Listening is the heart and one of the distinguishing characteristics of Suzuki.  Students need to listen to the recording of current pieces daily.  They should also listen to the recording of all pieces in the current book daily. Students should also listen to music outside of the Suzuki repertoire. I encourage not only prerecorded music, but live concerts as well. 

 

Regular practice is of the utmost importance! Be available to guide your child through the steps of the lesson sheets with joy, encouragement and/or games.  Slow, accurate learning of new pieces, when coupled with repetition of playing small phrases, will yield the most sucessful results.  Proress in learning pieces occurs with quality time at the piano.

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Take advantage of observing other students' lessons. This time of observation can bring new insights and ideas about how to work with your child during a lesson and at home. 

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Talk with other Suzuki parents for new ideas. You can get ideas for improving your time at the piano, motivation techniques, and reinforcement of what is normal in child development.  This can be one of the most important and encouraging areas of the Suzuki method. 

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Suzuki believes in retaining all we learn. As the student's repertoire increases, time at the piano naturally increases.  Home practice time starts with as little as a few minutes at a time, several times a day, to an hour (or more) as your progress to higher level books.  Remember: You get out of Suzuki what you put into it. 

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Set flexible, attainable goals for each practice time. Base your time at the piano on accomplishing goals, not putting in the allotted minutes.  Draw out successful feelings by allowing your student to achieve easier goals, building momentum toward achieving greater goals over time. Challenge your student with trying new or more difficult steps following a successful review of a previous piece. Remember to nurture with love. 

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Find opportunities for your child to perform for family and friends. The more students perform for others, the more confident they become in their abilities. Music is a gift, and performances are a way for students to share the gift of music with others.

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Find creative ways to keep piano time interesting for your child. If you get stuck in a rut, the SMS family is a great resource, so you can ask another parent what he or she has tried or come to me for suggestions!