2019 Year in Review

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!