It is wonderful that you are interested in music lessons for your child! This has the potential to be a great learning adventure for your family. In this section of the website you will find some preliminary information and suggestions that will help to ensure a successful experience, as well as information about how Crescendo Suzuki Studio of Bedford, MA functions.
Preparing for Excellence
Practice Partner
The caregiver involvement in a child's musical experience is one of the things that sets the Suzuki approach apart from traditional violin lessons. Success depends upon the relationship of the caregiver, teacher, and child. This relationship forms a triangle. Each arm is of equal length indicating equal importance. The basis of this triangle is a foundation of trust, and the creation of an environment conducive to learning. These are the responsibilities of the caregiver of a beginning student in a Suzuki program:
Joining the Community
Preparing for Excellence
- Familiarize yourself with Suzuki Philosophy by reading the suggested material on the "About Suzuki" page.
- Invest in the recording for Suzuki Book 1 and begin to listen to it every day (revised edition, Hilary Hahn preferred). Allow this to begin to build excitement in your home for this endeavor.
- Seek out violin performances to take your child to.
- Choose one piece from the major violin repertoire to buy a recording of to begin to play for your child often. This will become a favorite piece that they can aspire to play some day.
Practice Partner
The caregiver involvement in a child's musical experience is one of the things that sets the Suzuki approach apart from traditional violin lessons. Success depends upon the relationship of the caregiver, teacher, and child. This relationship forms a triangle. Each arm is of equal length indicating equal importance. The basis of this triangle is a foundation of trust, and the creation of an environment conducive to learning. These are the responsibilities of the caregiver of a beginning student in a Suzuki program:
- Ensure that all members of the home environment show the child enthusiasm for their violin studies.
- Facilitate daily listening of the music being studied, as well as frequent listening of other music in general and violin repertoire in specific. Listening can be passive and in the background. (Also make sure that all members of your family show enthusiasm for the music. Your child will react to the way you feel about this music. It is important for their motivation that everyone loves it.)
- Learn to play the violin yourself through the first several pieces in Book 1. You will attend the first several lessons by yourself to begin this process. Your practice at home will build your child's excitement, and they will already have an idea of how things work from watching you do it.
- Provide for practice time that is free of distractions. It is expected that students will practice 6 days per week.
- Bring a notebook and pen to your child's lesson and take notes to help you organize the practice during the week. Make sure you understand the material presented, and can help your child with it at home. Taking short videos of new material is a good way to make sure you've got the details right.
- Remain in the background at your child's lesson. Allow the teacher and child to interact without interruption. Keep a pleasant look on your face...even if you feel your child is able to play better than they are at the present moment, or if you don't like your child's behavior. The teacher will handle discipline in the lesson.
- Discuss the material covered in the lesson on the way home, and make sure that the first practice session takes place within 24 hours.
- Keep the instrument in good playing condition.
- Regularly attend both private and group lessons.
- Refrain from comparing your child's progress to others.
- Be creative when you are practicing. This will help to maintain your interest and your child's. And, you'll have fun together as you practice.
- Keep growing--musically, as well as in other ways. Children grow best in an atmosphere of adult growth. Curiosity is contagious!
Joining the Community
- Arrange for an initial meeting with Director and Instructor Carlough Faulkner-Carroll, and come to observe at least one private and one group lesson. (All students in the program take part in both private and group instruction.) Observations help determine if this is the right program for your family.
*Please note that there is currently a short waiting list. Students are added to the schedule space-permitting, by number of observations. - Discuss scheduling with Carlough to find a mutually agreeable private lesson time and join a group class.
- Request and fill out registration materials and return them with tuition payment.
- Welcome! We're off on a journey of discovery together!