November: Support
For Lauretta Violin Studio, the mantra for the month of November is SUPPORT. Admittedly, my intention during November was to attend live performances to support my fellow classical musicians. Due to a couple of life events, I haven't attended many live performances this month. Therefore, I focused on SUPPORT in two other ways: (1) SUPPORT the parents who attend lessons with their young, beginner violinists, and (2) SUPPORT my playing through challenging myself in the practice room. (1) SUPPORT the parents: As a registered Suzuki violin teacher, I work with young, beginner violinists often and I witness a familiar trajectory in lessons during the first six months. At first, everyone is enthusiastic! Learning the instrument is novel and fun. The three of us (student, parent, and teacher) get to know one other and these initial lessons are filled with curiosity and enjoyment. Then, the enthusiasm diminishes; the student rejects practice and the parent wonders why. The child may reco...