Marjie Shemanski teaches Ready, Set, Play!, Music & Yoga, and violin group classes at Silver Music. Here is a little insight into her early study:

Age you began studying: I started piano lessons when I was 5 or 6, trumpet a few years after that, and had my first violin lesson when I was 10 years old.

Why did you choose the violin? My Grandma grew up in Jerusalem, and learned to play the violin when she was in school there. My parents had her old violin from that time, and I used to always look at it in awe and wonder if I could play it someday too.

One memory from your lessons or early study: When I was first learning Minuet 2, my teacher did not let me move to the next piece for 6 months! At the time it was frustrating! Looking back on it later, I realized it was one of the first big challenges for me as a musician where I really started to develop patience and discipline.

Did you always like to practice? If not, how did you, or your parent motivate you to practice? I did not always like to practice! Practice charts really motivated me. Sometimes there would be a goal, but other times just finishing the pattern was enough of a reward. My friends and I would have practice challenges too, that really helped motivate me!

Did you ever want to quit? Yes! When I was 12, I had played the violin for two years, and was ready to move on to something else – something easier! By practicing with me consistently, my dad helped me stick with it. My music friends and group class community also encouraged me to keep at it even when it was hard.

How did music education affect your life? Music education has taught me so many things! It’s taught me to listen deeply, which helps me every day as I listen to others, to the world around me, and to myself. It’s helped me learn that with patience, practice and the help of a supportive community, I can accomplish almost anything!

Current Favorite Suzuki Piece: Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus. I love the clear, smooth tones of this piece, and how closely it relates to Tonalization!

What else do you enjoy doing besides playing violin? I love cooking big dinners with seasonal foods from the farmers’ market, listening to and playing music with friends, practicing yoga, and reading about the lives of artists and musicians.

Sarah Bish teaches Suzuki cello group class and private cello lessons at Silver Music. Here is a bit of insight into her early study:

Age you began studying: 5 years old 

Why did you choose the cello? My mother is a violin teacher so at first I started playing the violin when I was 3/4 but I have never been a fan of the E string, so I told her that I wanted to play the “jello.” Probably because of the amazing C string and warm sound. The rest is history!

One memory from your lessons or early study:
Even in my 30 minute lessons, my teacher, Marianne Wion, would give me a break and I always got a piece of chocolate. She was from Switzerland so it was really good chocolate. 

Did you always like to practice? If not, how did you, or your parent motivate you to practice? I think that “liking” practicing and feeling successful in a practice session are two different things. There are (and definitely were) days that I don’t want to practice, but I knew that even a short amount of efficient and focused practicing makes a big difference in my cello playing. When I was younger I had sticker charts and getting jelly beans for good practicing. I still use rewards today for myself and my students, although now I prefer Skittles to jelly beans… 

Did you ever want to quit?
No, definitely not. There are some days when you realize that what we are doing is really hard and sometimes it would be easier not to play, but whenever I have to go a few days without playing, I miss it. That makes me remember that I could never not play the cello. 

How did music education affect your life?
I have had teachers (cello teachers, chamber music coaches, other role models) who showed me that being a musician is so rewarding. I am a very goal-oriented person so working on a piece satisfies my want to learn and improve my technique, and then polishing it and finding the beauty satisfies the artistic side of my personality.

Do you have a musical role model?
All of my cello teachers- Madeleine Golz, Merry Peckham, Astrid Schween, and Jonathan Spitz. As a female cellist, Jacqueline Du Pré is the ultimate inspiration!

Current Favorite Suzuki Piece:
It’s hard to pick! I love The Two Grenadiers, Danse Rustique, and French Folk Song.

Any advice for budding string-players?:
Try to have fun when things get tough! I know practicing can feel like a chore, but when you realize how much you are improving, that is the best feeling in the world. 

What else do you enjoy doing besides playing cello?
I love baking! I am not that great at it, but my fiancé doesn’t seem to complain. I also love to watch nature documentaries and doing puzzles to relax. 

Zara (Zadie) Lawler teaches Suzuki flute lessons, flute group classes, Flute Readiness, and Ready, Set, Play! at Silver Music.

Name:  Zara Lawler, but everyone calls me Zadie

Age you began studying: 9 

Why did you choose the flute?  This is kind of a silly story.  I had started on piano when I was in 4th grade.  My father played the piano all the time and I thought it would be really fun, but the teacher and I were not a good match, and the piano and I were not a good match either!  So, the summer after 4th grade, I took drum lessons as our local public school summer music program.  I chose the drum because I loved banging on things in cool patterns and drums looked so exciting.  In reality, I found it to be very boring!  All my friends were playing either flute or clarinet and having such a good time playing tunes and songs…so I thought I would switch AGAIN to either flute or clarinet.  How to decide? In the end, I chose the flute because I thought it had a cooler case.  Lucky for me, it turned out to be the Best Instrument In The World!

One memory from your lessons or early study:  My first performance was London Bridge is Falling Down, played for my whole elementary school.  Afterwards, I cried because my tone was so airy!  I had only been playing for about a month at that time…  Anyway, I always think of that while working with my own students on making a beautiful sound.

Did you always like to practice? If not, how did you, or your parent motivate you to practice?  At first, I didn’t really understand what practice was all about…I think mostly because my parents were both musical but I never saw them practice.  My father would just sit down at the piano, and out would come the Maple Leaf Rag, sounding complicated and amazing.  And at first, it didn’t take much work for me to progress on the flute.  But I do remember distinctly learning to practice when I was in 7th grade, and I wanted to audition for a better seat in band.  I had to play a really tricky passage from the theme song to MASH, a TV show Silver Music parents might remember!  It was the first time I ever really had to work out how to get my fingers and my air to work together to be consistently successful.  It was like I could feel the neural pathways forming themselves as I worked out how to play it and then how to play it over and over again the same way.  

Did you ever want to quit?  I did not ever want to quit but every once in a while I’ve gotten so frustrated I feel like throwing the flute out the window. Thankfully, I have never actually done that!

Current Favorite Suzuki Piece:  I love the Woodall Serenade in Book 3, and also By the Brook in Book 7.  I’ll be performing both at Flute Day at the Suzuki Music School in Westport CT on March 22:  https://www.suzukischools.org/pillow-concerts

Any advice for budding flute-players?: Don’t wait until 7th grade to learn how to practice!  

What else do you enjoy doing besides playing flute?  In addition to being a Suzuki teacher, I’m also a Suzuki parent, and I am having a lot of fun learning about the cello, and learning about what this whole Suzuki triangle thing is like from the parent side. 

Zadie playing flute in 8th grade!

Pianist, Racqui Borromeo started formal lessons at age 9 in the Philippines. This is an interview with her mother.

Q: What were your thoughts about starting lessons? Were you excited? Anxious? Confused?
A: I was excited for her to be able to experience piano lessons like I did as a child. I was hoping for a good student and teacher relationship/harmonious rapport which she had so it will boost her possibility of liking piano lessons.

Q: Did I always like to practice? If not , did you have any tricks that made practice easier?
I felt you liked to practice, it was not a “battle ” when it was time to practice. You were a perfectionist, did not want to stop until you got the right notes.

Q: What was the most helpful thing my teacher ever said? Least helpful?
(Racqui) A: The most helpful thing a teacher has told me was to sing while I play. The least helpful was to copy someone else’s playing.

Q: Were there times you wanted me to quit?
A: Not at all because I could see that Racquel loved the piano and music loved her back.

Q: Were there times I wanted to quit?
(Racqui) A: I was never sure about the feeling of quitting but certainly feeling that I needed time away.

Q:Was there a point when it became clear to you that it was all worth it?
The raves from people who listened to her during performances, the awards she received in competitions, and her love of music just kept on going.

Q: How did you see my musical education as affecting the rest of my life?
A: Music is the language of Love, it will always be a source of refuge in times of sorrow and happiness in life.

Q: What was the worst fight you remember having with me about music?
A: Never had, can’t remember of any.

Q: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
A: None, the switch from traditional to Suzuki method then back to traditional way of playing piano was a good exposure for her , it opened more techniques.

Q: What was the best time you remember having with me surrounding music?
A: The joy seeing you getting the awards you deserved , for family to hear your abilities and gift, whenever I see and hear that you have perfected the music piece and ready for the next competition, learning and accepting victory and defeat during competitions and the will to work harder.

My parents both grew up in the countryside of south Taiwan and they didn’t have much music education and never learned how to read music. They thought it was a great thing for me to be able to learn playing an instrument.

My mom was pretty excited about me learning the piano. She felt like she was also learning it at the same time. She used to attend all my lessons the first three years and took notes, however, I have no memory of her practicing with me at home.

She said there were no tricks to make practicing easier. She would bribe or threaten me and my dad said there was “no dinner” until I finished practicing!

The worst argument was choosing college majors…My dad preferred me to be a music education major instead of performing arts.

My mom always felt encouraged from the teachers but also afraid that she couldn’t really help me much down the road because of her non-musical background. In a way I think it made me independent early on, because I am solely responsible for all the work I had to do. It’s very rewarding for my parents to see me performing on stage. They think as long as I love what I do, everything is worth it.

Holiday Piano Recital