The Woodshed

Have you ever heard the expression, "Go Woodshed this piece of music"?

wood·shed (wo̵od′s̸hed′)
noun, a shed for storing firewood. To lock oneself away with a musical instrument and practice, either a particular piece or in general, until the player has improved greatly or can perfectly play the piece he has been practicing.

To practice a musical instrument. The woodshed is where you go to sharpen your axe.

Woodsheddin; is a popular term with musicians. Some people think that people in the house got tired of hearing the musical practice, so the practicer was sent to the woodshed which was a ways from the house so they didn't have to be heard by everyone else. Other people think the woodshed was a place of punishment, where one was taken for a lickin'.

We need to do a little more woodsheddin'! We have many "almosters". We need to practice with focus until we have greatly improved our ability. Work it out! Polish it up! Go to the woodshed and work until it is perfected!

Halloween Scarols!

All of our music can turn from happy to scary and today it did in honor of Halloween. Everyone won prizes for beautiful ghost tones, creepy spider crawls up the bow, the spider walk on the violin, watching the pendulum move back and forth (with our elbow and fingers), and we even stirred the witches brew! Playing "hide the spider" was great fun, giving clues if you were close or far by playing forte or piano. The only time it couldn't be found was when it was in teacher's hair!

October Group Lesson

Get ready for the spiders! October Group Lesson is coming up and we need to be prepared. Practice your spider crawls up the bow, spider walk with the left hand, the pendulam (swinging left elbow), Stir the witches brew, Ghost position, Harmonics (spook tones), Bell Tones (sympathetic ghosts), Spook songs (Book one songs in a minor key), and review Witches Dance. See you there. Ha ha ha ha ha

Fiddle Program

In spite of the rainy weather, our fiddle program was well attended. We put up a few canopies, huddled together and played. Too bad the August weather was not as beautiful as the September weather. We played some new numbers we had learned over the summer which were enjoyed by our audience. One of our favorites was the Swallow Tail Jig. Tyrus learned a new instrument this year, the mandolin. He played a break on the mandolin in Red River Valley.

We were fortunate to have Clifford Washburn and Stacie Bailey accompany us on the guitars. Awesome!

Every group lesson we will review some of our fiddle songs so we don't forget them! We never know when we will be called upon to perform them.

Welcome Summer!

In spite of all the vacations, missed lessons, illnesses, girls camps, family reunions and school projects, WE WILL HAVE OUR ANNUAL SUMMER FIDDLE PROGRAM the end of August. We are working on four new fiddle numbers this summer for our program. These are Ragtime Annie, Lonesome Fiddle Blues, Wake Up Suzie Reel, and Swallow Tail Jig. We are really enjoying learning these songs. We will play some of our old favorites as well. So reserve August 30th for our Fiddle Program.

Congratulations on a great recital! I think our audience really enjoyed it. We learned a lot from doing our duets and ensemble numbers. Thank you all for your hard work! Alto thanks to the Piano Gallery for use of the wonderful Recital Hall.

We are now working on our summer fiddle program. We love to fiddle! It is so good for our finger dexterity and rhythm.

Spring Recital

Our Spring Recital is well underway! We have a very good variety of music prepared and are anxious to share it with our families and friends. The date is Wednesday, May 19th at 6:30 p.m. sharp. The place is The Piano Gallery that is just off 10600 South and 300 West in South Jordan. Here is Ashlie, Jordan, Tyrus and Katelyn preparing Canon in D by Pachelbel.

Congratulations Again!

Melissa once again received a I rating, this time at the State Music Festival. She received a scholarship to a music camp in Park City this summer featuring Jenny Oaks Baker. Nice going, Melissa!

A Fun Home Evening!

Residents of Legacy House were treated to a funfilled home evening Monday night with a program presented by.... The Fantastic Fiddlers! Many people sang along as we played some favorites of the olden days.

Double Congratulations!!!

Contratulations go to Melissa. This week she participated in her high school music festival and played a solo and duet before a judge. She got 5 out of 5 in all areas and actually got the only 1+ in her orchestra. Nice going, Melissa! We are proud of you!

Songs to Review for our Legacy House Program

I know we know these songs, but let's polish them up again.

Boil Them Cabbage Down
Cripple Creek
Old Joe Clark
Faded Love
Devil's Dream
Red Wing
Minuet 3 going into Little Brown Jug
Ragtime Annie
She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain
Witches Dance
I Am a Child of God

This will be a very fun program. One thing we like to remember is:
If we have a good time, our audience will have a good time.
Happy Practicing:)

We need more practicing!!

As I listen to students, I am disappointed that our songs are being learned so slowly! This is directly related to the amount and kind of practice we are doing at home. Here are some suggestions:

*Have a REGULAR practice time EVERY DAY, preferably in the morning before school while minds are fresh.
*Practice is like any other responsibility around the house and should be included on your job list (chart - whatever you do at your house).
*Always take time to review. This is where we get our best skills and sense of accomplishment. Also, when we are called upon to do a program, we are ready!
*Be your own teacher at home! Don't settle for less than the teacher would. Parents - help!
*When learning new songs, work in small steps, 2 measures at a time, over and over. Or one note, two notes, a measure. Connect the small steps and rejoice in your progress.
*Do NOT practice mistakes. PRACTICE PERFECT! It takes a long time and many repetitions to re-learn something the right way after it has been learned wrong. Remember: Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.
*LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN! People who listen do not have rhythm and intonation problems.
*Do not be a clock watcher. Enjoy playing your instrument. Get a feeling of accomplishment!
*Tape your practice sessions so you can hear yourself.
***Learn to love to play your violin!!! It is a part of you and your spirit. Let it speak for you! Let it express what you are feeling and want to say. "Music is Love in Search of a Word".

Legacy House Program

We have the opportunity to put on a program for the residents of Legacy House on April 5th at 6:30 p.m. We are excited to share some of our fiddle music as well as some classical music we have learned. Music bridges the generation gap and some of the songs we play were learned by people many many years ago and passed down from generation to generation. We are looking forward to sharing this music with our friends at Legacy House.

Fiddle Fair

Summerhays Music has an annual Fiddle Fair where they have good prices on instruments, strings, bows, rosin,etc. This will be held at the Murray store this coming week end, March 18-20. The address is 5420 Green Street, phone 801-268-4446. 10 am - 7 pm (6 pm on Sat.)

The Fiddle Fair at the Orem store will be March 25-27 at 1006 South State, phone 801-226-1760. If you are in need of anything, this is a good time to look:)

Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

The way you play is directly linked to how and how much you practice! If you practice mistakes, you will play mistakes. If you practice perfect just two measures at a time, you will play perfectly. We have some performances coming up so we need to improve our practice sessions to perfect our numbers. Regular practice is essential. Suzuki said, "You only have to practice on the days you eat."

Always play a review song that you already know how how to play. This boosts confidence and improves playing skills. Play scales. This teaches finger patterns. Fiddle! This gets our fingers moving. Remember, we are the Fantastic Fiddlers!

A Fun Website

I came across a very fun and educational website that teaches musical concepts through games and quizzes. I encourage all music students to do these quizzes. Print off your scoresheet and bring to teacher for extra credit. These are a GREAT learning tool! Just go to www.musictechteacher.com/musicquizzes.htm

And We Have A Winner!

Actually, we had three winners of our Count the Beats! Contest. Ashlie, Tyrus, and Braxten all counted 49 1/2 beats, which was correct. Very tricky. At Group Lesson we again worked on our counting and understanding of rhythm. We also went around the world with note flash cards and KATELYN remains the champion!

We also played holding our bows upside down to help improve our bow hold and tone. Yes, you CAN DO THIS AT HOME! Please do!

Count the Beats!

We have one more week to count the beats on the poster to win a prize. Winners will be announced at Group Lesson on February 24th. If you have a guess, write it on a paper and give it to teacher. You will find out at Group Lesson if you are right or not.

Keep working on the 21-day Vibrato Challenge. So far, onlyAshlie has completed the 21 days without a miss!

Spring Recital Set

The date for our Spring Recital has been set. It will be Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at the Piano Gallery just off 10600 South and 300 West. Many of our students are learning new songs for this recital so it should be very entertaining with some new and different songs. Put this date on your calendar and be sure to invite whomever you would like to hear you play! Time will be 6:30 P.M. sharp. (The store closes at 7:30.)

Listen, Listen, Listen

I would like to encourage everyone to listen a LOT to their Suzuki CD's and other good classical and fiddle music. Listening to our songs makes our progress go much faster. Students do not have problems with the rhythm, intonation, tone, and memorization when they listen on a regular basis.

Two kinds of listening are Passive Listening and Active Listening.
Passive Listening is hearing what is in our environment. We do not consciously respond to it, but it streams into our subconscious. Your child masters the skills of passive learning very early in life. Even when you think he is sleeping or doing another activity his ears are taking in information in the passive mode. Putting on music when your child is doing homework or sleeping will store it in the subconscious brain for later retrieval.

Active Listening involves a more concentrated effort. Listening actively helps us correct mistakes, figure out how to play a difficult section, and pay particular attention to how we want the finished piece to sound. Active Listening causes a conscious awareness of the music that creates a response in the body. We may want to tap our toes, fingers, clap, or dance. Watching the music while listening connects our visual and auditory senses. A child who listens learns to read music easier than those who do not listen. Let's get listening!!

Rhythm

We had a fun group lesson focusing on rhythm. We did some math problems, substituting notes values for numbers. We played the game "Rhythm", keeping the beat while calling out names. Play this one at home!
Contratulations to Ashlie for passing off Suzuki Book 2. She played the Minuet by Boccerini for our group. Several of our students are very close to finishing Book 2.
We are working towards a Sprng Recital. We play together as a group quite often, so it will be exciting to hear each student play a solo. Some have requested playing duets so we will work hard to get ready for our recital. The date will be announced soon.
Welcome to our new student and friend, Jordan.

Music Has Power to Train the Brain

"That's the view of brain and music specialist Frank R. Wilson, M.D., a California neurologist. Amazed by his daughter's progress on the piano, he wondered how she learned so swiftly to coordinate hands, ears, eyes, brain.
His research showed that skill in playing an instrument results from effective use of the cerebellum, the part of the brain that directs muscle control and coordination. When music meets the brain, there's a two-way transaction that somehow benefits both motor skills and mental faculties. What's more, emotions are stimulated too.
Back when your mother told you to practice, practice, practice, she was thinking mostly of social graces. Now you have a more persuasive argument-- you can talk about brain power when you encourage your son or daughter to master the piano, violin, guitar, flute, or drums."

21-Day Vibrato Challenge

Many of you are starting the basics of vibrato study. In order to vibrato, we need to develop the muscles of the left hand that allow us to have a beautiful controlled vibrato. I have given exercises at lessons to do this, but here is the key: You must do vibrato exercises every day without missing a day to benefit from the exercises. So we are having a 21-day vibrato challenge starting this week. You must do a vibrato exercise (some can be done without the violin) EVERY DAY for 21 days. If you miss a day, you must start over the 21-day challenge. Have fun with your vibrato and don't forget the tic tacs!

BOW EXERCISES

Here are a few bow exercises to work on this month. Choose one each day. They only take a few seconds to do.
20 Tic Tocs
20 Tip Circles
Stir a cake
Rocking chair on the bridge
Silent arpeggio on the Kreisler Highway
20 Thumb Bites
Finger sets: Lift pointer and pinkie off the bow alternately
4 Bow Circles on each string
Submarine Bow (under the violin)
Windsheild Wipers (use the fingers, not the hand)
Put a coin on your bow hand and flip it into your case behind you when you go up bow
Do "Up Like a Rocket" with a lifesaver on the tip of your bow
Elevator Bow (raise the bow up from the floor, keeping the tip and frog straight)

Happy Bowing! Keep Balanced!

Happy New Year!

As we start a new year I am excited to get moving again in our Suzuki Books. Many of you are about ready to finish Book 2. Let's set that for our New Year's Goal for January.
Thanks you all for your excellent performing in December. I hope many of you were able to perform for family and church events. It makes people happy when they hear you share your talents.
We are again (still) working on our one-minute flash cards. So many of you are so very close! Keep working until they are automatic. If you have to stop and count lines and spaces, you don't know them well enough.
Group Lesson for Januray will be on Wednesday, January 27th at 4 p.m. We will be welcoming a new student, Jordan and look forward to him playing music with us!