Suzuki Strings at NIU

Hope to see you there! Student tickets are free! 💜

Join us this Saturday?
Make your concert experience easy and enjoyable by checking out some of the information below.

Great seats are still available at the door for you to join us!

This Saturday: Suzuki Strings’ annual holiday performance at the Ellwood House Museum!

⛄Every year, we have the pleasure of inviting talented musicians to join us for the Holiday Open House. We are so grateful for these musicians who make time during this busy season to participate in our event! Their music provides such a wonderful ambience for guests while experiencing the magic of the Ellwood House. 🎶

❄Check out these performances and all the Ellwood House has to offer during our Holiday Open House, December 6-7!

Our very own Ms. Ann on WNIU/J 🎻

How an NIU music educator teaches music like a language | Teachers' Lounge Podcast On Teachers’ Lounge, it's Ann Montzka Smelser.She's the Director of the Suzuki Strings Program at Northern Illinois University.Ann’s a practitioner of what’s called “the Suzuki method of music learning.” It’s based on the idea that music talent isn’t inherent, it’s something that’s...

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQIU9n_AeI3/?igsh=cHU1YW5vZjJ1dmtm

Ok, this might be one of the COOLEST classes we’ve had! 🙌 Dr. Gebrian shares what “good practice” looks like from a neurological perspective. Dive in to this and to her book, “Learn Faster, Perform Better” as well to learn more about how you can improve your practice as well and become a better performer! 🧠 #trombone #slideschool #basstrombone #lowbrass #trombonist #brass #neuroscience #practice

Welcome back, Suzuki Strings! It is so good to play together (and laugh together!) again 🎶

From Molly Gebrian’s Newsletter…

One Idea: "Mistakes are necessary to learn. If you're not making mistakes, there's nothing to correct, and so nothing to learn." (from Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing)

One Question: Do you react to mistakes with curiosity or frustration?

One Tip: Get out a piece of paper and some colored pencils or markers and make a sign that says, "Mistakes are an opportunity to get curious!" Hang up this sign where you practice or put it in your case to remind yourself to react with curiosity rather than self-recrimination whenever you make a mistake. This will encourage you to practice with a problem-solving mindset, which means you'll make much more progress and feel better about the process, too.

A bit of a drive from DeKalb, but if you’re looking for a Friday night concert, join Ms. Courtney in the audience at this free event (freewill offering accepted) at Bethel UCC, Elmhurst, IL featuring Sylvia Pine, the talented daughter of Rachel Barton Pine, Violinist!

Our Fall Suzuki Workshop takes place November 15… but this Saturday you could still participate in an an amazing workshop opportunity at Illinois State Opportunity! It's not too late to register!

Thanks for joining us at DeKalb Public Library and the Art Gala for Peace! Special congrats to one of our talented violinists who also won a free art class for her beautiful watercolor painting entry in the art show. If you missed us, mark your calendars for our next appearance at Corn Fest!

This is a useful, hopeful article! I’ll post a gift link in the comments if you’d like to read it. Remember to reach out to your Suzuki Strings teachers - and fellow parents - for summer practicing support!

When kids are falling short, many parents’ instinct is to penalize them by taking away something they love. But that’s the opposite of how to motivate them, Russell Shaw writes: https://theatln.tc/zVACRCEg

📸: Brian Finke

Read Suzuki pedagogue Helen Brunner, recent article on the_strad_ about the beauty of repetition

🔗 https://www.thestrad.com/for-subscribers/opinion-the-importance-of-repetition-in-teaching/19387.article