Dr. Suzuki listed ten Vital Points for violin playing. He used these points to develop a weekly progress report that allowed students and parents to chart improvement over time.* Suzuki’s emphasis on Vital Points suggests that the important question to ask is not “How quickly can I move from one piece to another?” but instead, “How beautifully can I play?” Suzuki acknowledged that each student develops at their own pace. He patiently enjoyed this process with the conviction that, given the correct environment, all students can learn.
Wagner’s Musical Kaleidoscope
Javelin…Michael Torke (b. 1961) Find on iTunes Find on Amazon In my last post we explored a fun, eight minute piece called Javelin by contemporary American composer, Michael Torke. I asked you to pay attention to the rich orchestral colors in the music. Now go back and listen a few more times to pick up some new details. Do you hear bright, shimmering colors? Do you feel swept along by the music’s motion? Maybe …