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 recognize the challenge of learning the instrument, and their behavior alters during lessons. As the teacher, I often feel puzzled and sometimes inadequate. However, the Suzuki triangle perseveres. The child progresses, we creatively find ways to approach lessons and home practice, and we gradually rise out of the slump. Before we know it, the young violinist is learning Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star!

This process is familiar to me; I wonder if altering my teaching approach will prevent this trajectory, or if the slump is expected (TEACHERS - any insight?). Regardless, I recognize the importance of supporting the parents, so they continue to encourage their children. Here are a few ways I support the parents - 

1. When sending weekly emails, I include a short note that highlights the student's progress: "Joey is playing beautifully on the middle highway," "I'm so proud of Rachel participating in group class today," "Monica focused intently during her lesson yesterday..." With these brief encouragements, I remind parents of the small steps that contribute every day to progress. 

2. I create handouts with an array of helpful tips and advice: bow hold and violin hold reminders, recommended reading lists, practice tips, the benefits of listening, and more. 

3. I mix up my approach to the lesson so the parent recognizes that home practice can be creative and flexible. While routine is incredibly important for the child, mixing up home practice may benefit the child and parent in small ways.

4. I remind parents that the slump is normal (and more will come in later years!). With consistency and good intentions, we will rise out of it.

(2) SUPPORT my playing:

In another way, I support my playing through challenging my technique and accepting that I am a work in progress. As a professional and a teacher, I developed a thoughtful approach to learning repertoire, but through this approach, I prevent myself from taking risks due to the fear of "sounding bad." Therefore, I try to push myself out of my comfort zone during practice.  This may seem counterintuitive, but I recognize that challenging myself and taking risks improves my playing. Even when a student is in a slump, I continue to challenge them, so why not do that for myself?

SUPPORT is all about showing up, sticking with it, and mixing it up. How will you embrace SUPPORT this month? 

Next month's mantra is MINDFULNESS...a helpful mantra to embrace during "gigmas" and the holiday season.