In the musical field, musical #Olympians would be musicians who have reached the pinnacle of their craft through exceptional skill, dedication, and performance. Here are just a few examples:

Classical Music

1. Yo-Yo Ma (Cellist)

- Renowned for his technical mastery and expressive performances, Yo-Yo Ma is considered one of the greatest cellists of all time, much like an Olympic gold medalist in their sport.

2. Lang Lang (Pianist)

- Known for his virtuosity and dynamic playing, Lang Lang has performed with top orchestras worldwide, representing the highest level of achievement in classical piano.

Opera

3. Renée Fleming (Soprano)

- With a career spanning over three decades, Renée Fleming is celebrated for her beautiful voice and emotive performances, akin to an Olympian's peak physical and mental condition.

4. Plácido Domingo (Tenor)

- As one of the "Three Tenors," Domingo has achieved legendary status in the opera world, similar to an Olympic champion's iconic status.

Pop/Rock

5. Beyoncé (Singer/Dancer/Performer)

- Known for her powerful voice, stage presence, and groundbreaking performances, Beyoncé exemplifies the dedication and excellence seen in Olympic champions.

Conducting

6. Gustavo Dudamel (Conductor)

- As the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dudamel’s dynamic conducting style and leadership have earned him global acclaim, similar to a coach leading an Olympic team to victory.

These musicians represent the highest levels of achievement, dedication, and influence in their respective fields, making them the musical equivalents of Olympic athletes.

Wouldn’t it be fun to imagine yourself as a musical #Olympian?? Could you nurture the qualities of an #Olympian in yourself?

Dedication: #Olympians dedicate countless hours to training and study in order to excel. How many hours do you spend in lessons and practicing? Is there time for more?

Training Regimen: #Olympians undergo rigorous physical training. Including plentiful study in scales, arpeggios, chords/double stops, etudes, tonalization, and review in your daily practice will create a rigorous practice routine!

Peak Performance: #Olympians compete on a regular basis and thus “practice” performing. How often do you perform? Could you find more opportunities to perform? A formal recital doesn’t have to be the only way! Busking is popular during good weather. How about a pop up concert in a library or market? Video recording can also be a performance opportunity.

Recognition: A favorite time of the games is the award ceremony. It feels great to earn a medal or trophy! At PMA, we acknowledge students when they complete a Suzuki book graduation with a framed certificate and award graduating High School Seniors with an honor chord to wear at their graduation ceremony. Competitions are plentiful in Pittsburgh and beyond!

Could we create our own PMA Olympic Games??? We are! Sign up here for The Suzuki Olympics. Here are some possible events:

“Track and Field”

• 100m Sprint

  • Who will play a selected piece at the quickest tempo and maintain accuracy?

• Marathon

  • Who will play 26 review songs?

“Swimming”

• Freestyle Relay

  • Which team can pass the phrases of a piece of music seamlessly from one to another?

“Archery”

• Who will play a piece of music with the most accuracy?

See you at the games for these and many more!

The evening began with a performance. Dr. Werner performed two selections for the students:

• A Little Violin Music: In Memory of Elijah McClain by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939)

• Tanz by Krysztof Penderecki (1933-2020)

Alex was the first student to perform. He is preparing to graduate from Suzuki Book 1 and shared both Allegro by Suzuki and Gavotte by Gossec. Dr. Werner complimented the performer on his excellent ability and focused on the fermata present in the third phrase. She described this time in the piece as a perfect opportunity to, “play with the audience’s expectations!” The phrase ends with a cadence leaving the ear expecting a resolution. The performer can use choreography to keep the audience guessing. Be still for a moment and then come back with vigor and confidence to play the final phrase of the piece.

Gavotte is such a busy piece, we find the performer wanted so much to look at the left hand. This can cause the violin to travel forward towards the front of the body and can create tension in the left shoulder and hand. But, Alex is a proficient violin player and demonstrated, after being asked by Dr. Werner, that he was able to play sections of the piece with the eyes closed. His body knew what to do without the aid of the eyes! To further reduce tension in the hand, he was asked to play without touching the thumb to the neck of the violin; to make the left thumb soft and squishy. Both of these activities could be repeated on review pieces until the violin remains on the shoulder and the left thumb muscle is soft.

Izzy was up next and performed the 3rd movement of the Concerto in G Minor by Vivaldi in Suzuki Book 5. Dr. Werner praised her sweet and tender tone and fluid shifting. They spent time realizing how the bow and arm can facilitate good tone and ease in the passages containing fast string crossings. It is necessary for Izzy to have a higher elbow when playing on the G string. It was surprising to us all that when the bow is balanced on the G string, and the violin is removed, the horse hair is parallel to the floor! This created a completely different sensation in the body. When working on dynamics, Dr. Werner detailed a “recipe” for the bow. Depending on what dynamic the player is trying to create, vary the amount of bow

• weight

• placement

• speed

for just the right flavor!

Next up was Sarah, who played La Folia by Corelli from Suzuki Book 6. First Sarah was praised for a confident and fantastic performance. To improve the runs, Dr. Werner described a practice technique she called Bow Pulses. By using up bow staccato, the performer is encouraged to save bow at the beginning of the run. Once each note is clearly heard, figuratively put a little butter on the bow and smooth it out.

Dr. Werner had with her a Baroque bow that she generously shared with Sarah to aid in finding the best tone possible for the repeated chords in the final section of the piece. The Baroque bow is lighter, shorter and shaped with a different tip. It quickly “barks” back at you if you use too much weight. Using the bow encouraged Sarah to find a more ringing sound with a faster stroke and more “petting” approach. The light weight helped to get to the frog more energetically. It was quite exciting to notice the improvement when Sarah went back to her own bow!

The final performer of the evening was Avery, who also performed the 3rd movement of the Concerto in G Minor by Vivaldi in Suzuki Book 5. Avery gave a fantastic performance and Dr. Werner used a number of exercises to help explore different kinds of tone available on the violin.

• The Nose exercise: play an up bow and lift off to touch the nose with the back of the hand. Once this is easy, create the same sensation but stay on the string completely.

• Upside Down Bow Hold: hold the bow at the tip end of the stick. Play and notice how such a heavy bow can impact the tone. Can you create the same sound holding the bow at the frog?

• Pinch Toy: mark the bow using a pinch toy (Dr. Werner had a Koala) as a visual cue to play at, to, or past that spot on the bow.

Finally, the two talked about the success of pop artist, Taylor Swift. What makes her great is how she is able to connect with each and every audience member, even at the back of the arena. We can do the same and send our sound to everyone in the room!

We wrapped the night with Q & A and a group photo. We gave Dr. Werner a little PMA swag to remember the special occasion.

Over the next week, I spoke with each student about their experiences. One student was inspired to create an artistic rendering (which can be viewed in my office!). All of the Swifties were able to relate and incorporate the discussion around performing. The students discussed trying out the suggestions meant for others and benefited from watching how those skills worked for them. The most profound realization was seeing that other students are working through similar situations as themselves. We <3 Masterclasses at PMA!

One of the hallmarks of Suzuki Method Education is Group Class. When discussing the additional classes, I often hear the response, “Group Class Stinks!” from both parents and children! Let’s dive deeper into that sentiment and see why or why not this may be the case.

“We have to go to the school twice a week. It’s a waste of time.”

While this can make the family schedule a little more hectic, the benefits outweigh the burden.

• Contact time with teachers is now doubled.

  How will your student’s learning be impacted by this additional time? Different teachers can explain concepts using different language, and a new way of hearing about a topic may be just the ticket for greater understanding. Teachers can also dive deeper into a topic in a class setting that is unlike the lesson. The energy of the group can move the subject matter more quickly. Areas like history and musicianship lend themselves to many group activities. Teachers can

  • read stories about composers

  • play games requiring more than one player

  • use the group dynamic to power through something difficult

• The students motivate each other.

  Are you having trouble getting your young student to practice? Students in group class notice when their peers learn new pieces and become motivated to work harder at home. Your home practice time will become easier with this additional commitment.

“My student is the most/least advanced. They won’t be challenged or will be left out.”

• Leadership development

  If your student falls in the top of the class category, this is a wonderful opportunity! Teachers can coach this student to

  • demonstrate proper technique

  • mentor others

  • uplift others

    The result is a student leader with increased confidence.

• Exposure to all that is to come

  If your student falls into the bottom of the class category, this is a wonderful opportunity! Teachers can coach this student to

  • listen intently to upcoming pieces

  • learn from others

  • be helped by the kindness of others

    The result will be seen over time with increased speed in progress from so much observation and motivation.

“We can’t keep up with the review.”

• Review becomes a burden when it is neglected and pieces are forgotten. If you find your student in this situation:

  • Listen more! If the pieces are in the ear, the fingers will find their way back.

  • Play along with the recordings. Even if your student misses some of the notes, it will all come back in time.

  • If your student is really struggling, work on a few pieces at a time or just the music covered in class. Many teachers will publish a review list and that can focus your preparation.

• Playing review pieces well is what boosts self confidence. If your student hears themselves sounding well, they will enjoy playing and performing more and more.

The additional commitment is worth it! Students who participate in group class are more proficient at their instruments and have a greater breadth of musical knowledge. They meet friends with similar interests and their parents meet like-minded families. Group Class participants are likely to be successful performers and advance in auditions and competitions. See for yourself and #Discover today!

Our first project is a #connection of community: Super Suzuki Play Ins! Using our shared and common repertoire gives us the opportunity to focus on playing those pieces together in a meaningful way. Students will review the pieces already learned from the review list and come together to play them together in a group. Why is this valuable? We improve our skills when we play music we already know. Playing with others brings the attention out of ourselves and into the group of musicians making music together. Students come away from these events with motivation from the beauty they created with their colleagues and inspired to learn the pieces they have not yet learned. You can register for these events by clicking here to create an account and then shop for classes in our Summer 2023 store. Each Play In is just $15!

The second project of our #connection summer is a Summer Book Reading Club. Students will read suggested selections and share what they liked, learned or was inspired by in the text. Readers are also invited to recommend new books to other participants! Why is this valuable? Interesting subject matter encourages students to read. Reading a book may inspire a student to seek out a new piece of music or deepen the understanding of known material. Literacy increases understanding of the world around us. This project is free for all PMA students. Look for the bulletin board in Greentree for the book lists and review slips.

Check out The Latest News to see some images about these projects and look forward to more about #connection all summer!

I always knew I wanted to help people.   Or even be so bold as to say heal people.

A teacher that taught students so much about the joy of music making, how to express emotions through music, and to strive for excellence in technical mastery of the instrument, was my high school orchestra conductor.  During the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, he was tragically killed in a car accident.  He was beloved by all his students.  I made a promise to keep his memory alive by continuing to teach others.

In the struggle to decide a major in college, I toyed with both medicine and music.  I realized that no mistake I could ever make in performing or teaching could ever cause physical harm the way a medical mistake could.  I also understood that the hours of time into the instrument were already entered, and a medical degree would be just the beginning.  So my decision was made!

In my early teaching career, I was called by a studio to work with advanced Suzuki students.  My experience growing up with Suzuki students was negative and juvenile:  those were always the students just a bit more accomplished than I, so I was sure I didn’t like the method.  Then, I saw it in action:  playing by ear, music memorized without difficulty, joy in playing with others, a positive and nurturing atmosphere.  I realized the error of my past judgement about the method and dove into training!

As I took my first courses, I realized that I was already a Suzuki teacher without knowing the title existed!  Many of the hallmarks of the method I already used in my studio.  I loved the process of previewing the difficult bits before the beginning!  Finally an end to always starting at the top and stopping at each hard bit.  

I loved the process of memorization and repertoire building!  As a traditional student, there were times someone would ask me to play something.  If I had no music on hand or was between solos, I had nothing!  I vividly remember thinking, “people must think I am lying about my ability to play the violin.”  What a terrible feeling!

I loved the process of using old pieces to learn new skills!  It always took time to learn the notes of the étude before I could start working on the technique requested.  What a waste of time!  Why not dive in and start working on the skill today!

Most of all, I loved knowing that doing this would make beautiful people.  What could be better than teaching a family to share music?  What could be better than teaching parents and children to relate to each other in such a loving way?  What could be better than teaching a student that there has to be time and effort to succeed at the physical skill of playing an instrument?  What could be better than helping an individual discover their expressive voice on the violin?  What could be better than healing people in this way?

So that’s a peek into my story.  What’s yours?

Instrument specific group class is a pillar of the Suzuki method, and in all honesty, one of the most remarkable.  Students gather weekly with each other and a teacher to reinforce technique and repertoire, listen and perform for each other, and become motivated by the new things they see and hear.  Families who make attending group class a priority enjoy an easier time of home practice, gain a supportive community of adults and friends for the children, and usually find their students move more quickly through the books.  

Since our concert would occur close to Thanksgiving, a time in the US when it is common to reflect on gratitude, we embraced that as our theme.  We spent class time helping the students discover specific skills they learned with each of the pieces.  To honor those committed to the class, each student chose a selection for the concert and why they were grateful to know that piece.  Here is the text from the program listing the students and the reasons behind their selections:

Sammy, Ellis, Emily, and Daria are grateful for advanced techniques like repeated down bows, up bow staccato, and ornaments. Taran is grateful for fast passages. Ellie and Ben are grateful for beautiful melodies and fun words to songs. Philip, Sunny, Gabby, and Lipi are grateful for mastery of new pieces. Agnes is grateful for new musical forms. Alex is grateful for dynamics. Miriam is grateful for pieces with many parts that fit together. Finnegan is grateful for songs that remind us of holidays.  Leonie is grateful for passages that exercise our fingers. Norah is grateful for music with a varitey of rhythms. Tahara and Corwin are grateful for the chance to try new repertoire.

It was clear there was even more than this to be grateful for than the list from the students.  New friendships were forming in class and ones that had fallen aside due to lockdown were rekindled.  More families had more children now studying music and were making music at home as well as in our classes.  Beautiful tone filled the air and performers listened to each other more attentively in order to stay together despite the distance needed for safety.  Classes were successful in person, online and in hybrid format.  Learning had taken place and progress was made despite the loss of time in person and health and safety restrictions.  All days begin with sunrise and end with sunset, and we can make them all great in some small way.  We are grateful to make music together again!

It is a daily occurrence to hear of gun violence and mass shootings in the news. Most of the reported statistics about the perpetrators include age, race, gender, previous criminal record, and whether or not the weapon was obtained legally. One organization, The Violence Project in St. Paul, MN, has been looking deeper into the demographics of these men and women. This organization has been compiling a comprehensive database (The Violence Project Mass Shooter Database) including the demographics, life history, crisis points, warning signs, contagion, motivations and community factors of these individuals. Education is one of the statistics being examined in this study. I am curious about what music education these individuals may have had. My theory is little to none. I believe that people who form a deep connection to music find no need to engage in violence.

Music is excellence. It takes many hours of concentrated practice and years of lessons to become a fine musician. This kind of dedication to a single, engaging activity fosters problem-solving skills, patience, focus, and develops high individual standards. Once proficiency is achieved, performance becomes fulfilling. The artist can achieve a state of flow or total engagement. Other terms describing this state are the “runner’s high,” a “rush,” or transcendence. The performer actually gets lost in the music and connects deeply to the audience.

Music is teamwork. Families help children study music by providing the instrument, assisting in the practice, and attending lessons and performances. The student forms a close a trusting relationship with a non-familial adult; the teacher. Groups of students playing in an ensemble work together to perform music well in concerts. There is no team to beat, just an audience to move. 

Music is healthy expression. All genres of music, whether pop, classical, rap, ethnic, etc., contain works specifically addressing the entire range of emotion. Some selections convey love, loss or sorrow. Other songs describe political unrest or social injustice. Music can be sacred or spiritual in nature, outlining a relationship with a God. Whatever emotion the player needs to express, music exists to support it. The performer can also create new music to fill any gaps!

One of the common unifying factors among the violent perpetrators is a deep, emotional trauma experienced at some point in the life of that individual. Perhaps music education, as a form of therapy, could be used to overcome the trauma and move the individual towards a state of wholeness without the need for violence against humanity. Perhaps if all people could learn to play music, the world could finally have peace.

11/14/2019

The first was a child performing for a live radio broadcast.  For the entire school year, we had been working on extending her concentration and developing her ability to focus on the performance despite distractions.  She participated in a weekly performance class.  Although her mother and I had given her spots to gaze upon or points to remember during the performance, she was still making errors each and every time we saw her eyes drawn into the activities of the audience members.  

The second child was preparing for her Suzuki Violin Book 1 Graduation.  This was to be a home concert featuring her with her 2 sisters.  Again, every lesson was spent working on maintaining focus throughout the selections, without consistent success.

Young children are not capable of “bringing their ‘A’ game” at any given moment.  Teachers must provide them with an actual performance opportunity in order for them to put into practice what we cultivate in the lesson.  Sometimes we wait to schedule a child for a performance until we see them demonstrate the desired result in the lesson.  I’m not suggesting that we should push a student to perform when not prepared, but I do encourage you to give the student the actual concert to practice true focus and concentration.

It was a magical moment for each girl at the performance!  The student playing for the radio had a tiny memory slip interrupting her musical line.  She paused for a split second, but never looked away from the violin.  She went on unaffected and played a fine rendition.  The student playing for the Graduation bobbled a bit while letting her eyes wander through the crowd of friends and family.  I saw the moment when she remembered the lesson mantra of “look at what you want to think about.”  From then on, she never faltered and finished strong!

These ladies will always remember their success.  They put into practice what had been taught in the lesson.  Since they each have now had the actual experience, and seen the result of their efforts, I believe they will be able to recreate the concert in their mind’s eye, during the lesson or practice sessions at home.  

8/19/2017

I grew up as a “traditional” student:  weekly private lessons with a teacher and practice alone in my room at home.  I did play with other students at school, but the music was different from what I studied in my lessons, and never a solo part.  I might have had one recital each year to prepare for and perhaps a competition or two.  These always seemed to be monumental events and if the outcome was not favorable, I was crushed, without an opportunity for redemption for many, many months.  In addition, there were often long stretches of time when I had nothing ready to perform as I was between pieces. 

One of the differences between the traditional method and the Suzuki method is the Group Class.  So many of the issues I didn’t love about my music study experience are completely eliminated by the Suzuki Group Class!  Students of approximately the same level gather together with a teacher to review and refine the literature from where they are back to the very basic Twinkle.  Instruments that are mobile usually play together as an ensemble and pianists usually take turns playing for each other.  Games and challenges are used to keep students engaged.  Non-Suzuki repertoire is added as well as harmonies to the known melodies.  Other musical concepts that may not easily be covered in the private lesson can be added in the group class.  

Group class provides so many benefits!  Let’s start with just three for today:

1. Social Influence.  Children learn from each other.  Seeing other students struggling with the same tasks bonds one to another.  Seeing others succeed creates a congratulatory culture and encourages others to be supportive.  Parents get to meet, spend time with, and develop relationships with other parents who value music education.  Because of this experience with friends, practice the day after group class is so much easier to start than any other day of the week!  

2. Ensemble Benefit.  Being part of a group gets students engaged in making music with others.  Students really have to listen, watch, and play together.  The individual is now responsible to the group and not just to the self.  Watching the leader prepares the student for orchestral experience.  Being the leader gives the student the opportunity to learn to lead by example.  

3. Builds Working & Usable Repertoire. This repertoire can be used for busking, family events like weddings and parties, sharing music in church, or talent shows.  The student is ready to perform at any given moment.  Contests and competitions are easily within reach and the student has a wide range of possible selections from which to choose. Regular work on memory makes future memorization less challenging. The result of this knowledge for the student is high self confidence and self esteem.  

Fall 2017