You don’t have to practice every day, only the on the days that you eat. These are the famous words of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. To him, music helped him relate to the beauty within his world and become a more compassionate individual. I believe that practice is a key part of becoming a member of the music community we are trying to build. Every student should practice at least 20 minutes per day in the beginning. More serious students should spend more time preparing music.
More than fifty years ago, Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach. The ideas of parent responsibility, loving encouragement, constant repetition, etc., are some of the special features of the Suzuki approach.
Lessons of 30 or 45 minutes are recommended for beginning and intermediate students. Hour long lessons are only recommended for advanced students. Families may sign two students up for 30 minute lessons for the 60 minute rate. The 90 minute rate is for families wishing to have two students enrolled in 45 minute lessons. (Some families may choose to sign two young students up at the 45 minute rate.)
Theresa Britt is a violinist and music teacher in Fredericksburg, Texas. She is the director of the Fredericksburg Community Orchestras, a teacher for the Hill Country Youth Orchestras, and maintains a large private studio of violin, viola and cello students in Fredericksburg and Kerrville. She performs as a fiddler with the Rock Box in Fredericksburg, Texas. As a classical artist, she performs in Symphony of the Hills in Kerville and in string quartets for weddings and events.
In 2012, Theresa completed a Master’s Degree in Violin Pedagogy at Texas Tech University. She received her Bachelor of Music with teacher certification from Texas Tech University in 2007. She studied violin in the studio of Dr. Kirsten Yon while at Texas Tech.