Rachel's violin lessons

Rachel slept. She's tired from an afternoon of shopping. It's her day today. No its not her birthday but I make it a point to make her feel extra special once a week when the meals and the shopping are all about her. You should see the look on her face and her enthusiasm at her violin lessons after which "Rachel's day" commences. It's like the American Idols had a day named after them, Rachel's day is every day she coincidentally have violin lessons with Teacher Amy in the same estate.

Talking about violin lessons. We started Rachel early. A day before she turn 3 last year. I really learnt much both as a student and as an involved parent what it is like to teach a toddler music. I was Rachel's "violin tutor" for 6 months as well, just for experimentation sake. Now she's 4.5 and hardly throws the "I cannot do it", "I want it NOW', "I don't want...I don't want" tantrums. Before you jump to conclusion that we are forcing her to take lessons, I want to state the fact that her tantrums were never about music or violin lessons. It's to do with her moods. Or the fact that she wanted to watch cartoons when it was lesson time.

It was said that Li Yundi's mother removed the TV from her house when her young boy wanted to watch tv instead of practicing the piano. *GASP* I would never do that!!!! I need the TV too, to read the news headlines and to drool over the handsome male leads. HAHAHAH. Yan said that sometimes the parents need to be firm, because he did want to give up piano playing whimsically because his sister tantrumed much and was allowed her way out. But he was tender hearted and understood from his parents perspective and found the joy to carry on.

I think with very young children, we need to have the right perspective. I would not pressure my child until she give up the learning because it had become a torture. Neither should I give in to her whimsical tantrums. You got to think long term. Music is a part of life. Its a language. Mr Shinichi Suzuki, had realised that "all japanese children speak japanese".Music while taught is also caught!..Nobody give up speaking because its difficult or had become a torture to communicate in the mother tongue, be it japanese or english (for us). Whether Rachel "succeeds" in music is not important but that like us she be given the opportunity to appreciate, experience and make music. Music does enrich and ennobles one's life.

Frankly, Rachel is very musical and artistic. And blest with an excellent memory. Besides the family environment is very conducive with yan practising on the piano and me learning the violin. My gut feel is that she will do well musically, I have no doubt about it. Our family who plays and prays together enjoys a high level of fellowship and unity.

Now she look forward to violin lessons with Amy each wednesday. Sometimes when the weather permits, she would ride her scooter or tricycle to her lessons. Often while I was having my lesson with Amy, rachel would have her breakfast and some activity book to keep her occupied for 45mins. We tried to let her watch some cartoons while waiting for her turn but it was a disaster when we need to end the programme abruptly when her turn comes.

Since she like art a lot, Amy now lets her draw freely and it really sets her mood right for music afterwards. At this age, she can sight read some notes and bow on her own. Its amazing!!!!! How you get a kid to hold the violin and the bow which takes a lot of coordination and cooperation from the young child. But Amy was able to guide her ever so patiently a step at a time and lo and behold, one of her 4 year old student Wei Song was captivating everyone at the masterclass, playing Suzuki vol 1's perpetual motion.

Amy shared that the boy's dad was very firm and made sure the boy practiced daily. Er.....I could not do that myself, I mean to practice daily, being the busy multi-tasking home maker that I am. My aim has always been to improve musically on a daily basis and to assist rachel do the same. Thankfully, we are both improving our play and I have learnt to practice with rachel as often as I can enjoying the learning process -our life journey.