos, messages from family, childhood artwork, etc. and emailed it to an email address in their child’s name. They turned over the account to their child when they graduated high school. I thought that a similar idea would be lovely for a child growing up playing an instrument. Keep a Dropbox folder of their images from concerts, a few videos, and a list of the repertoire studied and accomplishments achieved through the years. I also love the idea of briefly viewing this folder together in a time of low motivation to show your child how far they have come with their skill development.
9. Support building a routine
Students enjoy playing their instruments, but sometimes struggle to find a practice rhythm to their day. Sitting with your child at a time other than practice time and helping them sort through some of the obstacles to practicing can be time well spent. Are there a few moments before school that have previously gone unproductive that could be used to work through an etude or review pieces? When can listening happen? On the way to school? During dinner? Help to navigate these opportunities with your child. This support to develop and maintain a routine can make the difference between a frustrated student and one who feels they have strategies to help them conquer their day.
10. Time
Some of my most vivid memories of my own young violin studying years involve my childhood home in Virginia. I recall being in our living room, practicing with my Suzuki Dad. He is sitting right in front of me perched on the edge of the wooden rocking chair, holding his notes from that weeks lesson in his lap. He watches me do an exercise several times in a row while checking to make sure that my repetitions meet the criteria set out in the assignment notebook. He is tired, having worked all day. He has an older daughter who wants to tell him about her day at school and a young son begging him to come and play catch with him outside. He also has a wife in the midst of starting a business, tired herself this evening and cooking dinner for our family in the kitchen across from the living room. And yet my Dad is there—giving it his all as a Suzuki Dad. I am forever grateful, both for the memories as well as the skill those moments helped develop.
Nov 15, 2019
Saturday, December 7, 2019, 3p
Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki was a Japanese violinist and humanitarian. Witnessing the destruction of his homeland due to the second World War, he formed a vision to help nudge the world toward peace through its children. Through music, Dr. Suzuki hoped to build noble hearts in children all around the world.
With this in mind, we produce an event each year that connects our students from Oak Park and the surrounding areas to the larger world they live in. In previous years, our students helped to raise money through their music for the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the Heartland Alliance’s unaccompanied minor program, and Hephzibah Children’s Association.
This year, our music students are collaborating with A House in Austin.
OPSA students will be performing a concert at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest on December 7 at 3:00p. Please join us for the concert and support the work of A House in Austin here.
OPSA students and faculty will be collaborating with other Oak Park area musicians to create a moving concert to include violin and cello students of all ages and levels. In previous years, we performed music from Syria, Lebanon, China, Romania, and more. This year, the concert will include a Vivaldi Double concerto performed with full string ensemble, a piece by Argentinian composer, Astor Piazzolla, a Beethoven string quartet and even a holiday sing along. Students will join to play music together and hopefully make the world just a little more peaceful and beautiful.
A House in Austin will be the recipient of the funds we raise. In past years, OPSA has raised almost $2,000 for our recipient organizations. We hope to do even better this year! You can make a donation right away!
Nov 11, 2019
Everyone welcome!
Learn about A House in Austin November 17, 2-3p
Come and make a craft, enjoy some treats and hear from visitors from A House in Austin. They will share about what their organization does to help families and community members in the Chicago neighborhood of Austin.
Our December 7th Benefit Concert at Grace Lutheran in River Forest will be in support of A House in Austin. Stay tuned for more concert details!
Aug 24, 2019
Ready to get back to school?! Get ready for music classes with these tips!
Including music classes as part of your child’s education is something we feel is essential! In D97 string classes and band are offered beginning in fourth grade. While I wish these classes started as young as Kindergarten or earlier, starting as soon as possible will prepare your child to join one of the ensembles in middle school and high school where they will have the opportunity to develop relationships with peers who are motivated and invested in something positive and worthwhile.
Here are some tips for beginning your child’s musical education journey on a high note:
1. START EARLY: Did you know that many students studying at OPSA begin lessons at the age of 4 or 5 years old and continue through high school? Consider preparing your kindergarten or early elementary student now by starting lessons with a local teacher. While we are partial to violin lessons at OPSA, we can help recommend teachers in the area for many other instruments.
2. QUALITY FROM THE START: Find a great teacher right from the start. Many a student has quit and decided they didn’t have musical ability simply because their first experience was not designed in a way that built in success. This is heartbreaking. Avoid having to undo bad habits–both physical and mental—right from the beginning by finding a great teacher from the start.
3. TEACHING vs. PERFORMING: Ask about pedagogical training. While a teacher should be an excellent player able to demonstrate in a beautiful and skillful way (and demonstrate often in the lessons), being able to play is NOT a sign that one can teach. This would be like assuming that a farmer can cook great meals. Maybe, but maybe not. A desirable teacher will demonstrate in the lesson (after all, music is a language that needs to be heard. Not hearing it would be like trying to learn French by only reading it–tres absurde!) as well as provide assignments for practice that leave the student and parent feeling like they know what to do, how to do it and exactly how to tell that they have achieved success in their practice.
4. CORRECT SIZE: Make sure your teacher helps you find the right size and quality instrument for your child. Did you know that violins come in different sizes? Did you now that one of the biggest demotivators for kids is having a violin that is too big which makes it harder to play? You may have heard that violins are like wine–the older the better. Without your teacher’s guidance, how do you know what makes a good violin for your individual child?
5. PLAN FOR SUCCESS: Make sure your teacher has a plan. Whether it is helping you select a violin or actually playing the violin, you need guidance. Playing the violin is not like piano or even most woodwind and brass instruments. Playing the violin is one of the most challenging things your child might ever do. BUT WAIT! Please don’t run away. Having a teacher with a plan (which often arrives from a combination of pedagogical training, experience and getting to know the particular student) can truly make or break your child’s experience. A step by step plan given in small increments can help to make the process fun, enjoyable, and most importantly–successful! At OPSA, we pride ourselves in helping every child know that they can do anything they put their mind (and time) towards. Musical talent is not inborn!
6. COOPERATION NOT COMPETITION: Cooperation and inspiration–not competition. OPSA includes a community of students (and parents) that are well trained. Some may look at the success of our students and think that it is achieved through competitive pressure. This could not be more incorrect. Rather than dull drilling, berating, pressure and competition, we provide our students with goals that they can strive for among a group of peers who inspire one another to be the best they can be by following through and committing to a path of excellence. We provide our students with clear assignments that help develop not only a beautiful sound, skill, and heart but also a sense of what mastery means and an appreciation for an art form that can (when developed skillfully) express the joys and sorrows of humanity. (Whew! What an awful lot at stake!). It is not uncommon to see a parent of one OPSA child congratulating the child of another because they’ve seen their struggle and been down that challenging road themselves and know just how much work they’ve all put in to arrive here.
7. FIND YOUR MUSIC COMMUNITY: No matter how much a child may complain about practice, I have never heard an adult come up to me and say, “I am so glad my parents let me quit.” In fact, I hear the opposite quite often; adults telling me with tears in their eyes, “I used to play and I wish I had kept it up. I’m trying now, but it is much harder.” Having friends and family around who also play or are learning to play instruments can help provide your child with a sense that this is something many people do and enjoy. Family jam sessions (no matter your ability level!) can be great fun and go a long way to encourage ownership for a budding musician. A pedagogical plan, a community of students and parents who are on a similar path, an individualized approach, and support for the parents are all necessary in order to keep the musical journey going.
Finally, learning how to play the violin in a way that teaches one how to break down something so challenging into smaller, more manageable steps is a skill that we all want for our children. On those days when they are grown and adulting just becomes too much for a moment, we hope that being able to go play chamber music with their friends, or simply for themselves, will be enough to help them recharge and find peace and beauty in their life.
