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Introduction to Suzuki Violin for Older Beginners

Learn the basic philosophy behind the Suzuki Method for Violin, what to expect in Suzuki Violin Lessons, and a few skill previews.
Ben Thomason
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(43)
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
30 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

This Intro Class for Older Beginners has had low demand - if you're interested, send me a message via the the "Ask a Question" button by my picture at the bottom of this listing. It is very unlikely that I will see your message if you use the "Request a time" button above. Thank you!

We'll discuss the basic tenets of the Suzuki Method (about 15 minutes):
~ The Every Child Can/Mother Tongue/Talent Education ideas
~ The Suzuki Triangle
~ Focus on Ear Training/Instrumental Skills (i.e. delayed start to reading music)
~ Expectations for student progress
~ Materials necessary to begin lessons

Students will spend some time getting excited about learning to play violin! (about 15 minutes)
~ Learn to take a bow with Mr. Ben's special greeting
~ Sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with special hand motions
~ Listen to Mr. Ben play a few pieces from Suzuki Book 1
~ See and name parts of the violin and bow with a fun song

Students do not need a violin for this class, and if you already have one, we won't use it just yet. The purpose of this class is just to meet me and understand what doing Suzuki lessons entails. I'll provide detailed instructions for finding a violin appropriate for your child when you decide to enroll in ongoing lessons.

Other Details

Supply List
Mr. Ben will provide a list of materials necessary for beginning violin lessons, recommendations for finding reasonably-priced and quality supplies during the pandemic, and instructions for determining the correct size violin for your child.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Suzuki Violin School, Volume 1, Violin Part (International Edition) and Recording
Joined August, 2020
4.9
43reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hi, I'm Mr. Ben! 
I thrive on teaching kids to play the violin. I have successfully started dozens of beginners of all ages, and love to join experienced students wherever they may be on their violin journey. The best gift I can give is to help others make beautiful music – whether you are interested in becoming a Suzuki family or just need some help with a particular violin skill or piece, it is my privilege to be your violin teacher. 

I have been teaching violin for 10 years, and have completed training through the Suzuki Association of the Americas in Violin Volumes 1-10, and Volume 1 twice! See my SAA Profile and learn more about the Suzuki Method here: 

https://suzukiassociation.org/people/ben-thomason/ 

I earned a BA in Music, Violin Performance emphasis, from Whitman College, and a Master of Music, Violin Performance emphasis, from California State University, Northridge. I was the Director of the Texas Lutheran University Community Music Academy from 2015-2018, providing accessible strings and choral education to hundreds of rural students whose schools could not offer music classes. My interesting personal tidbits are that I can speak Mandarin (Chinese), have spent 5 years living in China, including in a very rural farming village in eastern Henan province, and have also taught Suzuki violin in Hong Kong! I have a 4-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter and we also love to learn and play together :)

The Suzuki Method is an extremely effective method for learning the violin, especially for young beginners between the ages of 3-6, though no one is too old to begin the journey! The basic principles of the Suzuki Method are: 
 ~ Every Child Can. There is no such thing as “talent” or a predisposition toward success in music or any other pursuit. The simple requirements for a child to succeed are a loving, encouraging environment, skilled teaching with a high quality curriculum, and perseverance.
 ~ Significant parent involvement and support. Parents should attend lessons with the student, be present and direct daily practice sessions at home, frequently play the Suzuki recordings for the student, and in general provide an encouraging and loving learning environment for the student.
 ~ Focus on ear training and instrumental skills (i.e. delayed start to reading music). Students should be able to consistently and comfortably produce beautiful sound with their instrument, showing good grasp of basic foundational skills, before beginning to learn to read music with their instrument. Music reading knowledge may be previewed away from the instrument, but for a good while, students will learn the music they play by constant listening to professional recordings. 
 ~ For established students, constant review of previous repertoire is essential for crystallizing skills and building new layers of musicality. Group lessons are also incredibly important for learning ensemble skills, and of course they are super fun and motivational.

I am generally very flexible in scheduling new sections of group or individual classes, please don't hesitate to contact me if you want lessons at a time or for an age group I haven't listed. Thanks for reading about me, I look forward to meeting you and learning to play together!

Reviews

Live One-Time Class
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$10

per class
Meets once
30 min

Completed by 8 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
1-3 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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