Picture- Washington Suzuki Strings Violin Choir with Vice President Joe Biden
Parent Involvement
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki recognized that parent involvement and supportive encouragement readily nurture a child’s enthusiasm and ability. Dr. Suzuki hoped that every child would develop a “noble heart” through a loving, respectful, and directed learning experience. In keeping with this philosophy, Suzuki parents are the foundation of a parent-teacher-student triumvirate.
Parents:
- attend lessons with their children,
- guide their practice throughout the week
- ensure that the students are regularly listening to Suzuki repertoire recordings. Parents work with the teacher to ensure that the child, while learning a lifelong skill, has an enjoyable musical experience.
Parents have found this contact to be a wonderful way to touch base with their children throughout their family’s busy weeks. Parents and students alike experience great joy at the growing self-esteem and musical skill that their children develop. As children grow into adolescence, the parent’s role diminishes, but never truly disappears. Parents get to know other parents and build musical and personal community while attending the bi-monthly Group Classes. A supportive and dynamic community is established for all parts of the “Suzuki Triangle.”
Private Lessons
Students enroll in weekly private lessons which are 30, 45 or 60 minutes long, depending on the student’s age and stage of development. The “Suzuki parent” attends each lesson. Students progress at their own pace through the beautiful music of the Suzuki repertoire.
Group Classes
Violins are meant to play together! The group classes provide positive peer-group modeling and motivation. All students are assigned to an Ensemble Group of 8-12 students, appropriate to their needs and stage of development. The ensemble groups meet twice a month, on Saturday mornings, and include violin repertoire and performance skills, Dalcroze Eurthymics- actively utilizing Dalcroze Principles under the curriculum and guidance of The Dalcroze School of the Rockies/Dr Jeremy Dittus, and Music Mind Games. Students learn ensemble skills, occasionally play solos for each other, and enjoy a great camaraderie and respect for each other.
Advanced Ensemble
As appropriate to their development, students are invited to participate in the Violin Choir. The WSS Violin Choir takes music beyond the Washington Suzuki Strings community, playing concerts throughout the metropolitan Washington DC area. WSS The Violin Choir has performed at the White House on four occasions, for Vice President Biden at the Naval Observatory, for the Ambassadors of Italy, Zambia and Norway at their respective embassies, soloed with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, the Walter Reed National Medical Naval Center, the Cherry Blossom Festival, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Concerts & Recitals
Frequent performances—casual or formal—enable students to share their music with others, develop self-confidence, and appreciate the talents of their peers. Students learn that their music not only enriches their own lives, but also enriches the community around them. Throughout the year students perform solos, during Group class and at Washington Suzuki Strings recitals.