Practicing Coloring Book

Looking for another way to help motivate your child to practice and review? We are selling Suzuki inspired coloring books for $10 each starting May 3rd. Each bound book contains illustrations inspired by pieces from Suzuki Book 1, and includes selections from the violin, cello and piano books. Students can color in a page after they have learned or polished a piece, or simply enjoy the book at their own pace. Proceeds benefit the Sherwood Suzuki Program. 

May 3rd String Playing Tests- reminders

We will once again be conducting playing tests for all string students (Twinkle or above) on May 3rd. Students will play for their group class instructors during regularly scheduled group classes on May 3rd.  I will assist where necessary to make sure that the tests run on time and that students can arrive to their next class on time. Parents will be notified of results, after the tests are completed that day.

The goal of these assessments are to ensure that students review and prepare for this upcoming performance appropriately. It is never fair for one student to work very hard to prepare say "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" for the performance, while the student next to them barely remembers how to get through the piece. Last December, I was incredibly impressed with the high performance caliber of our Department recital. As a Suzuki faculty we agreed that these playing tests offer a good tool for performance preparation. Please place extra emphasis on the Dept. Recital Review list, and make sure that your child is prepared to play all of the pieces (up to their current level) for their group class instructor.
We will use a score sheet to evaluate each piece. Students much achieve at minimum a 7/10 on any given piece in order for them to perform it at the Dept. Recital with the group.

Violin Repertoire:

• Twinkle Var. C & Theme 
• Lightly Row
• Go Tell Aunt Rhody
• Minuet 1
• Happy Farmer
• Long, Long Ago Book2
• Boccherini Minuet
• Martini Gavotte
• Humoresque
• Vivaldi a minor concerto Mvt. 1
• Puppet Show (Book 4 group students only)

Cello Repertoire: TBD

May 10th Dress Rehearsals for our Spring Suzuki Dept. Recital

Here is the adjusted class schedule for the day, in order to accommodate the dress rehearsals. These rehearsals are mandatory. Any students who do not attend, will not be able to perform on the May 17th Suzuki Dept. Recital. 

May 10th Class & Rehearsal Schedule:

• Dalcroze Eurythmics classes run as regularly scheduled, from 9am-10:30am
• Violin Pre-Twinkle & Book 4 group classes run as regularly scheduled.
• Students from the Monday Pre-Twinkle Violin class should attend this Saturday class
• Violin Twinkler & Book 1a classes are combined from 9:30-10am in room 100A with Christine Knodle
• Orchestra run-through from 9:45-10:30 in the recital hall
• Violin group 1B from 10-10:30am in room 100A with Emilia Blaszak
• 10:45-11:30- Pre-Twinkle through Book 1 Dress Rehearsal on the Recital Hall stage
• Combined Book 2 & 3 class from 10:45-11:15 in room 202 with Emilia B and Bridget C
• 11:30-12:15- Book 2 & above Dress Rehearsal on the Recital Hall stage

Spring Suzuki Department Recital- May 17th

Hello parents, I will be updating this post as details arise.

Location: Old St. Mary's Church- 1474 S. Michigan Ave.

Parking- There is a small lot adjacent to the church, and additional meter spots available along Michigan Ave. There is also a lot behind the church accessible by Wabash. The church is only a block south of our school, so you can park where you normally do and walk to the church if you like.

Call time: All students should arrive promptly at 12:30. There will be signs directing performers to the staging area (Donovan Hall), where teachers and parent volunteers will tune instruments and form them into groups. The performers will be supervised by the teachers and volunteers for the duration of the performance.

Concert Dress:  Please wear recital appropriate attire. No jeans, T-shirts or gym shoes.

Performance Time: The concert will start at 1pm and should last approximately 1 hour.

Seating: The first few rows of the church will be reserved for the performers. Parent will have plenty of room to sit inside the sanctuary, so please invite family and friends.

Class Schedule for the day: Dalcroze Eurythmics classes will run as usually scheduled. There will be no regularly scheduled Suzuki  String Group or Prep String classes. This includes Suzuki group classes ranging from Pre-Twinkle through Book 4, note readers classes, chamber music and orchestra.

** We will have an Orchestra rehearsal at 10:45am on the Recital Hall stage. The rehearsal will last approximately 30-40 minutes.

Pre-Twinkle Violin Repertoire:

• Standing in Perfect Posture while the Teacher and Piano play Twinkle Var. A
• Pop goes the weasel
• Wheels on the bus with bow holds
• Flower Song

Violin Repertoire (in reverse performance order):

• Twinkle Var. C & Theme
• Lightly Row
• Go Tell Aunt Rhody
• Minuet 1
• Happy Farmer
• Long Long Ago Book 2 
• Boccherini Minuet
• Martini Gavotte
• Humoresque
• Vivaldi A minor concerto Mvt. 1
• Puppet Show

Cello Repertoire:

• Lully Gavotte
• Minuet 3
• May Time
• Minuet 2
• Perpetual Motion in D Major with Variation
• May Song
• Song of the Wind
• Fancy Twinkle
• Ode to Joy

*** Please remember that students will need to pass their playing test during group class on May 3rd in order to play on the recital. Pre-Twinkle students are exempt from the playing tests.