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A Beginner Christmas Practice Story
Where the idea came from I have 6 beginners that I started this year and I’m teaching the pre-Twinkle beginner group class at the Centenary Suzuki School. So, my brain has been full of all things beginner. We had our holiday concert last night and played all of our favorite beginner and open string songs. Songs like, Up Like a Rocket, and Pumpkin on a Fencepost, Listen to the Bird Tweet and Open String Blues. It will be 4 weeks before we have group class and so it got me to thinking about how to keep them practicing over the holiday break. So I created a beginner Christmas practice story.…
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Listen to the Bird Tweet
Listen to the Bird Tweet is a great pre-twinkle song that helps us on our journey to Twinkle. The words are were created by Susan Kempter. Students play the rhythm from variation A in Suzuki Book 1 four times. At our school we first teach it using just 1 open string. So all 4 repetitions of the pattern are on one string. (But like any good Suzuki exercise, it can morph into whatever you need!) How this post developed: We have been doing lots of different pre-twinkle songs in group. Songs like, Up Like a Rocket, Pumpkin on a Fencepost, Chicken on a Fencepost, Open E Concerto, Open A Concerto,…
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We Wish You A Merry Christmas – String Orchestra
The Story This arrangement of We Wish You a Merry Christmas was written for the Liberian Youth Orchestra. Last year I heard via a friend on facebook that a mutual friend and string teacher from Michigan, Julie McGhee was starting a new youth orchestra in Liberia, West Africa. In November 2018 The Liberian Youth Orchestra was born. Through the use of distance learning technology, 34 children are learning to play violin and cello in their school. She visits the school a couple times a year to teach in person and to conduct concerts. I heard about her project through a metal friend on facebook, and sent her some of…
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Intermediate Violin Christmas Solo
Looking for violin Christmas music? It is that time of year when music teachers begin choosing and introducing Christmas music. (And you wonder why we are tired of it by the time Christmas rolls around?) There have been some years I have waited until Halloween in order to introduce pieces, but that means I often only have 3 or 4 weeks for them to learn the piece well enough to play at a Christmas recital. So I usually begin talking about titles and choosing music at the beginning of October. I had trouble finding Christmas music that challenged my intermediate and advanced students. Many of the publications I found are…
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Violin Worship Song: How Deep the Father’s Love
Here is a new arrangement for violin and piano of the worship song How Deep the Father’s Love for Us, by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. And when you purchase this violin arrangement you get both the intermediate violin part as well as an advanced violin part. The piano accompaniment can be played with both violin parts. So, depending on the level of the player you can choose either the intermediate or advanced level solo part. Or as the player develops, they can incorporate the harder techniques and play the advanced level. The different techniques required for each level are listed below each sample. Overall the hardest aspect for this arrangement in either of the levels is…
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Romance by Anton Stamitz
About Anton Stamitz Today’s post is the middle movement from a violin concerto, Romance by Anton Stamitz. It seems that a music gene ran in the Stamitz family. Violin virtuoso, Johann Stamitz, performed and composed at the dawning of the Classical period. “It is difficult to overestimate Stamitz’s influence” on the both the sonata form and the Minuet and Trio movement he added to the Classical symphony [1]. We also see his influence in his two sons Carl and Anton who followed in his footsteps. Both boys were violinist and composers. Johann Stamitz died in 1757 when Carl was 11 years old and Anton was only 7 years old. Found on…
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Violin Solo of The Star Spangled Banner
Here is an arrangement of the United States national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner for solo violin. This violin solo is arranged for the late intermediate or advanced student. The technique needed in the left hand for the double-stop and triple stops would place this at a Level 6. The player will need to be comfortable playing in first and third positions as this arrangement uses double stops to provide the harmony. Opportunities to Perform Use this violin solo of “The Star Spangled Banner” to bring your string program or studio attention at events where the national anthem is needed. There are school and community sporting events, plays and productions, school flag raising ceremonies are all occasions…
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How Far Is It To Bethlehem?
I learned the Christmas hymn “How Far Is It to Bethlehem?” when I was in 4th grade. I remember it because my family moved from Chicago to South Carolina. We began attending a small church in Clemson, SC. That year the children’s choir learned the song “How Far is It To Bethlehem?” for the Christmas program. Recently, I read an article on Frances Chesterton, wife of G. K. Chesterton. She is the author of the poem How Fari Is It To Bethlehem. I still remember most of the words for the hymn. But I didn’t realize it’s beauty and depth until I re-read it now as an adult. Who was Edith Chesterton? The…
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All I Want for Christmas is…
In the lines of that classic Christmas song, “All I want for Christmas…” Well it probably isn’t your two front teeth. But are you looking for Christmas gift ideas to inspire the string player in your life? Over the years parents and grandparents have asked me for some ideas for Christmas. Here are some ideas ranging from books and music to equipment. All I Want for Christmas is a Shoulder Rest Everest shoulder rests come in lots of colors which kids love! Everything from hot pink to light pink, red, dark purple, blue, dark blue, green, light purple, gray and the classic black. Before you order the shoulder rest, you will…
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Snowflake Hornpipe
If you are looking for some good winter music, check out Snowflake Hornpipe. We’ve got snow on the brain here in Colorado. Mostly because we haven’t gotten any! Ski resorts have delayed their opening, and we are all watching the weather forecasts hoping that a few little snowflakes are on the horizon. Well, ok, more than a few, actually we would like a lot of snow. Don’t get me wrong, I am loving the warm fall days full of sunshine, but our parched ground in desperate need of water. So here’s a little music to bring on the snow! Classical Winter Music Composers throughout the centuries have tried to capture and…
