Suzuki group class is all about building strong foundations towards the next steps, regardless of the level of the students. Those next steps are in 4 categories: technique, ensemble, community, and repertoire.
Whether in person or in a remote situation, I believe we can hone these skills with the activities we engage in. A multi-level class also presents many opportunities for the students to gain positive experience from the class.
Technique: If the sound of a violin is meant to imitate singing, the bow is our breath. Bow skills are intricate, varied, and many! Practicing our bow games not only creates a supportive environment for the youngest students, but provides a fun atmosphere for the older students to further strengthen their bowhold. Even professionals are constantly working to perfect their bowholds- it's never something we take for granted. The same idea goes for bow strokes/articulation, violin posture, intonation/ear-training, and elements of music such as scales/music theory.
Ensemble: In large or small group classes, we have many opportunities to learn and polish ensemble skills. We can each practice leading pieces, which of course involves the breath or cue, the correct bow-directions, correct form of the piece, and not least, confidence in performing before others. When we play our repertoire together, we can hear how to stay together with the leader and the other players. We notice the group sound, our dynamics, and the skill of starting and stopping together. One of our goals is to sound like one instrument!
Community: Learning alongside a group of other students allows students to develop confidence and stage presence in a casual, supportive environment. Often the students develop a friendly competitiveness, since they are inspired to play what they see the others playing. Those that play the most advanced repertoire benefit from reviewing their familiar pieces with ease and awareness of their developing skills, and also gain the approval and admiration of the newer students. Parents and family members also show support for each other's children when they see their progress. It's so wonderful when children can feel the respect of adults in their community, beyond their own parents. The community aspect of group class is also very effective for building confidence in performance, as well as musical expression.
Repertoire: the pieces we play in group are really just a tool for developing all of the other important skills. Of course, I don't want to downplay how much fun it is to be able to play the pieces we know, or learn new ones, but the repertoire is never the end goal of the learning process. Having said that, we do celebrate when the students achieve certain repertoire milestones. We regularly hold a Twinkle graduation, for the students who have learned to play all the Twinkle variations and theme, a half-book 1 graduation for the students who have learned and polished Perpetual Motion, and each full-book level graduation for the students who have successfully completed the studies and repertoire of each book. I address this in the lessons for more details.
In Suzuki lessons, teachers rely on the group class to complete the students' musical education. I feel so strongly about this that I will work with families to schedule mutually beneficial times to meet.
Thank you for your time, and I hope this gives everyone valuable perspective on group classes. I look forward to working with you and your children in our musical environment!
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