Intermountain Suzuki Strings Institute 2009

Neil had kind of a summer camp violin thing in June. It's 6 days worth of violin related stuff. Four hours a day of classes, there was a technique class, a repertoire class, a master class, and then his favorite of all a Dalcroze class (music and movement).

He enjoyed his technique class,

the teacher was very nice, though not his favorite of the summer. He verbally admitted to royally disliking his repertoire class.

I thought the teacher was great, full of wonderful ideas, and she treated the kids with respect as well as treating them like adults. His master class teacher was the favorite of his teachers, and she really does rock! He had been working on his very favorite song for this class. It's "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" and it's still his favorite song. But, other than some comments to help improve his posture, a new shoulder rest, and hearing him play it a few times. That's not what he spent the majority of the week working on. He went back in the book a piece to work on "Song of the Wind" a nice little song full of short bows and bow lifts (circle bows). He's not a big fan of the short sticky bows, so that's what we got to work on all week. She had a great suggestion of putting clothes pins on his bow, to encourage short bows.

He went along with it, grudgingly. And for the time, the bows did get shorter. He still needs to be encouraged and reminded of the need and importance of short bows, and he will occasionally comply. At the end of the week there is a group recital. Where every kid at the institute plays the pieces that they know, on the stage with all of the other kids there. Sounds like fun. Unless you're Neil. He really does not like performing.

So, this year, he didn't. He sat in the audience and watched, preparing for next year. During the week we got to see some wonderful performances of guest artists. There was Jenny Oaks Baker, The Aaron Ashton Band (Neil's favorite), and The Frye Street Quartet. As well as hearing music come from just about every pore of Juan Diego High School. While violins, violas, cellos, and even a bass or two practiced pieces for masters classes in the halls, parking lots, empty rooms, and courtyards. It was an amazing and humbling experience.