Suggestions for Suzuki Families – by Regan Toews “Every Child Can
Suggestions for Suzuki Families – by Regan Toews page 1 of 4 “Every Child can Learn. Do not hurry, do not stop.” – Shinichi Suzuki
1. Listen to the Suzuki CD every day. This helps motivate and it helps the actual learning as well! Listening can be part of other activities like playtime or bedtime.
2. Parent, enjoy your child and his or her musical development! Your role includes: - Coming to lessons and taking notes at the lessons (The lesson time itself is for the student but if you have questions, please ask!) - Practising with the child every day at home - Providing daily listening for your child - Providing a quality instrument and maintaining it and the bow. Please replace strings and have the bow re-haired as necessary or at least every other year. Once your child begins to read music, a music stand will also be a necessity.
3. Follow the step-by-step mastery of skills that your teacher “prescribes”. Remember Dr. Suzuki’s advice “Do not hurry, do not stop”. Celebrate the accomplishments of your child - withhold critical remarks.
Budgeting – possible expenses (costs are estimates) * = beginning essentials Equipment *Violin, bow, case Good condition small student instrument with bow and case will cost about $200 - $400. Small instruments can also be rented. A basic full-size instrument will range $500 - $1000. Books/recordings *Suzuki book $10 *Suzuki CD $20 String Builder book $10 Theory for Beginners $20 (usually used from 2nd year of lessons onward) book by Barbara Wharram Technique books (for $10 - 20 (one or two books per year may be students with 3+ years requested at the upper level of playing) of experience) Supplies *Shoulder rest $10 - $40 (depending on what fits best) Usually: “Fiddle friends” (purchase at the soundpost) for small violins, Kun rest for half-size+ violins Metronome/tuner $30 - $40 Strings (recommended When strings break or fray – usually every two or brand: Dominant) three years. Individual strings cost about $5-15 depending on string. A set will cost about $30. Bow rehair Every two to three years for full-size bows (smaller bows’ hair can often be cleaned instead of replaced) - Costs about $50 *Pencils $1 - Please write in pencil ONLY in your music! *Pen and notebook $2+ - For the parent to keep track of lessons Music stand $15 - $50 depending on brand *Rosin $5-10 (Hill brand rosin is a good basic rosin)
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Useful Information Music Circle, 4822 Boulevard St-Jean (514) 696- Suzuki books and CDs, violin strings and 8742 accessories Patrick J. Barthe, 356 Windermere Rd, Luthier, repair, bow rehair Beaconsfield (514) 694-1999 [email protected] Adriane Letourneau, 41 St-Pierre Ste-Anne de Luthier, repair Bellevue, (514) 457-3648 Archambault - 849-6201, 500 Sainte-Cath St E Suzuki books and CDs, Classical CDs, sheetmusic, accessories Saint-Michel Jules Luthier Inc, 57 rue Ontario, Tuners and other electronic accessories Ouest, (514) 288-4343 (very good prices), strings etc. Best price for combined metronome and tuner. Wilder and Davis - 289-0849, 257 Rachel East Instruments, bows, repair, rehairs, rentals, accessories, resale of instrument (will take only very good condition instruments) Charette et CossetteCharette & Cossette Luthiers, Luthier, repair 7189 Chateaubriand, (514) 844-3848 Denis Cormier - 844-7704, 3668 St. Hubert Luthier, repair Louise Gauchet - 284-5646, 3703 Laval Bow-maker, re-hair, minor instrument repair Francois Marlow - 271-7838, 5046 Clarke Bow-maker, re-hair Violons Etc, 2129 rue St Urbain (514) 844-6180 Instruments, instrument resale HMV - 875-0765, 1020 Sainte-Catherine St W Classical CDs The Sound Post Order strings etc over the phone, soon www.thesoundpost.com online too (To order box violin: call 1-800- 1-800-363-1512 363-1512, ask for sales, ask for item VX1) Shar Music (US): www.sharmusic.com Online order of books, strings, etc.
Books parents might be interested in (first 4 books available at the Point-Claire library; others through Archambault, The Sound Post, or Amazon) An introduction to the Suzuki method by the Suzuki Method International A Suzuki parent's diary : or, How I survived my first 10,000 twinkle. by Carroll Morris To Learn with Love by William Star Helping Parents Practice by Ed Sprunger (will arrive at the library soon) Ability Development from Age Zero by Shinichi Suzuki They’re rarely too young and never too old to twinkle by Kay Collier Slone
Sharing your music with others – Home Concerts, Recordings, and Festivals In addition to the two Suzuki concerts every year, I suggest that every student arrange a private concert to play in front of family and/or friends each year. I think it is a great experience to share one’s music. A CD for family or friends makes a great present. Sharing your music at a nursing home or other facility is also rewarding. There is also the opportunity to participate in music festivals like the QMEA Music Festival: (usually held at McGill and FACE high school in May) or to take a McGill conservatory exam.
Why learn how to play an instrument? Check out this national geographic article about the benefits of music for your brain: http://www.cangeo.ca/magazine/jf06/alacarte.asp#online
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Listening to classical music is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to learn more about classical music and improve one’s musical ear. And it’s fun too! There are many inexpensive or even free ways to listen to and enjoy classical music.
1. Of the many classical music radio stations in Montreal you can find: • Radio-Canada 1 - 95.1 FM • Radio-Canada 2 (Espace Musique) - 100.7 FM • CBC radio 1 - 104.5 FM • CBC radio 2 - 93.5 FM • CJPX - Radio classique - 99.5 FM
2. For information on classical music concerts in Montreal: La Scena Musicale Free magazine with Montreal concert listings (www.scena.org) Stewart Hall Pick up their pamplet for a list of their concerts Schulich School of Music www.music.mcgill.ca - most concerts are free (McGill) Université de Montréal www.musique.umontreal.ca – most concerts are free
3. Violin music I recommend (including some specific recordings to expose students to a variety of players): Violin concertos (pieces for violin and orchestra) Violin Concerto in E major BWV 1042 J.S. Bach Elizabeth Wallfisch on violin with the Orchestra Allegro of the Age of Enlightenment Concerto in D major, Op.61 Beethoven Gidon Kremer & Nikolaus Harnoncourt Violin concerto – “To the memory of an Berg Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Chicago Symphony angel” (modern piece) Violin concerto in D Major, Opus 77 Brahms Maxim Vengerov, violin; with Barenboim conducting Chicago Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26 Bruch Gil Shaham & Philharmonia Orchestra
Concerto Pour Violon Et Orchestre Khachaturian David Oistrakh & National Philharmonic Orchestra
Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op.64 Mendelssohn Kyung Wha Chung & L'Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61 Saint-Saens Martyn Brabbins & Philippe Graffin, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47 Sibelius Jascha Heifetz, London Philharmonic Orchestra Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19 Shostakovich Sarah Chang & Berliner Philharmoniker Violin Concerto In D, Op. 35 Tchaikovsky Ida Haendel
Violin Sonatas (pieces for violin and piano) Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 Beethoven Anne-Sophie Mutter Sonata For Piano And Violin No. 1 In G Major, Op. 78 Brahms Igor Oistrakh & Lev Oborin Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor Debussy Anne-Sophie Mutter & Lambert Orkis Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Franck Itzhak Perlman & Vladimir Ashkenazy Sonata for Piano and Violin in F, K. 376 Mozart Hilary Hahn & Natalie Zhu
Violin show pieces Symphonie espagnole, for violin and orchestra in D Minor, Lalo Isaac Stern & Philadelphia Op. 21 Orchestra Carmen Fantasy Sarasate Nicolaus Esterhazy Tzigane, Rhapsodie de Concert Ravel Sarah Chang, Berlin Phil 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1 Pagannini James Ehnes page 4 of 4
Caprice In A Minor Wieniawski Ruggiero Ricci
Chamber Music (music for a small group of musicians) String Quartet No. 10 in E Flat, Op. 74 "Harp" Beethoven Emerson String Quartet Quartet for Strings in F Major Ravel Alban Berg Quartet String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 Schubert Matt Haimovitz & Mirò Quartet
Music for Orchestra Brandenburg Concerto #2 In F, BWV Bach Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment 1047 Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92 Beethoven Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam & Eugen Jochum Symphony No. 3 in F, Op. 90 Brahms Bernard Haitink & London Symphony Orchestra Symphony No. 7, Op. 70 in D Minor Dvorak Symphony Chicago Symphony Orchestra & James Levine #7 Symphony No. 94 in G Major "Suprise" Haydn Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Faust Symphony Liszt Berlin Philharmonic with Sir Simon Rattle Symphony No. 4 Mahler Chicago with Kiri Te Kanawa singing Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90 Mendelssohn Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Yoel Levi "Italian" Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K.550 Mozart Tafelmusik Orchestra Romeo & Juliet, Suite No. 2 Op. 64 Prokofiev Jukka-Pekka Saraste & Toronto Symphony Orchestra Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 Schubert Giuseppe Sinopoli & Staatskapelle Dresden "Unfinished" Polka from “The Golden Age” Shostakovich Royal Scottish National Orchestra Till Eulenspiegel Strauss Boston Symphony Orchestra & Serge Koussevitzky Concerto Grosso in B Minor, Op.3/10 , Vivaldi Orpheus Chamber Orchestra RV 580
Other cool violin stuff Bach's Lunch Danny From the CD: Turtle Island String Quartet - A Night In Seidenber Tunisia A Week In Detroit It Don't Mean A Thing (jazz standard) From the CD: Stephane Grappelli 1935-40 Dinner Music For A Pack Of Raymond Scot Kronos Quartet: Released & Unreleased (Disc 2- Hungry Cannibals Unreleased) La Danse Du Bonheur Shakti The Best Of Shakti
(Op. means “opus” which translates to “work”. An opus helps keep track of the pieces a composer wrote in chronological order. For example, with Beethoven’s violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 it is called “number 5” because it is the 5th violin concerto Beehoven wrote but also called “opus 24” because it is the 24th piece of music he wrote if you include his other music. Mozart has a special counting system for his works “K” which stands for “Koechel”, the person who catalogued Mozart’s music. Vivaldi has “RV” numbers and Bach has a special counting system as well which is “BWV”. BWV stands for Bachwerkeverzeichnis which means "Bach Work Catalog" in German)
You can buy classical CDs at most music stores. The largest collection of classical CDs in Montreal is at Archambault near Berri metro.
You can borrow CDs for free at the most libraries, including the Pointe-Claire library and the Bibliotheque Nationale. AND If you have a BANQ library card, you can listen to classical music for free online! Sign-in to your dossier/record, then go to online resources and look for "Naxos music library".