Learning an instrument is a three-way street (parents-must read)

Learning an instrument is a triangle-commitment that involves the teacher, student, AND parents.  

One thing I want to very much stress today is the importance of the role of the parents when their child decides to take on an instrument.  Although the responsibility of course falls on the students and the teacher, parental involvement is equally as crucial.  

Parents: You must understand that when your child begins an instrument, you will have a new commitment as well.  Before you agree to take part in your child's musical journey, please ask yourself the following questions:

-Am I willing to drive my child to and from lessons every week?

-Am I willing to pay the extra expense for lessons, instrument accessories, new music, etc.?

-Am I willing to show up to every performance my child is involved in to show support?  

-AM I WILLING TO MAKE SURE MY CHILD PRACTICES THEIR INSTRUMENT CONSISTENTLY?

^^^The last one is, in my opinion, the absolute, most crucial role if you want to see your child succeed.  It also happens to be the factor most people don't think about.  When I was growing up, I would constantly need to be reminded to practice, because, let's face it: practicing was usually much more boring and challenging than going outside and playing with my friends, for example. 

 ****The rule I had was before I was allowed to do anything else, I had to have my practicing (as well as homework) completed.****

It's funny.  Reflecting back, the neighborhood kids would knock on my door in the summer, and the first thing they would ask: "Is your practicing done?" because it was such a common rule that even THEY knew the routine!!!  And if the practicing wasn't done, guess what motivated me to get it done!!!!  The sooner I practiced, the sooner I was going to be out there having some fun in the sun with my friends!

 Parents, here are some tips to get YOUR child's practicing done:

-Have a timer set for your child so there is no disagreement as to how long the practicing session has been.  Talk to their music teacher if you are unsure how much time should be expected of them to practice each day.

-Make it a rule that they may do whatever they please after their homework AND practicing is completed (and/or chores, or whatever else you expect of them in the house.)  

-When they do practice, you do not have to be over their shoulder the entire time.   However, every once in awhile, commend them if you hear something sounding nice.  Learning new pieces or exercise can be difficult and frustrating:  encouragement is important!  It will also make them feel like they are not doing this alone.  

-Try to attend their lessons, at least every once in awhile, so you know what is going on.  That way, you have a better understanding of how to help them.  

-Always keep their instrument OUT OF THE CASE, in a safe place.  It's a psychological thing.  If the instrument is packed away in the case, the child will be less motivated to practice than if it is left out and easy to access right away.

-Make sure they have their own,  QUIET, practicing area, whether it's a small room or their own corner of the house.  It should include a music stand, pencils, a chair (remember, not a couch or cushioned chair: something with a hard surface,) a mirror, and a small table to easily be able to place things such as a metronome, timer, etc on it.  

-Allow them at least one "day off" from practicing.  This will give them a mental break and give them a chance to revamp for the following day.  

There will be battles about practicing along the way, but you must stand your ground.  My mom and I had heated arguments, blood, sweat, and tears (ok, I'm kidding about the blood part), but ultimately, if  she did not literally force me to practice, I would be nowhere near where I am today.  To be honest with you, I probably would've quit a long time ago when things started to become more advanced and difficult. That's another blog subject for another day.  

I have a number of a students now, and it's amazing to see the differences of students who have involved parents vs. the students whose parents are not involved. I have a student who began when he was four-years-old, and BELIEVE ME, it never would have worked if his parents were not dedicated.  Now, he is almost half way through book one!!! Do you think he did that on his own at the age of 4? Of course not!  When you go to the next recital and you see a child that you automatically assume is just "naturally gifted," I can almost guarantee you, that child appears that way because, yes, they are gifted, but their parents also have the "gift" of MAKING THEM PRACTICE!! 

School is just around the corner: make it a point to make practicing part of their daily, structural routine.  This applies to teenage students as well.  Sometimes, teenagers can be the most lazy when it comes to practicing!  Meeting with the teacher once a week and only practicing here and there will result in a slow, slow, advancement process.  If you put the time in, you will see results faster AND GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH!!!!! You pay a lot of money for lessons, make use of every penny!!!!!!! Then, come recital time, you, too, will have a reason to be proud because your child's accomplishments are your accomplishments, too.  It's a good feeling to be the parent of the "amazing student" at the recital.  

Behind every successful, young, musician is their parents.  

                           Until next time,

    ~Givi Girl 

Music is Emotion.

      I cannot stress enough how important it is to play "from the soul" and "feel the music with every note," two things I often say to my more advanced students during lessons. I try to emphasize how every note they play should be played from the heart.  If you put your emotion into whatever piece you play, it will come out the way you want it.

      My student, Alyssa, is becoming quite good with that.  She is learning it's important to not just "play" the notes, but to play every note with meaning.  For example, she is currently learning the finale piece from Swan Lake.  For those of you who aren't familiar, it's a beautiful and powerful piece that is played as a swan is dying and then eventually dead at the end.  We are working on playing every note as if it's the most fragile, delicate, beautiful, note in the world, as the swan is depicted.  It's a very sad piece, so she emphasizes that feeling by using slow vibrato and playing at a lento (slow) speed.  I always say "every note counts" and in this piece, I really stress that.  It's almost like she can feel the swan's suffering in the playing.

     On the other hand, not every piece is so dramatic and sad.  On the complete opposite end of the spectrum there's fiddle music, for example.  Fiddle music should be played with the same amount of feeling, but in most cases with this type of music, it's a happy and light-hearted feeling.  It would not sound right to be played in the same style as Swan Lake, of course.  But again, the player should emphasize to feel the music: to play it in a happy tone, the way they are feeling when they play, to bring out the mood and deliver that same feeling to the audience.

     Keep in mind, a piece does not have to be advanced in order to apply this very important element in your playing.  Again, let's reference Twinkle Twinkle:  what are you aiming for when you play?  To put a baby to sleep?  If so, then play it slowly, beautifully, and perhaps get softer as you progress into the piece.  Are you playing it in a "fancy" rhythm?  In that case, have fun with it when you play!  Do not play it too seriously!  

     My personal favorite types of pieces have a range of emotional segments.  I love the ones that start of slow and sappy sounding, and then almost instantly change.  It's almost like a story with "ups and downs."  Think about it: most successful stories are dramatic.  They have low and high points which lead to the climax, and eventually the ending.  It's the same thing with music.  You need to tell your own story with your playing.

     Reflect back on your relationship with music: do you ever turn to music that is parallel with the emotion you're feeling at a given time?  Personally, if I'm sad, I'll listen to sad music so it relates to how I'm feeling.  If I'm excited, I'll listen to upbeat music.  If I'm nervous before taking an exam, for example, I'll listen to motivational music.  

    For some people, playing with "feeling" comes more naturally than others.  However, it is possible for everyone to acquire.  A good practicing method is to apply your playing with your current mood.  Are you angry?  Are you sad?  Are you happy?  Take it out on your instrument! You'll be surprised what a difference it will make!  Try it! 

    Composers do their best to help you deliver that feeling with crescendos, staccatos, tempos, ritardandos, etc.  They will often even write style tips on the top of the piece. (Ex: Energico, which means to play with energy, or ruhig, which means to play peacefully.)  However, these are only guides.  It's up to you to bring in out.  

In Celine Dion's case, her voice is her instrument.  Look at how much heart and soul she pours into this song, and the effect it has on her audience.  



     I intend to further talk about how to "make a piece yours" in a future blog posting sometime soon, but for now, just remember: Music is emotion.  What type of emotion do you want to bring out and deliver to the audience with the next piece you play?  Feel the music.  "Play con anima" (Play with feeling in musical terminology.)  That is what will separate you from your fellow musicians.














                                                                            ^^Is this a beautiful picture or what?!)



Until next time,


~Regina

Some pictures of my students & I I've collected over the years :)

Hello all,

Although I have an entire list of discussion topics for future blog postings...I wanted to take a minute and use some of my bragging rights today to show off a few of my students.  Pictures speak 1000 words and I'm excited to share with you some of our fun experiences we've had in the past.  





This is Hannah, who is currently in China! Hannah is a very talented young lady, and we had the opportunity to perform at a restaurant work Christmas party.  I often perform gigs, and when I do, most of the time I have to arrive solo because the circumstances are more strict.  However, this was a casual and fun event, so I wanted to take the opportunity to allow one of my students to come with me, and  I knew Hannah would be the perfect student to tag along.  I think it's very important to expose students to real life situations so they see how their violin playing can become of real use.  She had the chance to accompany me with Christmas songs, perform for the workers, and got some free food on top of it. What a deal, huh?! 

 This is the first group lesson with Dailyn, Nathan, and Marissa.  Man, how they've grown since then!  It's really awesome to see them grow up and watch their playing ability advance.  However, it is just as pleasant to watch their friendship blossom over time.  Violin playing is a bond that these three share, and I can see how fond they've become of one another over the years.  That is a big goal of mine for group lessons-to allow the students to become friends with one another so they get to enjoy the social aspect of playing an instrument! 




This is a lovely picture of my student, Mikki.  Mikki has very much matured over the years, somewhat, in my opinion, thanks to her violin playing!  When we first began working together, she was 19 (I think), and now she is an official adult at 21-years-old!  I'm very proud of Mikki because most students tend to "quit life" in terms of learning new, extracurricular activities after they graduate from high school.  Not only did Mikki approach me after high school, but now, she picked up the piano as well!  Mikki is in college and her playing has greatly advanced.  I also admire her posture.  Every student has their own issues, (mine was my bow hold!), but Mikki certainly is a leading example of how to have perfect posture.  She sits with a straight back, relaxed wrist, her scroll "up" (not pointed to the floor), and her feet flat on the floor.  Mikki looks very relaxed when she plays which enables the sound of her instrument to have more stable control, and remember: if you "look" the part, the audience will automatically assume you "know" the part. 

This is Melissa.  Unfortunately I had to let her go since she went far away to college, but Melissa was a great student and her violin journey was actually a very interesting story.  For Melissa's senior project, she chose to learn how to play the violin and then perform her very own recital.  It's always great to have goals in mind, but this one was tough since we only had a year and the piece she wanted to play was certainly challenging for any beginner student.  However, she achieved her goal and her recital was beautiful!  







This is one of my favorite pictures which took place at the Holy Trinity festival last year.  I'm excited since we were asked to come back again, and this time, we are including the piano section of the school.  For anyone who is interested, come see us play on the stage on August 2nd at 6 pm! 

 Dailyn is my little fashionista.  I really should have included this on the posting regarding concert attire, because this outfit is a prime example of what I mean by an appropriate performance outfit.  Her hair is beautifully slicked back so it's not in her face, her dress is elegant and shows she's serious about her performance (I also love the color choice), and on top of everything else, her posture is perfect.  When you look at this picture, one can only assume her piece sounded great since she "looks" the part.  




Here's me playing around with my cello!  I play the cello as a secondary instrument, pretty much only for fun!  Although violin is by far my main passion and focus, I love practicing my cello and hearing it's beautiful, rich, deep, sound.  It's really a cool instrument and adds so much flavor in group lessons. 

 Erin is my little model who is showing off her Givi School of Music tee-shirt! Teachers love when students are enthusiastic with their playing, and Erin shows that every week.  I'm excited to see all the students wearing their tee-shirts for the upcoming festival.  There are many different colors so I bet it will look nice!  















These are only pictures of a handful of my students, but I hope to show off some more in the future.  Hope you enjoyed the little stories behind them.  :)


~Regina

Participate in music camps

This entry goes along with the one titled "Don't be a fool...use the summer time wisely."

I was involved in a couple different music camps growing up.  My favorite was at Fredonia String Camp, which was located at Fredonia University. I've gone back to that camp for 4 years!  It was a one week, overnight, string camp.  The camp involved playing in one of three orchestras (depending on your playing level), chamber music playing, concerts, a talent show, technique classes, theory classes, and more.  They made it really fun because it was more social than anything.  I have some of the fondest memories of my "musical journey" that took place at Fredonia String Camp, and I acquired sooooo much knowledge with that experience.  To this day I continue to use concepts I learned from that camp during my practicing.  It also allowed me to develop a sense of independence (staying away from my parents for a week, for example), and other everyday life lessons.

During the camp, I was fortunate enough to meet many other musicians-some professional, our counselors, and other "campers" of course.  I participated in this string camp while I was in middle school, and being that it was located in a college campus, I got a taste of what college life was like.  It was very similar: we stayed in a dorm room with a roommate, ate at the cafeteria, went to different campus buildings for our daily schedule, etc.  It was so cool to be exposed to so many concerts, and they did not only consist of classical music, but all types.

This was also one of the first experiences I had playing in a chamber group.  I loved it and I'll never forget the amazing bond my group and I formed.  To this day, I still remember the piece we played one year.

If you are a student who is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to participate in any sort of music camp-take it.  I can honestly say I left the camp every year a better player (and performer) than I did going into it.  Just go for it and have a wonderful time!!!!!!!!!




~Regina




PS-You don't have to be extraordinarily gifted to participate in any of these types of camps. These programs will always place you in the correct playing level groups, and if they make a mistake, they will adjust it immediately.  If you are a beginner or don't feel you possess outstanding playing ability it's OK. You'll have such a great time and I'd hate for you to miss out due to unnecessary fear!! If you have anymore questions about music camps feel free to contact me.

Eat the frog first

Everyone avoids the hard and boring stuff when they practice for exactly that reason: it's hard and boring.   What does this consist of??? Probably scales...exercises...difficult pieces you don't like that your teacher is making you learn...etc.


Solution? Skip it and move on to the fun pieces!!  Right? Wrong.  Instead, what you need to do is EAT THE FROG FIRST!

My good friend, Debbie, taught me the expression "Eat the frog first" and it actually applies to everyday life.  Practicing your instrument is no exception. What "eating the frog first" means is that if you eat a frog first thing in the day, the rest of whatever you do will seem easy!  The same goes for practicing: instead of putting off the "frog" type of lesson material to skip to the fun stuff...just get it over with.  It's a simple analogy.  If it helps, write it on a posted note and stick it onto your music stand or piano.  Or just put a picture of a frog staring at you in the face.  Whatever works best for you!!





Why is that stuff necessary? It's not like you're going to be performing scales and exercises for an audience.  The "boring" stuff is necessary.  The exercises and skills are what build your technique and enhance your playing.  If you constantly skip these things, your fundamental basics will be pushed to the side and it will eventually show in your playing.  And keep in mind that with any audition you do, I can pretty much guarantee you will have to play scales and a big chunk of the evaluation will be based on technique.  I'll write an entire blog on this point in the future.  Stay tuned! 






~Regina

Time and Place

As many of you know, my mom is the piano instructor at our school.  She has so many students she had three recitals!  I got to witness all of them, and I was thoroughly impressed with many of the students.  However, I realized some students had major issues that needed addressed, so I will cover one issue at a time throughout my blog.  This posting is all about concert attire.


DRESS TO IMPRESS 

Whenever you are performing in front of anyone, with any type of concert, you should always "look the part."  Treat every recital as if you're performing in the symphony.  If you want people to take you seriously, then dress like it.

I was astounded when I saw a piano student come into their recital with basketball shorts and sneakers.  If that was my student, I would ask them to go home and change before they're allowed on stage.  I was shocked they would even consider dressing like that.


Recitals are typically very formal, and for my recitals, the guests are also required to show up in concert appropriate attire.  An argument might be, "Well..this isn't the symphony, and besides, people at the symphony wear jeans anyways."  THOSE PEOPLE ARE WRONG.  They lack class and look completely inappropriate.  And even though the recital isn't the symphony, the students worked hard and everyone should take it seriously...and therefore, dress like they do.  Everything should always be done in the best way possible, starting with the outfits.

Boys:  NO jeans.  I don't care if it's blue jeans and a  shirt and tie...stay away from them.  Not any other color jeans, either. That might look nice if you're going on a date to dinner...but it's still not appropriate concert attire.

SHOES matter.  I noticed at my mom's recital, a lot of the boys were fine until it got to their shoes.  It's important to complete your outfit with nice loafers or any other types of dress shoes.  Absolutely no sneakers.  That ruins your entire outfit.




Some great examples of how boys should dress:











Girls:  Fashion Face-off!     

Girls: Don't dress too "sexy."  This is not the time or place.  Let's look at these two Professional performers, violinist Sarah Chang and pianist Yuja Wang:

I love Sarah Chang.  Not only is she obviously extraordinarily talented (and that's an understatement...there are simply no words in the dictionary that do her justice, except maybe violinist prodigy!)  She is a very classy lady but still has her own great sense of style and personality that makes her even more special and unique.  Instead of the typical, all black, concert attire, she never fails to find a beautiful dress that is extremely flashy and sexy in it's own way, but still concert appropriate.  She dresses fun, and certainly not "dorky," and still looks completely respectable.  She's the perfect role model!

Vs.

Yuga Wang




I was shocked when I found these images of Yuga Wang.  After this particular concert, all critics were talking about was her outfit, not her playing.  It almost looks stripperish! Like she came right from her secret second job as a stripper to perform at the symphony and forgot to change in between...and now her secret is revealed.  And she is considered a "Professional"!??!? Why on earth did her manager not stop her?? Or why didn't anyone stop her, for that matter!?  What was she thinking???  Maybe she was trying to start a trend that clearly failed to launch.


A lot of times, it's a stereotype that musicians are a little on the dorky side.  I hope after seeing these images you realize that's sooo not true.  Plus, do I look like a dork!? (Don't answer that...)
But just keep in mind when you are picking out your outfit for ANY type of performance...time and place, time and place, time and place...

Now the above mentioned was for recitals.  Girls, here are a couple more examples of recital attire that I think are great:






  <--I love this group's choice of concert attire.  They look very cute but still have their own fashion flare!!  If you're performing in a group, even a duet, try to coordinate your outfits for a complete, clean look. 



Above, I was specifically referring to formal recital attire.  This doesn't necessarily always mean to dress in your finest evening gown.  Look at this group:




They look adorable, and clearly they planned to coordinate their outfits.  My guess is they were performing somewhere a little more low key, such as a festival or a park.



Another fashion tip:  Try to coordinate your outfit with the piece you're playing.  For example, if you're playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," how cute would it be to choose something in your closet that looks like this:



I GUARANTEE if you did that, everyone would remember you the following year!  

I loved how one student at my mom's recital wore a hat and his outfit went so perfectly with the piece.  I'll try to post a picture of him on here soon.  Say you're playing a Frank Sinatra piece...wear something like this: 







Always dress the part!  

~Regina 

Not the best player but love music?

I will be honest:  There are some people who are just naturally more gifted in playing the violin than others.  It's not fair but that's just the way it goes.

Let's look at two true scenarios of two highschoolers (that I have witnessed, but I will change the names to respect their privacy.)

The first violinist, Sandy, is simply one of those girls who are amazing at the violin.  She is the concertmaster of her high school orchestra and she is naturally gifted.  While she does enjoy her violin playing, she is also a straight-A student and an excellent softball player.  When she goes to college she still continues to play violin but only as a hobby.  She pursues an education to become an environmental scientist instead.

The second violinist, Amanda, does not possess natural playing talent, but boy does she love music.  She practices consistently and works very hard, but she just doesn't have the same gift as Sandy.  Amanda dreams of becoming a music major.  However, Amanda sees how wonderful Sandy is (after all, they are in the same orchestra), and feels discouraged.  She feels if Sandy is that talented and she's not even majoring in music...how in the world would she have a chance?  Amanda wishes she could do something with her violin as a career but starts to consider other (less appealing) options after losing confidence.  

Is Amanda right?  Should she find a plan B to aspire towards since Sandy blows her away at playing?  

The answer for Amanda is NO.  Here's what people like Amanda need to remember:  there are MANY fields of music you can go into, and if you love it and music is what you want to pursue, YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!  In fact, Amanda could very likely be cut out better than Sandy for many of these musical professions.  

This reminds me of my undergrad law course I took.  We had a professor who was a very successful lawyer, but he was the worst professor I've ever had.  He did not know how to teach and his class was dull.  Just because someone is a great player does not mean they can succeed in every other music career opportunity. 

Many people are under the misconception that unless you are a performance genius you are not good enough to major in music.  Now, it might be true you may never be cut out for violin performance.  Most people are not...at least in a professional level.  The one's who succeed in violin performance are the best of the best, especially in the symphony.  It's very competitive.  Now, there are other district orchestras and of course you could try to do your own gigs (or network with other musicians for gigs), but you still must be very talented to be successful as far as making that a profession.  

But, there are soooo many other cool professions that pay well and will still allow you to pick up your instrument every single day!  

Let's go through some.  

Music education:  You would not be the one performing, so as long as you have a solid musical education you don't have to be a superstar performer.  And in this field you are often required to learn every instrument for a short period of time!  Music would be part of your every day life and all of your hard work would pay off.  

Music therapy:  This job is in demand!  Not only would you be able to play your instrument every day...it would actually contribute to improving someone's health.  What a difference you (and your violin) would make!

Conductor:  Conducting is something I always 
wanted to do!  I bet it would be fun.  There are many youth orchestras who need conductors, and just think: you'd be the most important person in the performance. 

Composer/Arranger:  I wouldn't recommend anyone relying on this for a full-time career until they become steady with it.  However, once it takes off, you could easily make a lot of money selling your music all over the world.  Many people who aren't necessarily the best at playing still have a magnificent ear and talent for composition. This is not something I've ever personally been interested in, but if you have the passion for it-go for it.  Just think.  Your name could become famous in the music world.  You could be the next Beethoven! 

Retail Sales/Management:  I personally love going to the music store and looking through all the different music and seeing all the instruments.  Any music store would love to hire you if you're able to demonstrate some instruments to the customers, are familiar with written music, etc.   You'd be able to talk music all day with people who have the same interest as you.  Imagine the friends you could make, and the people you could meet who come into the store.  I bet if you worked at a music store there are also perks for concerts and events and such. You probably could also get a good discount on the store items.  Music accessories and music can get expensive so I'm sure you'd enjoy that!

Personal Manager/Agent: Imagine how much you could learn from a professional just by managing them and listening to their playing all the time.  And instead of you paying them, they'd be paying you! Plus you could see all the concerts for free.  

There are countless other music careers we could talk about...but these are the main ones.  If you'd like to hear about more please feel free to contact me in the comments section and I'll address them.  

So...Amanda's dedication, practicing, and love for her music was anything but a waste!  She would not be able to succeed in any of the above mentioned professions if she had not worked so hard at learning an instrument. 

~Regina