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A place to focus on practice that is free from family traffic and distractions. Sounds like the perfect place to practice but is it so easy to find? Here are two examples of different spaces for your ideal home practice space. Home Music RoomDo you have the luxury of a dedicated music room in your home? Outfit your room with a swivel office chair for your practice partner, wall mounted bluetooth speakers for listening to your Suzuki recordings or your last recital and a cabinet to file and store your music. Include a wall hanger for your violin or viola so it's always ready to go! A white board is handy for reminders and tracking assignments. Keep hydrated with a water bottle. And for some finishing touches include a motivational poster and a graphic rug that echoes the keys on a piano. A bold red music stand and a potted plant add striking pops of color to an otherwise neutral room.  Shared Space Practice CornerDo you practice in a shared space? Why not make it extra special with your favorite colors? First, make the perfect practice corner with folding instrument and music stands. Next, use a zippered music bag to contain all your music, shoulder rest and pencils. You'll find this portable bluetooth speaker handy to connect to the Suzuki recordings you have stored on a mobile device. Finally, add some fun items to make your practice area special--a foot chart rug, a colorful bead counter for repeats and a letter board for messages. The best part? When you are finished practicing everything can be hidden away in a big floor basket. It's a convenient practice space close to the family that doesn't take up a lot of room in your home.  Will you add some of these elements to your home practice space? Let me know in the comments below.
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What a great year!The studio started a 30-day practice challenge in January last year. That was quite successful with most of the students joining and most completing the challenge. We kept track of progress with paper chains and it was so colorful! It gave everyone a fresh awareness of the power of daily practice.  Four of the students performed in the Douglas County Solo and Ensemble Festival in March. They played beautifully and got some important feedback from their judges. Students from 3rd through 12th grade are encouraged to play every year. In April we played our annual Repertoire Recital starting with just one student and ending with everyone playing Twinkle Little Star.  photo by Rachael Grace  photo by Rachael Grace I was thrilled to attend the very first Suzuki of the Americas Convention in Cancun, Mexico in early May. How exciting to meet so many people with our shared vision! I attended sessions as diverse as composition for students to incorporate fiddling into your Suzuki studio. On the last day everyone gathered by the beach to take group photos of every country.  For the first time in my studio, the Friends and Family recital was held in a family’s backyard. We all loved the quiet, comfortable setting. It was the perfect place to listen to the students play their pieces from Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" to Suzuki pieces to "Something Wild" from Pete's Dragon. And a beautiful setting for all the families to enjoy a picnic lunch after the concert.  The Nutcracker Event was so much fun for the students. Everyone wore their best outfits and had a great time playing lots of Christmas music and watching the Nutcracker Ballet. This was my youngest group ever to participate and I'm so proud of all of them!  Sprinkled throughout the year we also had several book recitals and the October Solo Recital. It was a great year. I'm excited to see what 2020 will bring!
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