Flute & Friends Suzuki Music Academy

Memorizing pieces and returning to old pieces by memory are key aspects of the Suzuki method. Here are some tips for your student to increase music retention: 1. Say and Play. Say the notes aloud while you play them. For wind instruments, say the notes while putting down the correct fingerings without blowing. This helps solidify the connection between the note and the hand movements, so that it eventually becomes…...

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/tips-to-make-it-stick/

Tips to Make it Stick! - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy Memorizing pieces and returning to old pieces by memory are key aspects of the Suzuki method. Here are some tips for your student to increase music retention: 1. Say and Play. Say the notes aloud while you play them. For wind instruments, say the notes while putting down the correct fingerings witho...

Have you or your child been experiencing a “summer slide”? Has your child been losing some of their musical progress over the summer? This often happens during summer breaks, when we’ve booked our calendars with camps, vacations, and events, and practicing takes a backseat. This is a normal occurrence, but especially so during this summer as we are emerging from quarantine to enjoy the warm weather and time with our families....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/feeling-guilty-about-not-practicing-over-the-summer/

Feeling Guilty About Not Practicing Over The Summer? - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy Have you or your child been experiencing a “summer slide”? Has your child been losing some of their musical progress over the summer? This often happens during summer breaks, when we’ve booked our calendars with camps, vacations, and events, and practicing takes a backseat. This is a normal oc...

⁣Silly faces are a great way to warm up before playing!🤪⠀
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These are a few of my favorites:⠀
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Lion Face! 🦁 ⠀
Fish Face! 🐠 ⠀
Bubble Face! 🛁⠀
Flute Face! 🎵 ⠀
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These are especially hilarious during online group classes!🤣⠀
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What’s your favorite flute warm up for kids? ⠀
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The Benefits of Transition Time! “Time for flute!”…and your child is sitting in the middle of a mountain of Legos. Or maybe they are playing outside and don’t want to come in. Perhaps they are in the middle of a major meltdown. As teachers, we have seen it all and we get it! Transitions are really hard for kids. Parents pay good money for music lessons and want those finances to be put to good use....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/the-benefits-of-transition-time/

The Benefits of Transition Time - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy The Benefits of Transition Time! “Time for flute!”…and your child is sitting in the middle of a mountain of Legos. Or maybe they are playing outside and don’t want to come in. Perhaps they are in the middle of a major meltdown. As teachers, we have seen it all and we get it! Transitions are ...

When your student is practicing, they will likely come across tricky notes or phrases that require extra attention. They may be tempted to start over from the beginning and get frustrated when they hit the same difficult spot. While this instinct is natural, it can actually make overcoming the hard part more difficult. What they should do instead is to isolate the problem spot and work backwards from there....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/how-the-process-of-making-homemade-pasta-can-inform-practice-technique/

How the Process of Making Homemade Pasta Can Inform Practice Technique - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy When your student is practicing, they will likely come across tricky notes or phrases that require extra attention. They may be tempted to start over from the beginning and get frustrated when they hit the same difficult spot. While this instinct is natural, it can actually make overcoming the hard....

Many of our Suzuki songs date back hundreds of years, to different eras of music. Because of this age gap within our books, some of our pieces can be performed in many different ways, and need to be studied and practiced differently. Some Suzuki pieces may be performed on modern instruments and with modern interpretive styles, while some of those same pieces may be performed on historic instruments and with “historically informed performance”, or performing it as close as possible to how it would have been performed hundreds of years ago....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/which-recording-is-best/

Which Recording is Best? - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy Many of our Suzuki songs date back hundreds of years, to different eras of music. Because of this age gap within our books, some of our pieces can be performed in many different ways, and need to be studied and practiced differently. Some Suzuki pieces may be performed on modern instruments and with...

We’ve all heard the age-old adage “practice makes perfect,” but what does it really mean to practice? According to the dictionary, there are three definitions: to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient, to train by repeated exercise, and to do repeated exercises for proficiency. The theme amongst all these definitions is that with repetition comes proficiency....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/the-importance-of-regular-practice/

The Importance of Regular Practice - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy We’ve all heard the age-old adage “practice makes perfect,” but what does it really mean to practice? According to the dictionary, there are three definitions: to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient, to train by repeated exercise, and to do repeated exercises for proficien...

Parents play a vitally important role in Suzuki lessons. You might be wondering how this role is best adapted for the online format. Following is a framework on how to participate in your child’s virtual musical journey, by age: Ages 3-5 This age group requires continuous parent involvement during the entire lesson and beyond. You will play an active role in your child’s musical journey by learning the instrument along with them and practicing together throughout the week....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/parent-role-in-virtual-suzuki-lessons/

Parent Role in Virtual Suzuki Lessons - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy Parents play a vitally important role in Suzuki lessons. You might be wondering how this role is best adapted for the online format. Following is a framework on how to participate in your child’s virtual musical journey, by age: Ages 3-5 This age group requires continuous parent involvement during...

~Here are some fun music ideas to get the whole family involved, without your instruments! ~Try to pick a fun dinner recipe theme, and find music to listen to! For example, for a French dinner night with baguette and ratatouille, you could listen to Amaryllis, Melancholic Fantasy, Gluck Minuet from Orpheus and Euridice, Bizet, and many more. Watch a concert for movie night to see an orchestra!...

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/musical-family-activities/

Musical Family Activities - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy ~Here are some fun music ideas to get the whole family involved, without your instruments! ~Try to pick a fun dinner recipe theme, and find music to listen to! For example, for a French dinner night with baguette and ratatouille, you could listen to Amaryllis, Melancholic Fantasy, Gluck Minuet from....

Music makes you feel many different emotions - joyful, angry, sleepy, etc. While learning how to express your emotions while playing music, it may be helpful to experience music in new ways. Listening to music while dancing, drawing or painting, or even playing pretend while listening and seeing how the music affects the story can be massively helpful in learning how to express yourself through music....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/making-the-music-come-alive/

Making The Music Come Alive! - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy Music makes you feel many different emotions – joyful, angry, sleepy, etc. While learning how to express your emotions while playing music, it may be helpful to experience music in new ways. Listening to music while dancing, drawing or painting, or even playing pretend while listening and seeing h...

Music learning apps can be a great supplement to a child’s music studies. They’re an educational alternative to phone/ipad games and can be used whenever a student would normally reach for a device. Apps can be divided into four general categories: Rhythm Note Reading (Theory) Aural Skills (Ear Training) Composition Rhythm Rhythm Swing and The Most Amazing Sheep Game are great introductory games for kids that focus on establishing pulse with plenty of cute animals....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/music-learning-apps/

Music Learning Apps! - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy Music learning apps can be a great supplement to a child’s music studies. They’re an educational alternative to phone/ipad games and can be used whenever a student would normally reach for a device. Apps can be divided into four general categories: Rhythm Note Reading (Theory) Aural Skills (Ear ...

When practicing, make sure that your body feels relaxed and at ease. The following quote is from Lorna McGhee, principal flutist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra: "Technique is merely physical coordination and we are at our most coordinated when the body is free from excess tension." When your muscles aren’t relaxed, your sound can be muffled quite dramatically when compared to more relaxed playing....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/muscle-tension/

Muscle Tension - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy When practicing, make sure that your body feels relaxed and at ease. The following quote is from Lorna McGhee, principal flutist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra: “Technique is merely physical coordination and we are at our most coordinated when the body is free from excess tension.” When yo...

By now you’re probably familiar with the Suzuki triangle that connects students, teachers, and parents in the process of music learning. These three branches create the framework upon which the entire philosophy is built. However, just beyond the edges of that triangle lies another fundamental key to Shinichi Suzuki’s learning philosophy: community. For Suzuki students, community means seeing their friends every other week in group class, meeting new friends and teachers at summer institutes, and playing for and supporting each other at concerts....

https://fluteandfriendsmusic.com/finding-community-the-suzuki-approach/

Finding Community: The Suzuki Approach - Flute and Friends Suzuki Music Academy By now you’re probably familiar with the Suzuki triangle that connects students, teachers, and parents in the process of music learning. These three branches create the framework upon which the entire philosophy is built. However, just beyond the edges of that triangle lies another fundamental key...