My Blog

Recital videos

12/27/2012 22:09:00

Greetings students and parents,

What a great recital! I couldn't get all the videos on the home page so I'm putting some on this blog page as follows:

http://youtu.be/Qflr45Lwfhw - Randy Le performing 'Ode to Joy'

http://youtu.be/DNOt9X7t_Zg - Gabriela Archie, vocal and piano solo Jolly Old St Nickolas.

http://youtu.be/Xmf6Xo9RQrA - Lagoon Choo Choo ensemble;

Paul R.

Autumn S.

Hailey N.

Caitlin R.

Selea F.

Maria T.

Erika S.

http://youtu.be/ndsRk10FrIE - Bard Hoag, electric violin

http://youtu.be/LXg8pWVfhMg - Caitlin Rhoads, vocal and piano solo

http://youtu.be/f9-C4RcRPhE - Silvana Montesinos, violin, accompanied by Tracy Ross on piano

http://youtu.be/L3-5xoXJpko - Canon In D by Johann Pachelbel

Selea Frost

Maria Than

Caitlin Rhoads

Hailey Nickerson

http://youtu.be/fb39MIq5DJw - Hailey N. Largo, viola

Should I encourage my child dream to be a professional musician?

10/10/2012 13:55:00

I am very happy with my career choice but it's not for everyone for the following reasons:

The training is brutal, especially on the university level, but necessary.

A music degree is one of the most difficult to attain. It can be a life of poverty, although some make a very good living at it. There are school loans to pay but it's hard to get good pay for performing. Many fine, highly trained musicians play for tips. Unlike other professions, many people expect musicians to play for free, even venue owners who are making making money off of the musicians.

Is a music degree worth it? For me it was but it's definitely not for everyone and I therefore I try to stay neutral on this subject with my students. You have to feel a powerful calling to be a musician. If so, it can be a great life!

Sue Lewis

Ensemble Class Saturday, August 25th @ 10am

08/22/2012 10:24:00

Hello students,

This coming Saturday we will be working on the following:

Xmas Songs

Canon In D

Lagoon Choo Choo - Melody part for beginners and advanced parts for other

New brain research shows how music education helps later in life

08/22/2012 10:01:00

Check this article out below!

Follow Gary-Music for Kids

Don't ever tell me that you child should not learn to play an instrument. Read this: http://ow.ly/cGVWd 5 days ago

Should you force your child to practise?

07/30/2012 12:05:00

I am often asked this question by parents concerned that they might take the joy out of music by demanding a minimum amount of practice each day.

My answer in short:

Yes, just as you would force your child to do their homework. A sure way to 'take the joy out of music' is feeling stupid because they lack proficiency on their instrument.

Keep this motto in mind: "First discipline, then comes the freedom and joy of proficiency." This applies to just about everything in life.

Lack of practice is not fun for the students or the teacher. I drop students who consistently don't come to lessons prepared.

I heard a quote from the famous trumpet player Wynton Marsalis when asked how he feels about his students. He said, "Most of my students are full of shit. They want to be told how good they are but don't want to put in the time and work to be good."

One of my best students, Selea, practices just 30 minutes a day but does so consistently every day. She has played only 1 1/2 years and is already in Grade 5 ABRSM and is doing 3 octave scales and other advanced technique. She listens intently at every lesson. I'm not asking for 2 or 3 hours a day, only 30 to 60 minutes and for kids under 8, only 15 minutes a day.

Your child will thank you for 'forcing' them once in awhile because they will the experience the pure joy and ease of making music which comes after the work part.

Blog by Sue Lewis

NEXT ENSEMBLE CLASS; Saturday August 25 @ 10am

07/30/2012 11:35:00

Greetings!

Thanks for all who came last Saturday! We sight read some new Xmas music with melody for beginners and advanced parts. We will perform these at the next recital and for other Xmas events in the community.

New to the class was Bard, 28 yo beginning violin, and Catlin, 14 yo intermediate cello player who is currently playing with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. Welcome aboard!

Please prepare the following for the next ensemble class:

1. New Xmas arrangements, beginning and advanced parts

2. Canon in D

3. From VIP Strings books 1&2

Lagoon Choo Choo, beginning and advanced parts

Little Lullaby

Fanfare

Indian Drums

Waltz in Blue

Polka Waltz

Reflections

4. From VIP Strings book 3

Song of the Rainbow

Friendly Ghost

Something Waltz

Japanese Silk

VIP March

Crooked Saddle

Racket Rock

Please let me know if you are coming - 503-268-2404 or email me at suelewis70@yahoo.com

Thanks you all and hope everyone can make it in August. I cover things not taught in lessons and it's FUN.

Group Lessons for private students on Saturday, June 23th at 10am

06/09/2012 12:31:00

Greetings students!

For our Saturday, June 23thgroup lesson we will be working on the following:

Sight reading
Book 1 - melody (beginning) and melodic duets (advanced part) - Polka Dot Waltz, Bunny Hop, Little Lullaby, Fanfare, Indian Drums and Waltz in Blue.
Book 3- Song of the Rainbow, Friendly Ghost, Something Waltz, Japanese Silk, VIP March, Crooked Saddle and Racket Rock and Largo .(with ensemble).
Canon in D - for advanced students. Other students are welcome to stay and observe. Much can be learned from the advanced students.

Group strings class Sat Feb 25th at 10am and 10:30am

02/23/2012 13:19:00

Hello students,

Some information on the group class this coming Saturday at 10am and 10:30am.

The 10am is for beginning students. We will be doing some easy sight reading on the open strings and rhythms and some songs in the VIP book 1. The book 1 songs also have advanced parts for students who want to come earlier at the 10 o'clock time and get extra practise in ensemble playing with the little ones.

The intermediate class meeting at 10:30, will be going over Fiddle Fiesta, Rock it to Me, Canon in D and pieces from the quartet book. We will also go over some easy sight reading pieces.

Hope to see you then,

Sue Lewis

Latest research into the Brain and benefits of music training

02/23/2012 13:06:00

Sue Hunt • Janet, have you read "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle? In it, he describes how practice develops the nervous system. Essentially, the fatty myelin sheath round a nerve becomes thicker with every firing, making it a faster and more efficient connection.

Suzuki is known to have said, “Knowledge is not skill. Knowledge plus ten thousand times is skill.” That's a lot of practising.

Playing a musical instrument is an extraordinarily complicated activity. The brain is coping with many precise tasks at the same time. A child who learns an instrument early in life, when myelin production is at it's height, will develop a superbly enriched neural network.

It's all about practice. www.musicinpractice.com

Updates

02/06/2012 07:50:00

Hello students,

Next recital date: Sunday, May 20th at 3pm.

Next group class: Saturday, February 25th at 10am.