Suzuki Jingle Bell Strings

Hello Everyone!  Yes although we look forward to the warm and cozy Thanksgiving Holiday in two weeks, the Christmas season is quite here.  We are preparing for our Holiday concerts on December 19th at 10:30am at the Salt Lake City Public Library Auditorium downtown, and on December 21st at 4pm at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in the mezzanine.  Today Olivia Gonzales' school outfit was perfect to add on a Christmas vest.  Here is Olivia modeling the girls outfit for the Suzuki Jingle Bell Strings Concerts:

Black skirt with black tights and black shoes, white blouse and red vest.

The boys outfit is identical except black trousers of course.  Boys may wear a bow tie or regular tie; that is optional.  The rental cost for the red vest is $20.  If you grow out of the one you have, we trade it in for a larger size.  When you leave the studio just return the vest that you have.  Everyone should try on their red vests ASAP.  If it doesn't fit, I may have to order a new one for you. There is a shortage of medium size vests.  Kari Child, Sophie's mom is a wonderful seamstress and has agreed to make new vests this year.  However the orders need to be in by next week at the latest.
PLEASE TRY ON YOUR RED VEST!  
The Christmas books are ready.  The cost for a new book is $5.  Please bring your Christmas book every week to lessons and to every group lesson in November and December.

Here is a picture of our Suzuki Jingle Bell Strings

from 2006!!!

Halloween Fun

Saturday October 24 we had our Violin Group Lessons for this month.  The theme of course was Halloween, and several violinists showed off great costumes!  The best game of the day was Violin Jeopardy. Miss Ruth reads a piece title or a description of a piece.  Everyone stands poised with their violin bow on the E string ready to play a fast tremolo (that is their bell!) when they want to answer correctly.  After a correct answer the student then plays the piece with the group and wins candy corn and pennies for points. The Jeopardy categories were Book 1 pieces for 3 points, Halloween Songs for 4 points and Christmas Carols for 3 points.  We often have many more categories to choose from when we play Jeopardy but on this day we were focused on Halloween musical tricks and Christmas Carols since the holidays are just around the corner.  Here is a picture of Miss Ruth in her award winning Galadriel costume for her family party.

 However this past Saturday she was simply a nice witch with a black hat.

Turning Suzuki pieces into Halloween Songs was fun.  We played Twinkle Twinkle Little Witch by making our first fingers low on the A and the E strings.  We played Go Tell the Goblin by playing B flat on the A string and F natural on the E string in Go Tell Aunt Rhody.  It made a spooky impression!  It's fun to play tremolo bowing on Song of the Wind and turn it into Song of the Spooks. We turned May Song into October Song by playing low 1's and low 2's throughout the piece.  Everybody knew exactly which piece to play when Miss Ruth said, "A piece about Dancing Scary Old Ladies...."  Witches' Dance by Paganini of course!  Here are a few of the great people who came to Halloween group in their costumes: 

                    L to R: Jane, Grant, Sophie, Abby and Maeve

                  Masquerade, Queen Maleficent and Professor Trelawny

                  The short and the long of it, we all play a mean fiddle!!

The Book 3-5 Group swelled to 12 people counting Miss Ruth.  In this group we practiced our Telemann Concerto for 4 Violins that is one of our featured numbers at the Christmas Concerts.  Please enjoy listening to the audio files of this fun piece! 

Telemann 1st mvt. Telemann 2nd mvt.

Monkey Song and A Scale

Dear Parents:  Following are the links to the demos of the important Pre-Twinkle steps that you are doing or soon will do with your Pre-Twinkler.  Please let me know if you have any questions! The pieces should be taught and practiced at home in this order: Flower Song (see preceding blog entry) Monkey Song, Ed Song (in preceding blog entry) and finally the A Scale.  Happy Practicing!

Welcome Pre-Twinklers!

We are excited to have many new students in the Godfrey Studio this fall.  At this time I particularly want to shout out to our adorable Pre-Twinklers, Emma G and Liam H.  To assist our wonderful Suzuki parents in getting those beginning songs going that build the strength, skills and focus leading up to the Twinkle Variations, I am attaching some short instructional videos.  They include The Flower Song and The Ed Song.  The Monkey Song and The A Scale will follow.  Happy Practicing!

Time to Update The Godfrey Studio Blog!!

Dear Families and Friends:

Sadly my blogging entries are a year and a half behind!  So much has happened in the Godfrey Violin and Viola Studio since April 2014, many concerts and recitals, group lessons, two Suzuki Institutes at the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute in Draper, a Godfrey Studio Care Center Tour on July 31, 2014, the Utah Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festival in March 2015 and more recently a fun Canyon Play-In at the Storm Mountain picnic area in Big Cottonwood Canyon on August 14, 2015.  Following are some images of our experiences. Thank you for taking this musical journey with me....

                      Naomi age 5 practices her Best Bow Hold

Grant, Jane, Clark and Jack after a great Fall Recital

Bailey makes her violin sing on Nigun by Bloch

Brianna aces the Vivaldi A minor 1st movement

Karina and Brei, happy sisters with a lot of talent!!

Sophia plays a lush Handel D major 1st mvt.

Sophie really rocked her Bach D major Gavotte

WE ARE SO PROUD OF EVERYONE'S PROGRESS AND PARTICIPATION.  30 students performed on the Fall Recitals held on October 1-2, 2015 at Summerhays Music.  Our amazing accompanists Denise Farrington and Jules Snarr completed our polished playing with so much skill and sensitivity. 

How to Help Your Child At His Lesson

• Attend lessons regularly and teach your child to be quiet and respectful if there is a lesson in progress when you arrive.  That way s/he will learn that there is something important going on!
• Please turn off your cell phones but if you absolutely need to use it, please step quietly out of the lesson room.
• When you practice at home, use the same routine and sequence of events that you observe at the lesson. Use the same language and practice the same exercises that I use.  Be creative as well.  If you find a phrase or a Game that helps in daily practice, share it with me!
• Often a child will appear forgetful at his lesson, or do poorly in exercises or pieces that s/he did well at home. Do not become alarmed or interfere too much when s/he is trying to pay attention to the teacher. S/he may not be too familiar with me. By helping too much, the closeness between teacher and student may be delayed.  Be careful with excessive enthusiasm as it may also distract from the teacher-child interaction and concentration.
• Sometimes I will invite the parent to participate so pay close attention to the lesson!
• Don't worry about your child making mistakes, because the lesson is a learning process.
• Good practice is always the cure for not-so-good lessons.  Ask me for more guidance in practicing  if you need it!
• Utilize my Worksheets and write down the important points as I present them.  Study the notes before practice times.  If you do this, your student will make steady progress and will soon be ready for the next step in his learning.
• Younger brothers and sisters are always welcome to come, to listen, and to learn.  However, if they steal away your attention from the child in the lesson, or distract the child himself, other arrangements should be made.
• Show interest in other students but avoid making comparisons between your child and others.  Each one of us is awesome!  Each one of us is unique with a personal environment specific to our needs.
• We have a very supportive family in the Godfrey Studio.  Thank you for your commitment and support at home and in the lessons!  Thank you for your desire to keep LEARNING!!

Suzuki Parent Convention

Dear Parents:

Here is just one more reminder about the very worthwhile Suzuki Parent Convention being held this Saturday April 26.  It is sponsored by our wonderful Suzuki Association of Utah.  The online registration is closed but you can arrive and pay $5 at the door.  Here is the link so that you can see the classes that will be offered:
Suzuki Parent Convention.  It will be held in Draper at the American Preparatory Academy and the directions are on this webpage.  Hope to see you there!