Enrolling Students to Jianni’s Violin Studio
August 6, 2011
After moving back to Mountain House, CA and getting all settled down, it’s time to start teaching!!! I’ve added my studio policy. I am really excited to start teaching new students and taking them to different places to perform!!! One of my other goals is also to start a Suzuki orchestra in the Mountain House community. I hope to get some of the parent and community support on this so we can start and build up the strings in MH!
Keepviolinin 
What age is the best to start? My son is a little young right now (he’s 2) but he’s already fascinated when he sees people play instruments and he’s already trying to play my guitar. Should it be a genuine interest of his I’d love to give him the opportunity to have a little fun with it but wouldn’t want to do anything that might be counterproductive. I found you via the Suzuki website- we’re based just up the road from you in Discovery Bay.
Hi Virginia,
That’s great to hear your son is fascinated when he sees others play instruments:) I’ve seen kids who start at 2, but they don’t start out playing an actual instrument. They start out with a box violin and a dowel stick that is shaped like the bow, so they are basically learning the basics of a violin and how to use the bow before even using an actual instrument. When they are ready to use an actual instrument and know how to handle the instrument, they’ve already got the basics down and can most likely play simple songs like Twinkle, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Hot Cross Buns, and other children’s songs. The Suzuki method encourages children to learn at young ages, and parents play an active role in the learning process. Children also become comfortable with the instrument before learning to read music, which is like how we learn our mother-tongue(we start speaking before we start reading). I would suggest first taking him to group classes like Music Together, and I found one in Concord and in Tracy. http://www.musictogetherofconcord.com/index.htm This is the site for the Concord one, which might be suitable for your son now. When he’s taken group lessons and you find that he can focus a little more, then you’re more than welcome to stop by my studio:) Hope this helps!
Thanks so much! Wow, I never thought that children could learn so early! He’s been doing Kindermusik classes since he turned one which is a similar thing from the looks of it (we do it with Miss Jane in Antioch, she’s *wonderful*, I highly recommend her). I just found instructions for how to make a box violin so maybe in the next couple of weeks we can have a crafty afternoon and see what he does with it over the next few months. And if it still looks like it’s a genuine interest of his a few months from now then we know who to call 🙂 Thanks again!
Hi Virginia,
What a great idea to make a box violin together:) I usually get mine from sharmusic.com, but making one together with your child sounds like a great idea! You can even get the Suzuki CD and let him listen to it before he goes to bed or while eating breakfast. Getting your child exposed to music, in this case classical, is really good at an early age:)
Email me when you want to drop by my studio:)
Thanks for stopping by my site:)