Hello Parents,

Ms. Vachon is still ill this week.  Mr. Townsend will be filling in for her and continuing on with the same lesson plans.

We are including your homework and information for the week below, earlier than normal.  We ask that you add extra days of work between Tuesday and Thursday in addition to your usual routine of Friday through Monday this week in order to help maintain momentum.  I will be on site tomorrow, and likely Thursday, as well, to offer assistance, and to update you if necessary.

What we are doing this week

This week we took a break from the scales and arpeggios to focus on the second half of Air by Bach and to learn all the bowing patterns.

What did we listen to or watch, that you can watch at home?

We listened to a complete live example of all parts played by Air played by the teacher.

What work is to be done this weekend

Please practice the bowing and rhythm patterns of the Bach’s second half of Air.

What are we doing next week?

Next week we will run through both halves of Air and introduce the C minor harmonic scale.

How much time should your student be practicing each day?

A solid and uninterrupted 45 minutes of practice time should try to be achieved.

How can you help your child?

Please ensure your child has some practice time in front of the mirror to correct bowing patterns and also spend some time focusing on rhythmic patterns with the metronome.

Additionally, be sure to ask and talk about music.  What do they like?  What do you like?  Have you shared your favourites with them?  Watched videos together?  Sharing your musical interests is fundamental to encouraging theirs.  The only thing we usually recommend using discretion with is Gangster Rap, understandably.

Your child’s practice environment – is it good?

It is important that you give your child the environment they need to practice.  Do they have a space that is quiet, and time that is uninterrupted?  Are they away from screens and siblings?  Setting up a dedicated space – even a corner – for music helps bring structure and focus to your child, and is a subtle, but vital way to increase the pace at which they refine their skills.

Are you using the Homework Helper?

Click here to download the homework helper.  This sheet is designed to teach accountability, honesty, and self-evaluation without being overly specific to the class-based work.  You may think that this is just another “standard” worksheet used in classrooms, but we have developed this based on our experience.  There are very few, if any subjects that turn the focus back on the student to get them to ask themselves about how they are doing.

By using this worksheet, you can lay some excellent foundations for self-evaluation in work.  This skill will be essential in professional life, and one of the many that can help you get ahead in the future.  Your attention to this helps you to learn and get good guidance on self-evaluation and focus on the quality of work done.

 

 

B.Kerekes
Director