Parents as Partners
Online will return February 18!
Parents as Partners Online is a
series of short online videos for Suzuki parents and teachers, with topics
including practicing tips and ideas, getting the most out of Summer Institutes,
guiding your child in problem solving and goal setting, and Suzuki philosophy.
This year’s event will include
many new video talks for parents, as well as the return of favorites from the
past. A list of presenters will be published soon. Aimed to provide a dose of
parent education on Suzuki-related topics, all sessions can be viewed online at
the Suzuki Association of the Americas website at your convenience, 24-7.
A few new talks will be added each Monday, and you will
be notified by email. Once posted, everything can be viewed until June 30.
Are you a parent in need of rejuvenation? Want to hear
from others on how to make practice more effective? Need some input on how to
make review fun? Or wondering how to balance a busy schedule? If so, then
Parents as Partners Online is for you!
CYM is happy to offer Parents as Partners to
CYM families for $8. Please enroll by February 15th by replying to
this email to info@youngmusicians.org.
 |
| The Drake Bunch at Sewickley Light Up Night 2012 |
CYM and Suzuki Parent Melanie Drake shares her experience in years past with Parents as Partners...
I'd
like to share my experience with the SAA Parents As Partners Online sessions.
These presentations are offered online, on demand, and are easily
accessible, even to busy families on the go! The series is viewable on
any web-enabled device.
While
I have watched many Parents As Partners Online presentations, a few stand out
in my memory. Favorites include practice games by James Hutchins and
presentations by Edmund Sprunger, author of Helping Parents Practice. In
addition, I've enjoyed presentations which allow teenagers to recount their
experience with the Suzuki method and explain what worked and what didn't.
I don't remember the specific presentation, but I recall having a
revelation during one which was that progress shouldn't be marked by how
quickly a child is able to blow through the repertoire (i.e., quality should be
emphasized over quantity).
Most
memorable to me is Michele Horner's Listening Like a Maniac! presentation.
It's no secret that listening is a cornerstone of the Suzuki method.
In this presentation, Michele shares the secret for quick memorization of
new pieces. The technique is simple and involves repeated, concentrated
listening of upcoming pieces. I believe the formula is working piece +
new piece + next (preview) piece on repeat. This concentrated listening
is thought to facilitate internalization of new pieces. I implemented
this system in my household with the help of several wifi radios. Each
child has a radio in their bedroom and their very own 'listening like a maniac'
playlist. A combined playlist starts playing in a common area on a timer
at 6 a.m. when the kids start to wake up. When a new piece is started, I
update their playlist by deleting the old working piece and adding the next
preview piece; this update takes less than a minute of my time. I can use
an iPad to modify their playlists (and to turn off their radios once I suspect
they are asleep). It really couldn't be simpler. While we are not
home much during the week, I feel that we are making the most of our limited
listening time. One side benefit of easy memorization is less frustrating
practice sessions. And who doesn't want that?
