We are back - sort of! We have had three days of consistent piano practice - first three proper days since S' arrival.
Our strategy for the long holidays was to practice all Book 1 and 2 pieces. We haven't done Book 1 pieces for a full half year so I was dreading this. T gets so frustrated when he can't remember and pieces that were easy are now again a challenge. It is finger memory he relies on, so when we have to go back to mentally thinking through a piece it is challenging and stilted. Once he gets through it though, his finger memory generally returns. I am still amazed at how he remembers these pieces so well. What a fabulous skill to have learnt!
His Book 2 pieces are all quite well known to him - better than Book 1 ever was - I put this down to our more intense learning strategies, and I guess his maturity for piano too. We are just putting hands together of the second movement of the sonatina. T did really well to do the first eight bars in one sitting. We literally did it note by note as it is so tricky. Once that is completed we just have to put hands together for Children at Play, then we are done! Except of course for the months of consolidation to come before the graduation day!
Our teacher holds a special piano day for the student when s/he is ready. It is in the student's home with family and the student plays all the book's pieces as performance pieces. Hence the need for months of consolidation to get them ALL to performance standard. I remember with T's book one performance I was a bundle of nerves, but he did so well. I think the next one will be less stressful as I know he knows them all so well. Then Suzuki Qld has a graduation perfomance in front of another teacher of two pieces from Book 2 - I believe it is Minuet 2 and Sonatina first movement. The teacher basically assesses whether she concurs the student is at the appropriate level to go onto the next book. Then finally, twice a year, there is a graduation concert where all students who graduated a book are invited to play in a large concert in front of all other students and families.
So I am determined (set goal, focus on process but let go of outcome!) to keep in the habit of daily practice until the new school year starts! Will keep you posted!Labels: Suzuki piano
