Violin Studio 101: Get Philosophical

Me philosophizing at the café by my apartment in Paris

Random fact: I majored in violin performance for undergrad, but I got my Master’s Degree in French Literature. A bit of a shift in areas of specialization, I know, but both disciplines have shaped who I am today. 

The French are a philosophical bunch. Existentialists like Camus and Sartre spent a lot of time examining the meaning of life. As music teacher, you might not want to write the next philosophical treatise, but you should write your own music philosophy that you can share with prospective students. Click here to read mine, or download.

You, as well as your new music parents/teachers, may want to read the following, as well.

The staple for Suzuki teachers: Dr. Suzuki’s  (1969) book Nurtured by Love.

This summer, I read a great follow up resource to the classic. (In true Suzuki-kid fashion, when I say “read,” I mean “listened to on audio-book.”) Christine Goodner’s Beyond the Music Lesson brings the principles of Suzuki into the twenty-first century. She emphasizes the importance of parental involvement in music lessons, and offers practical advice to parents and teachers who want to make music-learning a more enjoyable experience for the students. 

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