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!

April Attention

Dear Parents And Students:

First of all 

to everyone who played for Federation on Saturday!!!

May I draw your attention to the printed April calendar for the Godfrey Violin and Viola Studio  The April schedule is unusual due to Easter on April 20.  Violin Group Lessons are April 12.  April 14-18 there are NO LESSONS except for a few makeup lessons.  The third week of April lessons is April 21-25.  April 28 begins the first week of May lessons.  Please let me know if you have conflicts.

Ballet West is running again.  Next week I have rehearsals every night.  This conflicts with the Monday and Tuesday lessons after 6:30pm.  Those lessons will be rolled over to April 14-15 as makeups.

The final registration deadline for the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute is tomorrow.  I do think that if you apply in April, even up to May you will be accepted.  This exceptional Institute welcomes enrollment!

Next month the Utah Youth Symphony and the Young Artists Chamber Players are holding auditions. These are two of the finest youth orchestra organizations in the state.  Both offer more than one performing ensemble.  YACP in particular offers three performing groups in order to give students at all levels the exciting and formative experience of playing in a wonderful musical group.  Go to their websites for detailed information.  I recommend orchestra membership to all of my students!! It is FUN to play in orchestra!!
You can find other performing opportunities with the Jordan Youth Symphony and the Granite Youth Symphony.

The Benefits of Lesson Trading

Life is so busy!  I know that between the many families in the Godfrey Violin and Viola Studio, collectively there are innumerable sports events and practices, school rehearsals, dance classes, gymnastics, orchestra concerts, choir concerts, and family activities.  Just last week I had eight families notify me of not being able to make an upcoming lesson.  Often it is illness or another last minute unforeseen challenge.  For a same day cancellation I do not make up the lesson.  Eight is a large number.  Usually I have maybe one or two.  This prompted me to update the contact information for parents and students in my studio on the Phone-Email list and make sure that all students and families received this file, along with my current teaching schedule.  Since I don't have a secretary or receptionist (wouldn't that be nice?)  I am hoping that when a student cannot make their lesson time they will try to trade with someone else that I teach.  I am certain that there are parents or students who would rather not "bother" with this task and just take the makeup lesson at the end of the month.  Then again many will call or email another family to try to trade times.  I know how hard each family initially works with me at the beginning of the year to obtain a time that fits well into their lives. Certainly we are all in the same boat.  To my studio families, I would suggest, since everyone occasionally has a lesson that they can't make please consider trading if you possibly can with someone who approaches you in a bind for a trade.  They may in turn be happy to help you when you have conflicts.  When you do this you are not only helping each other but you are helping me.

I don't want you to miss your lesson.  It slows the flow of what we are working on when you skip a lesson.  This is manifest when we have the "Off" week at the end of the month after the group lesson, although I consciously try to send home enough material so that each student will practice well for two weeks.  I may not be able to give up non-scheduled teaching time for a makeup.  When you have a conflict I realize that you may look at the schedule and not see even one lesson time that you can make, even if a trade were possible.  In that case the end of the month makeup is usually available or I might be able to fit you in someplace during the week that works for both of us.  The Godfrey Violin and Viola Studio has more students than it did six months ago and so my non-scheduled time is less than it was.

I am so blessed to teach the special young people that come into my life.  I want to give each of them the best that I am capable of.  I know that working together in the Godfrey Violin and Viola Studio we are giving children a powerful musical legacy. Each developing talent brings me much joy and satisfaction.  Thank you for your many kindnesses to me and for your consideration of the makeup policies, just another detail in the excellent process that we are engaged in.     

Violin Olympics

Violin Group Lessons on February 22 were a lot of fun.  In the Twinkle Group we earned gold medals for best bow hold (Olivia A) best bow game (Mason) best Twinkle variation (Olivia G) best Fiddle song (Ethan) best Lightly Row (Sabrina) and even more Twinkle events!  We played "London Bridge is Falling Down" and Chantelle got the gold medal for getting under the bridge the most times without getting caught!!

In the Book 1-2 group we had a great time playing the Olympic Theme by ear and even the first phrase of our national anthem,. The Star Spangled Banner.  We practiced some pieces from Book 1 such as "O Come Little Children", "May Song:" and "Long Long Ago".  We reviewed our Song Words to Book 1 pieces and we played a lot of Book 2 such as "Musette" and "Hunters Chorus".  Everyone earned a gold medal for an excellent violin technique such as keeping the bow on the highway, good dynamics "piano" and "forte" with crescendos, or good Giddy Up bows on Hunters Chorus.

Miss Ruth earns a gold medal for good teaching early on a Saturday morning!

In the Book 3-5 Group we played The Star Spangled Banner in a beautiful duet version.  We also sight read national anthems from the countries which received many medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics such as Canada, Austria, Germany and Russia.

Some of our music from Advanced Group and Books 3-5

In the Advanced Group we got a lot accomplished on well known work called Canon by Johann Pachelbel, a German composer from the Baroque era or pre-1700's.  We studied and marked the fingerings and bowings.  We noticed that the three violin parts are exactly the same except for a few bars of music at the end.  Each part enters exactly two measures behind the one before it.  The Advanced Ensemble will give a wonderful performance of this piece on the Spring Recital.

Erik, Victoria, Shalese and Whitney at the Advanced Ensemble