Our children play Suzuki violin. Fiona, 10, is in Book 7. Ella, 7, is currently in Book 1. These tips are more for parents of kids who are in Book 1 – the beginner kids. Although we do the daily practice most days, the same old thing day after day can be challenging for young [...]

Here’s a picture I snapped of Ella waiting to perform at her recital today. I’m not sure it was kosher for her to be reading Horse Diaries while the other kids were performing, but I was so excited for her to stand up and play that I let it slide. PS: Horse Diaries by Patricia [...]

  Parents often ask me how to get their kids started in playing the violin, because my children play: You can view a more recent video of Fiona (she was 8 in the above video, and she is now 11) playing at the Cogen Concerto Competition’s intermediate division (in which she won 1st place) here. [...]

This is for all you Suzuki violin parents and lovers of music – Charlie Rose interviewing the master, Itzhak Perlman. What stands out for me in this interview is Itzhak’s statement that even for very talented violinists, stressed out parents can actually be a hindrance to the child’s musical development.

Last night Fiona got to play a song for her school’s graduation ceremony. She played Cantabile, by Paganini.   I got to sit in the audience and – as my mother-in-law likes to say – bask in reflected glory. I was alone because my husband was home with Ella who’s sick. Because I was up [...]