Sounds in our home....

Practicing your instrument

I can see the 10 year mark of lessons with my children.  I've been sitting through lessons with my children longer than I took lessons myself!  The habit of practicing is deeply engraved in our lifestyle.  The current challenge is finding the balance of helping four children fit practice into their personality and daily rhythms.  I've got early birds and night owls in this family.

The music "corner" of the dining room.  Second year of playing photo is back drop.

I am blessed to basically have the whole day as a choice in which they can make time to practice.  I find that the youngest children are brightest and happiest in the morning.  We take the time early to expend their energy towards lessons and practice.

By keeping the violins hung in the dining room, they are always in sight.  Any time of the day or night we eat (and it's about all day long around here!) we see them hanging there.  This keeps music always on our mind.  I might here a little Twinkle Little Star song being played at random times of the day, but I like that.

In our dining room you can also find a basket filled with basic musical instruments and a child's piano.  While listening to beautiful music together, toddlers and children are encouraged to find and play an instrument here.  

The instruments range from shakers to bells to cymbals and even a little dancing rainbow wand.  This basket tends to be the most attractive thing to visitors.  And if those instruments become too overwhelming for parents trying to speak...it's easily cleaned up on a simple swoop of the basket.  

 This is the third year that we also hear a clarinet being practiced.  Other instrument lessons include recorder, harmonica and piano.  In order to liven things up, we have jam sessions where we all take out an instrument and play.  Sometimes we play the same songs, other times you will find it to more like a real band room in which four or five songs are being played!  (then I'm ready again for the quiet!)
You can see the Trinity Icon that hangs over the dining room table in the reflection in the window.  The recorders sit on that ledge.

The clarinet, too, has a place to be visible.  A homemade stand by PopPop.  

Simple, but perfect and stable.  St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians keeps watch there.  And perhaps helps to make those practice sessions more joyful?

To bullet point it, I think these things help to make practicing in our house more consistent:

+introduce music early (before age 8-our first child was 3)

+keep instruments visible

+ have short lessons (20 minutes or less)

+practice often (more than once a day and always on lesson day, this can be most helpful for an older child who might need to include an hours worth of practicing...just break it into three parts throughout the day)

+listen to beautiful music daily

+try lots of different instruments for the perfect fit

+don't give up if your first year seems slow

(we are half way into the first year with our 4th violinist!)

Do we use rewards?  No.  Children are free to keep a sticker chart for themselves, but I don't do it.  I don't currently have anyone using one, although my son enjoyed doing one when he was 5.  

Are there punishments?  No.  If a time of day isn't working for practice, it's time to try something new for us.

our week in school

Big brother reads aloud.

Continent review with three part cards

Free drawing of the weather.  Rain! 

Geometry.

and more Math.

Movable alphabet.

Fraction work...makes you tired.

Pretzels.  Two times.

Suzuki piano meet Suzuki violin.

The best seat in town.

Suzuki Institute 2011

Quilting a little and fidd'ln often

Oldest girl has finished her entry for the quilt block contest.  

But most of all the memories she has made!

Busy she has been between quilting and playing her violin.

We are enjoying the sights and the sounds.

A visiting we will go...

The science of relationships is one that cannot be forgotten.  It's one that we nourish over and over.  Perhaps in the moving quickly through life that we forget to invest in the friendships...perhaps it's in the moving quickly through life that we don't relish in the friendships.  

 For we need to spend moments in sharing of life.  In sharing of gifts.

In remembering the years gone past, before the present is swallowed up by the future.  

 This homeschooling, this living, this family life, is more formation than it is information.

Reflections of the week

If you look closely you can see the reflection of our new "school year motto" in the table.

some jobs are enjoyed by a 3 year old. 

visits by godparents complete with pipe cleaner "art"

Daddy knows how to break up sibling rivalry by doing something random.  The disagreement turned to laughter when this concert was heard.

I'm wearing my new wrap and getting out my fall recipes.

Procession! and Growth

For the feast of the Visitation, the Community of St. John sisters had a special day.  The rain was pouring as we headed into Mass.

But as we left to process to the conference center, the rain had gone away!

Many of the children carried flowers to the statue of Mary at the conference center.  

The girls played Immaculate Mary on their violins as we all sang.  

Then a festive lunch followed.  Finally we all processed to the Sisters chapel for time of Adoration with Fr. Antoine Thomas leading.  

And low and behold the eggs have begun to hatch!  

Can you hear the music?

We are in the throws of concerts.  Whew.  This week when we went to lessons 3 year old announced she was getting a lesson too.  The violin is nearly as big as she is!

a very focused little boy.  Happy with his first "official" concert in which he played. 

 

Concerto in D Major for 4 violins (and one teacher) by Teleman.

Can you spy the little girl in red who is amazed at another "pre-twinklers" cardboard violin?  She didn't care that the photos were being snapped.  

recitals, recitals, recitals...

I'm coming down from a musically high weekend.  Three individual concerts and one symphony/orchestra concert.  

The talent is improving all the time!  And we are so proud.

when the lyrics to lightly row get boring...

look for Suzuki alternatives...
Lightly snow, lightly snow,O'er the fluffy hills we go.Lightly snowing, lightly blowing,On my little sled we go.
Listen to the children play,Laughing, sledding through the day.Lightly snowing, lightly blowing,On my little sled we go.

Music they play...

It's been nearly two weeks...and I am realizing I haven't had a chance to reflect fully on it. Two violin concerts in one week can make for a very tired family.
The first concert was a special one for boy as he played All the twinkles with the rest of the kids. Both big sisters took part as well. The oldest daughter took part in playing all of the songs. In a traditional Suzuki school they have "play down" concerts. The hardest song that a current student can play is begun with and other children come up onto the stage to play along as they play easier and easier songs. Finally all the children can join on stage to play the 'twinkles'!

Oldest daughter (standing at her seat) played in her first symphony. This was prestige for her as she had to audition for this group months ago...and now finally gets to show off all her weeks of work.

Not only to people pay to see the youth symphony, but they have very nice programs. Makes it feel very professional.

Lastly, oldest daughter continues to enlarge her musical skills by taking clarinet at the local grade school. She feels special to go off "to school" three times a week to play with other band students. It's been a big year of growth for her in these two musical endeavours. I'm wondering why it suddenly feels like she's growing up.