By Christin Cooper
As students across our studios are setting and achieving goals in pursuit of their Musical Milestones, we are highlighting some of the ways our Group Lesson Suite utilizes this program to focus on reinforcing a strong foundation for beginners. This week, we are learning more about the milestones students achieve in Studio Strings!
Developing Essential Skills Through Ensemble Playing
Our Studio Strings program emphasizes a well-rounded introduction to violin playing with an emphasis on ensemble, musical literacy, and healthy technique. From the very beginning, students experience the challenge and excitement of playing together as a group. So much is happening simultaneously when we play in an ensemble! Agreeing upon and maintaining a cohesive steady beat, listening to others while keeping track of your own progress, and committing to playing from the beginning to the end of a piece without stopping requires the application of many complex skills. Add to that the uniquely difficult challenge of staying in-tune with another string instrument, and you’ve got a full-brain workout!
Research has shown that ensemble playing can also help develop communication skills, empathy, and the ability to compromise. Furthermore, being part of a musical community can provide a sense of belonging and encourage positive social connections. Over the years, members of our teaching team have noticed a significant increase in the confidence and success of recital performances among students with more ensemble participation. In this way, early ensemble experiences result in long-lasting benefits for students throughout their musical journey.
While parents are noticing the essential skills being developed through ensemble based learning, your student is saying “I am part of a team.”
We use the Suzuki Method and More in Group Violin Lessons
Our group violin students begin their studies with Suzuki Violin Book 1. We love Suzuki violin pedagogy for the way it helps young children to build a memorized repertoire. In addition to the Suzuki method, our Studio Strings program incorporates a systematic approach to musical literacy. Utilizing Joanne Martin’s “I Can Read Music”, students practice reading pitch and rhythm in a step-by-step method that can be personalized to suit each child’s own pace. Beginning with notes on the A string and basic rhythmic values, these violin lesson students move through progressively challenging exercises to develop mastery.
As a parent, you will be very pleased to see the combination of ear training, memorization, and music reading skills. Your student will be thinking “That’s just the way I read.”
Fostering Confidence and Leadership in Young Musicians
Another opportunity for individualization comes from a focus on posture and “setting up” the instrument for success. Each violin student has their own strengths and growth areas when it comes to things like: placement of the violin on the shoulder, positioning the left hand with a straight wrist and soft thumb, and maintaining a “curvy pinky” in the bow hand. In this way, group classes provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their own innate strengths, and in so doing, inspire others to grow.
As a parent you will be thinking my student is a leader in class, while your student is saying “I love playing the violin.”
Ready to give group violin lessons a try? Our Arts Infusion Summer Camps include daily group violin instruction. Click here to learn more about our Group Lesson Suite. Together, we can shine.