Benefits of Attending Suzuki Group Class

Group classes provide the ideal environment for review.

• Reviewing songs that have already been learned becomes more fun when playing them with other children.
• Children may feel less fearful of making a mistake, so they can gain confidence in their playing as they review with their peers.
• Students work together to recall all the skills they learned in a review piece, and keep those skills fresh, so we have a solid foundation to build on.
• We can implement skills and techniques learned in more recent skills to review songs, which helps students to have a more complete grasp of these newer techniques, and it makes the review songs feel more exciting.

Group class builds ensemble skills.

• Students must watch and listen to the teacher, and each other, to stay together. 
• They learn to play without pausing.  I tell my students that the beats are constantly flowing, so to make a piece sound smooth and exciting, we need to come to a point where we can play without pausing to think about what comes next. 
• Students take on a different role as an ensemble member vs. playing as a soloist.  They’re now a member of team working together to create one single beautiful musical expression.
• As a member of a team, students learn to respect and collaborate with one another.  These are important life skills for life in general, not just for musicians.

Group class is a great place for refining musical skills, and exploring new styles of music.

• Playing in a group can really help a student refine their rhythm and intonation as they work to play as one.
•  It’s a great place to talk about the history of the pieces we work on in group class, including learning more about musical time periods and composers.
•  I like to teach my advanced students music theory and aural skills as a group.  These skills are very helpful with sight reading and improvisation.
• Together, we can play different styles of music, such as jazz or fiddle. These skills expand a student’s repertoire, understanding of music, and helps them to explore new performance possibilities.

Group classes are fun and motivating

• We use fun, interactive activities to build all the skills that we’ve talked about.
•  All musicians will end up playing in an ensemble in their musical career, and many find it to be more satisfying than playing as a soloist.
• Sometimes practice can feel a little mundane, and we need a little spark to help us remember why we’re learning music.  Group class can provide that spark.

Studio Changes

Most of my students and families are now aware of changes coming to my studio beginning in September.  I wanted to take a minute to explain why I want to make these changes.

I mentioned in the letter that I have sent home with students I saw this week that I am making changes to "maintain the quality of my studio."  Many music teachers use the word studio to refer not only to the place lessons are held, but also, and more accurately, to the teacher's business.  It encompasses all the materials, resources, policies, preparation time, people involved, training, and services offered.

The biggest coming change to my studio is the increase in lesson rates.  I made this decision because  I want to have competitive rates, attract dedicated students, and help motivate my current students.  When I teach dedicated students with good support systems, I am able to use my creativity to help students reach their highest potential.  It is fulfilling to watch my students grow and succeed, and it helps me to become a better teacher as I implement new ideas to motivate and teach.  I also want to be able to seek out new learning experiences to excite and inspire my students, and the coming changes will help me to be seek out those opportunities. 

On the other hand, I do not want to lose any of my current dedicated students or prevent someone from receiving lessons in the future, so I will be offering six need based scholarships to individual students and families.  Students who are awarded a scholarship will receive up to a $10 off per month per student, up to $30 per month.  Students under scholarship will be required to practice four days each week and earn at least 10 points through practice each month.  Students who do not meet the practice requirements will lose their scholarship.  They will be able to reapply three months after it is lost.  Under extenuating circumstances such as illness, lengthy vacation, or family emergency, I will be lenient about practice.  Applications will be available within the next two weeks, along with the 2014-2015 policy letter. 

There are three additional small changes coming in September. 

• I will be offering referral bonuses to my students.  If you refer someone to my studio, I will give you a credit equal to the new student's rate after they have been taking lessons for 3 months.  
• I am excited to officially offer viola lessons.  I have wanted to be able to teach it for a long time, and now that I have an instrument I can teach using firsthand experience and not just theoretical knowledge.  
• Lastly, I will be teaching at Whittlesticks on Tuesday only, and and at my apartment on other weekdays.  If you'd like to have lessons at Whittlesticks, let me know so I can work you into my Tuesday schedule in the fall.

  
Thank you for your continued support.  It is because of you that I am able to continue to do something that is so important and that I love to do.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. 

HW

I hope you all had wonderful holidays!  I am excited to be back to our regular schedule and for all the exciting things coming up!

Our next event is another recital.  It will be on Saturday, February 8.  The time and place are scheduled tentatively for 2 PM at Gateway Preparatory Academy, like it has been in the past.  Students should dress nicely for their performance.  Refreshments will be provided, as usual.

On February 15, the Orchestra of Southern Utah is having their annual Children's Jubilee at 2 PM.  Children under the age of 6 are not normally admitted to OSU concerts, but this one is special.  There will be a short concert for the children to listen to, as well as science, art, and other exhibits to enjoy after the concert ends.  It's always a lot of fun!

Saturday, March 1 is Music Festival.  Students have already registered for this event and are preparing their 2 pieces.  Students who are playing at festival may perform one of their pieces at the Feb. recital to gain some experience in playing for an audience.  I will post more details about festival in the coming weeks.  Now is the time to start scheduling practice with you accompanist, so please give him/her a call if necessary.

Keep up the good practicing!

HW

Summertime Update

School is just about over, which comes as a bittersweet thing for me as I will not be teaching orchestra again in the fall.  Part of the reason I have decided to teach private lessons only is so I can concentrate my efforts on providing each of my students with the highest quality lesson experience that I can.  There is so much information available about teaching private lessons more effectively (not to mention making it more fun :)  ), and teaching orchestra gave me no time to study that information.  I look forward to learning new teaching techniques and incorporating them into each student's lessons.

Each spring I like to evaluate the efficiency of my violin studio and see what things are going well and what things, if any, need to be changed.  The biggest change I will be making beginning in September will be in how I charge for lessons.  The cost of a month of lessons will be $50.  If a student cannot attend lessons during their regularly scheduled time, we will try to find a time to make up the missed lesson.  Make-up lessons will be held primarily on Saturdays and school holidays.  If you know you won't be available for a lesson a week ahead of time, it is often possible for me to find someone to trade lesson times.

I have scheduled many of my students for summer lesson times.  I will be teaching from 11-1 on Tuesdays and 2-5:30 on Thursdays.  If none of those times fit into your schedule, we will work together to find a time that will work better.

Thanks for being such wonderful, dedicated students and supportive parents.  I look forward to teaching lessons every day because of you!

Have a wonderful summer, and happy practicing!

HW

Festival Time is Near

Congratulations to everyone for a really great recital!  It was definitely the biggest turnout I've ever had.  I hope you enjoyed performing the pieces you've worked so hard to learn, and that you learned what you can do to improve your next performance. 

For some of you, your next performance is on March 2.  I have the festival schedule, so I can tell you what time your performance is scheduled for, and in what room at CVHS.  With only a few weeks left to prepare, now is the time to be sure your pieces are polished and memorized.  Also, be sure to schedule a time to practice with your accompanist.  It's good to do this a little in advance in case you need a few rehearsals before festival.  It makes things very difficult on your accompanist if you procrastinate the day of your rehearsal.

On festival day, you will need to be prepared with a few things. This letter explains everything you'll need. You'll need one rating record form and three judging forms.  It's good to paperclip them together to hand to the judges and tabulator.

Aside from that, I would encourage everyone to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled performance time to unpack your instrument, warm up, make sure all your music and entry forms are ready to go, and deal with any unexpected problems.  And, of course, relax.  Your performance will go much much better if you feel calm.

Keep up the good work!

HW

It's recital time again

The recital will be held at 5:00 PM at Gateway Preparatory Academy on Thoroughbred Way in Enoch. Refreshments will be served after the recital. Performers should wear Sunday best or business casual dress. Please try to perform without the music even if you feel a little shaky on your memorization. It will help with preparing for festival.

See you Saturday!

Recital Saturday

Dear students and parents,

The much anticipated recital will held this Saturday, October 27 at 5 PM. The time has been changed in order to accommodate more students. It will be held at Gateway Preparatory Academy, 201 E Thoroughbred Way in Enoch. To get there, head north on Minersville Highway (if you come from the freeway, take the cedar city north main exit and turn west off the ramp). You will go straight through the intersection near the bowling alley. Thoroughbred is on the left. There will be a left turn arrow in the merge. Continue on that road and you will see the school on the right.

Students should wear Sunday dress. There will be refreshments after. If I haven't asked you specifically to bring something, I could still use more treats and napkins.

Thanks for all your hard work an patience. See you Saturday!

Recital Postponed

Dear students and parents,

I had planned on holding a recital this Saturday, but so few people will be able to make it that I have decided to move it to Saturday, October 27 at 3 PM. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused!

Heather Wilhelm

Wedding, October recital

As many of you know, I am getting married on September 21, so there won't be lessons from that day until Monday, October 1. I would be delighted so see you at the reception on the 22nd though!

Our first recital of the school year will be on October 13 at 3 in the afternoon. The place is still to be determined.. I will be helping students choose songs this week.

I handed out policy letters a few weeks ago. If you haven't already, please look over it. There is some new information in the "fees and payment" section. If everything looks agreeable, go ahed and fill out the back page and give it to me so I have your information in my records.

Thanks for being great students and supportive parents! I feel so lucky to have a bunch of students I look forward to teaching every day.

Happy practicing!

Summer break is ending- Updated

The summer is quickly coming to a close.  I hope you have all enjoyed your month off of lessons.  I did, but I am excited to get back to teaching all my wonderful students!  Lessons will resume in Cedar City on Tuesday, August 7, and in Beaver on Wednesday, August 8.  If you have any questions about what time your lesson will be held, feel free to give me a call or send me a text or e-mail message.  Also, if you have any special scheduling requests for the school year, please let me know soon so you can be sure to have the time you need.

Thanks!  I look forward to seeing you soon.

Recital today!

Hello students! 

The recital today is at 5:00 at Gateway Preparatory Academy.  The address is 201 Thoroughbred Way in Enoch.  If you're coming on the freeway, take exit 62, turn right onto Minersville Highway, then left on Thoroughbred Way.  It is past the stake center, and there will be a left turn arrow in the merge lane. 

Remember to stay relaxed today.  All my students have prepared well and are ready to perform, so don't worry!  If you are one who gets nervous, eat a banana before you leave for the recital.  It's a weird trick I learned as a music performance major that really works!

See you there!

It's recital time again!

Dear students and families,

I'd like to remind you that the next recital for my student's participation is on Saturday, February 11 at 5:00 PM-  just under 4 weeks from today.  We will be choosing recital pieces this week, so please work on getting those memorized for the recital.  I do encourage all students to memorize their pieces, but if they try hard and aren't able to do so by the time of the recital, I will allow them to use their music.

The most difficult part of every recital seems to be finding an accompanist to play the piano with my students, and finding time to practice with them.  If you have a friend or neighbor who is willing and able to play that day, if may be easier for you to ask them.  My mom is willing to accompany students who can't find someone else to play for them, and I will help schedule a time you can meet with her to practice.

Thanks for being such great students and supportive families.  I am excited to see all that this new year will bring!

Winter reminders

What a great year it has been so far!  Now that we're approaching the busy holiday season, I'd like to remind you of a few things as far as my policies go.

I know that in December lots of events come up and make it so you can't make it to your scheduled lesson time.  Please call me as soon as you know you can't make it so we can try to schedule a make-up lesson.  If there is no time to make it up, I will take the missed lesson off of January's payment.  However, if I don't receive a phone call (or text message) before lesson time, I don't give a refund.  Also, if you are running late but still planning on coming to your lesson, please call or text.  If it's 15 minutes into a scheduled lesson and nobody is there, I may leave for the day.

December also means it's time to start getting things ready for music festival!  Southern Utah String Festival this year is on Saturday, March 3rd, 2012.  I encourage all my students up to age 18 to participate in this festival.  You get to memorize two songs and perform them for a panel of judges (who are teachers like me) with an accompanist.  The judges will give you comments about things you do well in your performance, and offer some pointers on how to improve you playing.  They also give you a rating (superior, excellent, very good, or good).  You earn points for these ratings, and once you earn enough points you receive a gold cup.  College scholarships are offered to students who earn at least one gold cup before graduating high school. 

Forms for this festival are due on Friday, December 17.  It does cost $10 per student to enter.  If you are interested in participating, you may include the $10 in your December payment and I will write one check for all my students.  It is important that you find an accompanist- students whose forms don't have an accompanist's name written down will not be scheduled.  For more information about this festival, go to http://southernutahstringfestival.org/

The Orchestra of Southern Utah will be performing Handel's "The Messiah" on Sunday, December 11 and Monday, December 12 at 7:30 PM at the Heritage Theatre.  Admission to this concert is FREE thanks to State Bank of Southern Utah and The Leavitt Group.  I would highly recommend attending this concert.  I perform in several concerts every year, but this one is always my favorite.  The music is truly amazing!

That's all for this post.  If you ever have questions, feel free to call, text or e-mail me. 

Recital Tonight!

Tonight's recital features 10 of my students, and I will be performing a piece too.  Refreshments will be provided by students and their families after the recital.  Everyone has worked hard to polish and memorize their pieces, and it's sure to be a great recital!

The recital will be held at the Cross Hollows Stake Center at 2830 Cody Drive.  It's close to the rodeo grounds.  Here's a map of where it's at (hopefully).

Students who have not yet practiced with their accompanist and will be accompanied by Mrs. Grafelman should arrive at least 15 minutes in so they can rehearse before the recital begins.

See you there!

Fall News

I'm sorry I have taken so long to update this blog. I know you all understand how crazy life gets sometimes! Everything is now in place for this new school year, and I am very excited to teach all my wonderful students!

There has been a change in lesson fees since last year. Here is a list of the new rates:

Half-hour lessons at Whittlesticks- $50/month, $12.50/lesson,

45-minute lessons at Whittlesticks- $75/month, $18.75/lesson,

1 hour slot for families at Whittlesticks (1/2 hour per student)- $90/month, $22.50/lesson

Half-hour lessons in Beaver- $60/month, $15/lesson.

I expect full payment for the month to be made at the first lesson of each month. Payments made after the first week of the month will accrue a $5 late fee, unless prior arrangements have been made. In case we miss a lesson during the month (after payment has been made) and are unable to reschedule it, students may subtract the cost of one lesson from the next month's payment, as long as I was notified about the absence beforehand.


The first recital of the year has been scheduled for Friday, September 30 at 7:30 PM. Please put this date on your calendars, and begin thinking of a song that can be performed memorized by then. More details to come soon.

Thanks for being patient with me as I've been getting things together. I appreciate all your help and support, and I love being able to teach all my great students.

Summer Information

Hello!

As a lot of you know, I am leaving for China on May 30. I will be back on June 20, and then I will be off to a family reunion until the beginning of July. This means that there will be no lessons for the entire month of June. I will be back teaching on Wednesday, July 6.

For the months of July and August (until school begins), I have decided to teach everyone in the middle of the week. This way, I will be able to teach all my students and still go on a couple other weekend trips. I will begin teach from 11 AM to 2 PM, then 3 PM to 5:30 PM. If there is a specific time you would like to have a lesson, please let me know as soon as possible to I can set it aside for you. I will call everyone when I'm back to confirm or set up lesson times.

In other news, today I attended a great class for violin teachers. I picked up a few fantastic ideas that I plan to implement into my own teaching. I am excited about some of these things, and I think my students will find them to be very helpful and fun.

One thing I would like to do is to bow at the beginning and end of every lesson. A bow is a sign of humility and gratitude, and is also a good way to officially begin and end each lesson. I think this will help my students and myself to be more focused and productive. And, of course, it's also quite fun!


If you're looking for some summer reading, I recommend picking up Nurtured By Love by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. This book teaches about the philosophy and principles of Suzuki's teaching methods. It is a recommended read for every Suzuki method teacher, and Suzuki students and their parents. I am sure you won't be disappointed by reading it.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the learning process. I enjoy teaching each student and enjoy the things I learn as a result of teaching them.

Megumi Gass

Hello!

The last Orchestra of Southern Utah concert featured several incredible young soloists. I was very impressed with violinist Megumi Gass, and one of my students who saw the concert said she couldn't even describe how impressed she was. I just found out that the video of her performance is on Youtube, so I thought I would share it with you! Enjoy!

Music Festival

Today was the 26th annual Southern Utah String Festival. I had four of my students play at this festival. I was, unfortunately, only able to listen to two of them, but I was very proud of them! All four students worked very hard and sounded great at their lessons. Good job!

I am hoping to double the number of students I have participating in Festival next year. It is a great learning opportunity for the students and myself. They have the opportunity to polish and memorize two pieces and perform them for a small audience and three judges. They are given a rating based on how well they perform, Superior being the highest rating a student can earn. Once a student earns 15 points (which is the equivalent of 3 superior ratings) they student receive a gold cup. They also get to review the judges' comments with me and we both learn what we can do to improve their playing.

One of the teachers that is in charge of festival told me that in the fall a great Suzuki teacher will be coming to Cedar to and teaching a workshop. I have attended some of these workshops both as a student and as a teacher and I have learned a lot from them and had a lot of fun! I would encourage all my students to make it a point to attend this workshop. Students learn and memorize pieces that are within their playing level, and they spend two days playing them with other students under the guidance of the guest clinician and other great teachers. I highly recommend being there! I will give more information as I learn it.

Just a reminder: I will be having my wisdom teeth taken out on Friday, March 11, so I will be taking the following week (through Thursday, March 17) off to recover.

Thanks for all your hard work!

Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone for a great recital! I thought each student was well prepared and gave a great performance. Several people who attended said they enjoyed it and that the performances sounded nice. It takes a lot of work to get ready for a performance and my students, with the help of their families, did it admirably. Well done!

I want to especially thank those who brought refreshments, helped me change rooms at the last minute, and helped me get into the building. It was a hectic but rewarding day.

My friend Tyson Vance took photos of my students performing their pieces. If you are interested in seeing more or obtaining a copy, let me know. Here are some he took last night.

Performance is a skill that takes a lot of practice, which is why I hold these recitals. I know they are stressful for parents and nerve racking for students, but I hope some felt the sense of fulfillment and accomplishment that I have felt post-performance. The next recital will be held in August before school starts.



Here are a couple things to put on your calendars regarding violin lessons. I am having my wisdom teeth removed on March 11, so I won't be teaching lessons from that day through Thursday, March 17. I will resume normal lessons beginning on Friday, March 18, assuming all goes well. This means that students who have lessons on Monday and Thursday only need to pay for 3 lessons in March.

I am also not teaching lessons Wednesday, April 20 through Friday, April 22. Students who have lessons on Wednesday and Thursday only need to pay for three lessons that month.

The next time I will be gone will be June 1 through roughly June 17. I am going to China with The Orchestra of Southern Utah then. I will plan on starting lessons again on Monday, June 20, but the schedule isn't finalized yet, so mark that one in pencil.

Thanks again for all your support and hard work.

Recital Date Change, OSU concert thursday

I had planned to hold a recital for my students on February 19. As I was out getting some last minute things together for it, the snow started coming down hard. It was foggy and slick and I thought it would be best to postpone the recital. By the time I had called to inform everyone of my decision, the weather had cleared and I didn't feel it was best to call everyone back and change cancel the postponement. I sincerely apologize to any who didn't get the message, prepared refreshments, made schedule changes to make it to the recital, and all the other inconveniences this change brought about. The recital will now be held on Saturday, February 26 at 6:30 PM at the Canyon View Stake Center.

On the bright side, this change will enable me to include some of my students in Beaver as well as catch some who were out of town for President's Day weekend. It also means that everyone gets a few precious days to prepare their recital pieces. I hope this helps my students to feel more confident with the thought of their upcoming performance.

I have a great group of students who are eager to learn and wonderful families who support them. I thank you for allowing me to be a part of the learning and growing process. If there are anything you would like to see me do better, please let me know as I am learning right along with my students.


In other news, the Orchestra of Southern Utah is putting on a great concert on Thursday February 24 at 7:30 PM at the Heritage Theatre (behind Lin's). The first half features talented young artists performing solos with the orchestra. One of these is a very talented young violinist from St. George. She is playing a virtuosic piece by the composer Sarasate called Zigeunerweisen. It is a brilliant gypsy piece that I am sure my students will enjoy.

The second half of the concert features music about dinosaurs. Most of these pieces are brand new works composed by Dr. Keith Bradshaw, the music department chair at Southern Utah University, and his brother Daniel Bradshaw. These short pieces are very clever and entertaining and certainly worth hearing. For more information about this concert and the pieces that will be performed, click here.

Thanks for your support!