Coaching Parents to be Suzuki Partners

"Breana has superb pedagogical skills that allow her to quickly connect with children, excite them about violin, and somehow make them look forward to practicing every day!" - Gosia, Suzuki Parent

Be a Family that Goes to Concerts!

Dr. Suzuki challenged us to create a rich musical environment for children to be immersed in beauty. Our performance calendar is where I share various concerts in the area, mostly free and many online. Please subscribe to receive updates!

As you learn about groups you like, subscribe to their newsletters and make concert-going a treasured shared experience for your family.

 

Don’t say “Perfect,” say “Excellent.”

Breana believes The Words We Choose are integral to happy practice and parenting. Breana wants you to prioritize Personal Excellence over Perfectionism. She coaches you in communication and consistency, to create the loving relationships that lead to greater fulfillment in life. Her love of music is infectious and enthusiastic, which will inspire and motivate your life-long love of music.

This concept originates with the multiple professional development courses she has taken with Ed Spunger, author of Helping Parents Practice. She has also completed enrichment courses through the SAA: a SPA course with David Madsen, Music Mind Games with Michiko Yurko, and Growing Equitable Music Studios (GEMS) with Clara Hardie.

 

Enrichment

Each semester, Breana offers a Suzuki Challenge: complete 10 of 12 activities related to music. In 2016, to fulfill “Instruments in Art,” we took a field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts for live performances using their instruments collection.

Each semester, Breana distributes a “Bravo Bingo” card. To make your life easier, she has made various Spotify playlists based on themes: String Quartets, Violin Concertos, Virtuosic Violin, and Women in Music. So in addition to listening to the Suzuki recordings each day, you can be inspired by future repertoire and great musicians.

 

Healthy Posture

How you stand, breathe, and move in the world are the foundations for healthy violin playing. Breana practices the SuJo Method to manage previous violin-related injuries and applies lessons learned there to ensure her students build healthy violin technique.

“Think of a tree and start with the roots, then the trunk, the branches, then the twigs. That’s how you build healthy posture.” - Breana

To study with Breana, complete the Prospective Student Form.

 

FAQs

  • Where do we get a violin?

  • What do we need for our first lesson?

    • A notebook and pen / pencil.

    • Read Nurtured by Love, Dr. Suzuki’s short book about the history and philosophy of his revolutionary method.

    • Start listening to the Suzuki recordings. How to find them online.

  • Do you offer trial lessons?

    • In lieu of trial lessons, we offer a private lesson balance refund during the first 4 weeks of the semester if you find our program or teachers aren't a good fit.

    • This gives everyone more time to get to know one another.

  • How many times do we come per week?

    • You will come twice per week:

      • 30 minute private lesson with the Suzuki Triangle: Parent, Teacher, and Child

      • 45 minute group class OR parent ed online for 4 weeks: you, your child, and a bunch of other kids and their parents at the same level.

  • Are your classes in-person? What are your COVID protocols?

  • Where are you located?

    • Between Harvard and Porter Square, Cambridge MA - USA