learning curve – Violin Tricks

It’s show-and-tell today

When the hour turns sociable I’ll be on the doorstep of the exam centre to pick up the results of my students who played on the 24th of October.

Here is why I don’t like the exam system per se.

It is merely a reflection of how well you played (and answered questions) in a specific 13 minutes, under hectic stage fright.
There is 1 person judging and his estimation of how well you played is final. There is no point of audit here – a gripe I’ve had previously with the system.
The danger is always that the whole year goes by polishing 3 pieces, some scales and a bit of technical work instead of making progress and discovering music. Not much fun!
The added danger is that children take a disappointing grade so badly that they lose their enthusiasm for the instrument altogether and stop.
And finally, pressure from parents or the student themselves can be so severe that after the exams, pass or fail notwithstanding, the instrument is dropped.

All this is rather counterproductive to the goal of developing musicianship in young people. Concerts and musical functions, as well as ensemble play, go much further towards this goal. And this is why exams don’t form a major part of my teaching practice – in fact, they interfere with my method more than they help, but occasionally they are called for, anyway.

The real benefits of exams:

They can be the motivator to get an otherwise lethargic student practising.
There is a real increase in technique: Not from the exam but from two months of highly focused practice.
That little piece of paper can in some cases be used to open doors – e.g. certain youth orchestras want to see Gr 4 or Gr 5 before accepting a member (rather than auditioning, or additionally to).
And… there is that issue of music as a matric subject. But it takes more than passing a practical exam for that, these days; they have changed the rules. The updated rules are subject for a different post.

One of my students has broken his shoulder by trying out a friend’s motorbike and falling. We wish him a speedy recovery!

Dynamic Duo on Kruiskyk

Our twin musicians were interviewed by TV station “Kruiskyk”. A story of hope, persistence and refusing to give up. An overload of talent doesn’t exactly hurt either…

The crew of “Kruiskyk” came to interview two of our students at their home on Thursday, for the program “Voete”, provisionally scheduled to be aired on Sunday 15th April at 18h00.

Identical twins Ruthven and Lawrence Frylinck have been with the Violin Studio for several years now. They perform together regularly, having notched up (besides the regular Studio Concerts) various weddings, sundowner functions, birthdays and promotional events. Their story, to be told on “Voete” next Sunday, is one of winning through persistence. The TV appearance is thoroughly deserved. Of course a healthy overdose of talent doesn’t hurt.

Their repertoire includes classical pieces, gypsy fiddle, Irish,Celtic, opera and Afrikaans songs; their instruments span from a capella singing to keyboard-accompanied violin, tin whistle, low whistle, and a blend of above.

Ruthven and Lawrence Frylinck can be found at our Musician’s Hub page.

Twinkles

The Suzuki Violin Method, which is by far the most popular in this neck o’ the woods, is set up (in its full systems) to start children on the violin at age 3.

You even get specially small violins, 1/8ths and even 1/16ths. I’ve never yet started a kid on a 1/16th, and the kids who started on 1/8ths in my studio I can count on one hand.

Then again I don’t start them at age 3.

At age 3, many children are still learning to be dry at night; to master their first language to the point that people other than their mom can understand them; and their attention span is usually (I say, usually) not more than about five seconds.

I did say, usually. You do of course get unusual children. However, the grade of difficulty violin presents, would take a very unusual child to learn at age 3. I believe David Garrett started at age 4.

I generally start them no younger than 5. Just to be on the safe side. That is not to say, if you want to start your child on the violin and they are already 8 or even 11, that they missed the boat. Not at all!

7 or 8 is a wonderful age to start: Children learn fast and can apply themselves with real enthusiasm to their instrument. Where I spend many a lesson with a 5-year-old merely practicing posture and making a sound, I move like lightning with the Grade 2 and 3’s , and within a few lessons they play a few songs. The 11-year-olds are even more fun to start: We fly practically through the whole first half of that Suzuki method that is so lovingly, ingeniously, set up to accommodate the preschoolers.

The Suzuki learning curve is rather steep, though. A lot depends on the teacher. According to the book you’d need to stick with a song until it is perfect before moving onto the next. Well, that is a nice theory. In practice, do this to any healthy normal little lout and they will get bored and frustrated. They do not experience the same joy as we adult listeners do, in perfect intonation and a beautiful tone; they want to move forward and play a tune!

Boredom and frustration are of course part of the learning curve (itself steep) that is the violin. A child needs to overcome the sense of “nothing happening here” and start taking note of the things that are indeed happening. But all within limits. The first responsibility of the teacher, as some famous person said, is to foster the love of music in the pupil.

So I supplement the Suzuki with songs English-speaking children know well. This helps them come to grips with the instrument. (click here for a resource.)

The cutest part of our studio concerts is right in the beginning – when the “Twinklers” walk onstage with their tiny violins, in a group, dressed to a T, little boys in smart pants and collared shirts and little girls in dresses fit for bridesmaids. And the audience (moms and dads, and older players who’ve all been there and remember with nostalgia) sighs, “awwww!” And then the weeny violins get lifted, and the audience bravely plugs their ears against a very brave rendition by first-time performers of “Twinkle Star”, as composed by Mozart and arranged by Suzuki. And afterwards, the thundering applause (because if it doesn’t thunder, I shall!) is meant for the braveness of the little ones who are not even yet aware of stage fright; and the way they are just adorable. What an experience! After which, the concert can progress through the levels, to more and more versed players until by the end of the evening, our advanced students really wow the audience as experienced young performers.

Writing this, I’m really looking forward to reopening the studio on the 16th and preparing them all for their next concert. What absolute fun!