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Lesson Expectations

Parents of students in eighth grade and younger are required to observe lessons, take notes for home practice, and participate when asked. Parents of students in high school are strongly encouraged to attend the lesson and take practice notes for their child. 

  • Your lesson time is a reserved slot, so please arrive at least five minutes early. Students can unpack, wash their hands, and quietly observe the preceding lesson. ​Arriving on time gets you the most out of your lesson and shows courtesy to your fellow students. Lateness will not be made up with any additional lesson time. 
  • Come with a respectfully eager attitude that indicates your willingness to learn.
  • Successful learning can only take place when you have prepared the previous week’s assignments to the best of your ability. 
  • Parents participate! You are a member of the learning triangle, so feel free to ask questions and to comment on anything related to the lesson content.
  • Students must have clipped fingernails. It’s very difficult (nigh impossible!) to play with good technique if you have long fingernails.
  • Please turn off/silence all phone and electronic devices unless they are being used as a recording device or for home practice note-taking.
At the weekly studio lesson, the teacher holds the position of instruction, so please allow the child’s attention to be completely focused on the teacher. Sometimes things don’t go as well in the lesson as they did at home. That’s ok! The lesson is a time to observe and develop progress, not to require perfection.

Practice Expectations

Listening - this is a crucial quality that all musicians (and people in general) must develop carefully on four different levels:
  1. To the teacher’s instructions during the lesson
  2. To the parent’s suggestions at home practice
  3. To their own playing and sound quality
  4. To high level quality recordings of past, present, and future working pieces. This establishes an excellent music standard and assists in learning new pieces.​
​​Listen, listen, listen to your book CD every day! The more ingrained the piece is in your mind, the faster you will learn.
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“Practice every day that you eat.” Daily practice fosters natural progress.
  • Practice time must be scheduled into your day and you must designate yourself a specific practicing location.
  • Time duration depends on the child’s attention span and skill level. Feel free to break up your daily practice quota throughout the day. Minimum practice expectations are as follows:
    • ​Beginners/Pre-Twinkle/Early Book 1: 10-15 minutes, six days a week
    • 2nd year students/Book 1: 20 minutes, six days a week
    • Book 2-3: 30 minutes, six days a week
    • Book 4-5: 45 minutes, six days a week
    • Book 6+: 60 minutes, six days a week
  • The parent is the home teacher who helps carry out the game plan established at the lesson.
  • Home practice is an opportunity for both the child and parent to learn new skills together. If the parent fosters an attitude of cooperation and excitement, then students will view practice as a positive learning environment.
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How to Practice
  • Praise first, then isolate the trouble spots.
  • Repeat drill spots with great focus. Know what you want to happen with each repetition. Mindless repetition is a waste of time and ingrains bad playing habits.
  • Slow practice - play at such a speed that enables you to listen actively for intonation and make immediate adjustments without stopping or slowing down. Correct rhythms, articulations, and dynamics should always be present in slow practice. This is an opportunity to focus on a single problem within a context.
  • Sometimes it is helpful to focus on only one technical point during the practice session.
  • Find creative ways to motivate yourself (your child).
Materials Needed
  • Cello and bow in good condition (discuss cello size with the teacher)
  • Stool or chair correctly sized to the student
  • Rock stop/strap or rug for endpin security
  • Rosin for the bow
  • Pencil with a good eraser
  • Lesson notebook for note-taking
  • Folder or 3-ring binder for handouts
  • Current Suzuki, reading, technique, and/or supplemental music books
  • CD/mp3/iTunes recording of the current Suzuki book or working piece
  • metronome and tuner (or a combination of the two); insTuner app
  • AnyTune (iPhone) or ABRSM Speedshifter (Android) app
  • Designated carrying bag for the above items
  • Periodically, I may suggest new cello strings, a bow re-hair, or an instrument adjustment.