Music Is the Language of the Heart Without Words

When my girls started playing the viola (at age 5) I did a lot of reading about Shinichi Suzuki. A class (series of parent meetings) were actually required before they could start playing at University of Hartford, Community Division as well as observing lessons and group classes. Though all of that and of course being a viola parent for about 16 straight years I've learned that this Suzuki method of learning to play an instrument is beautiful. In Suzuki's book, Nurtured by Love, he talks about learning to play an instrument is more than just the notes, it's about "creating a beautiful heart". 

This is one of my favorite quotes: 

“If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.”

There was something about that quote I read in his book all those years earlier - something I wanted for my daughters. And so I trusted, and went, and week by week, lesson by lesson, group class by group class, orchestra rehearsal by orchestra rehearsal, I watched what music did in my girls lives - it created a beautiful heart. 

Recently I've had the privilege of watching Abigail's 'heart grow' through her viola. She's preparing for an upcoming audition. She's been working extra hard with her teacher to prepare and yesterday she has an online lesson. All of her lessons are in person but for some reason this one was a Facetime one. I wanted to capture just a bit of how hard she was working. (BTW it's always the next time that I wish I captured when she 'nailed it' - I seem to always record the one before) But wow Abigail!!

She will also be playing this piece that she played back in a "Friends and Family Holiday Concert" back in December: 

Suzuki actually talked a lot about music and what it does for the heart: 

“Music exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart.”

Yesterday this email came across my eyes. It's a mid-year progress report from her viola teacher. I wanted it here to remember. I read it out loud at dinnertime so that Abigail could hear. It had me with tears in my eyes. 

Student Name: Abigail Baker

Teacher: Melinda Daetsch
Date: January 11, 2024

List strengths and accomplishments during fall 2023

Abigail has made beautiful, consistent progress on both technical and artistic fronts this fall. Her work on vibrato continues to bear good fruit and although sometimes she doesn't appreciate how well it is going, it IS going very well! She has a lovely palette of colors available to her now as she develops increased control over the speed and width of her vibrato. 

Shifting accuracy has also increased, and her fluency in reading treble clef (and in reading in general) has also improved.

Abigail has been working on unaccompanied Bach Suite no 2 in D minor this fall. In a recent performance of the Prelude movement of the Suite, her phrasing, expressivity, and overall depth and sensitivity moved me profoundly. I know that I was not the only one who responded in that manner to her performance at the Friends and Family recital, but I learned from Abigail, however, that she wasn't pleased with the performance.  

It is my fervent hope that Abigail will be able to enjoy her playing this coming semester and perhaps be able to accept that she really does offer an exquisite and personal gift to those who hear her. She is extraordinarily sensitive in her music making. Her phrasing choices are intuitive and creative, and I have heard similar comments about her playing from some of my colleagues. She has so much to offer!

Abigail is an organized and disciplined worker. She is very hard on herself, but sometimes that can be a good trait as it can be used as a touchstone for focused, purposeful work. The problem comes in when being hard on oneself turns into self-flagellation, so I hope we can work on using the desire to reach for perfection to her advantage instead of getting mired in perfectionism.

Amidst all of the excellent practicing she has done and progress she has made, Abigail has performed in numerous concerts this fall:

• as Principal Violist of the Camerata Orchestra, 
• as member of the Viola Tour Group  (Ode to Joy, Viola Day, Cookie Concert, Group Class concert)
• as member of the Opus 89 Orchestra. 
• Solo Bach in the Friends and Family concerts
• Hall High School orchestra performances
• Friends and Family recital

She is also a member of the Hall Jazz Dance group and a serious academic student. She works hard at finding the balance with all she is doing and knows that balance, though often elusive, is so important.

Abigail is also one of the kindest and most humble students I have had in my studio in all the years I have been teaching. In a recent example of her selfless compassion, she helped one of the younger viola group class members without a moment's hesitation when he got sick in class. The whole rest of the class sort of froze, but Abigail just went to the student and took his instrument and spoke kindly to him facilitating a gentle, caring solution.  

When I mentioned to her how impressed I was by how she handled that situation, Abigail was surprised and said something like: "I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn't have done..."  But in fact, she did do something that nobody else did. 

Abigail always appreciates her peers and teachers and offers the most thoughtful, encouraging and constructive comments when the VTG runs mock auditions or during Achievement Days,. She is an empathetic, insightful, and accurate commentator.

List goals for next semester and beyond

Abigail is preparing for what she has described as "the most important audition of my life" with the Solisti audition. While I applaud the tremendous amount of work she has put into preparing for the audition (and I do believe that she will do very well and has an extremely good chance of getting in) I hope that she will remember to enjoy the gift she has to give those who are listening... even in an audition setting. 

We will continue to work on her technical growth through the Trott Double Stop book, vibrato exercises, three octave scales, and I would like to work through Robert Starer's Rhythmic Training book with her to help her sight-reading. We will perhaps add more composition exercises as well as they tend to help us to understand reading "from the inside out"

SPRING WORKSHOP

I also hope that Abigail will participate in the Spring Suzuki Workshop in March.  You can read about the Spring Workshop HERE. I know that she will learn a lot and have a wonderful time with the guest viola clinician Gabe Remillard.

Additional comments on fall lessons and development

Abigail is a joy to teach and a wonderful member of every group of which she is a part. I look forward to her weekly lessons and very much look forward to where she will go musically this spring. 

I would also like to talk about some summer musical study ideas for Abigail as well. The HCD is offering a new one-week chamber music program the last week of June with the Azul Quartet that I think Abigail might enjoy, and there is also a one-week Hartt Suzuki Institute in the beginning of August with an exciting chamber music component.

Additionally, there is a new Advanced Viola Program at Ithaca College which is very near my house in Ithaca and in the past, I have had students, and their families stay at my house when they go to the Ithaca Suzuki Institute summer programs. If this might be something you/she would enjoy, I would be happy to talk about it.

https://www.ithaca.edu/suzuki-institutes/student-institute/advanced-violin-viola-and-cello-program 

Yes, I am certain that the years since she's been five have indeed created a beautiful heart. 

“The heart that feels music will feel people.”

Other posts about Suzuki

here