Author: Frances Gall

Theme for Terms 3 & 4: Improvisation and composition

Recommended concerts and workshops

Sun 17th Sept, 2.30pm, Bendigo Symphony Orchestra, Scheherazade
Student free accompanied by adult/concession, use code STUDENTTIX

Sat 28th Oct, 7.30pm, Castlemaine Chamber Players, string quartet, Northern Arts Hotel, Castlemaine

Sun 29th Oct, Suzuki Stringalong Workshop, for violin, viola, cello, in Melbourne

Studio Concert in Term 4

Saturday 21st October
Rehearsal 2.00 pm, Concert at 3.30 pm
Anglican church, 8 Mostyn Street, Castlemaine 
(Vehicle entrance cnr Forest & Kennedy Streets)
Accompanist: John Tungyep, 0419 565 006
Book 2+ students please organise a rehearsal for about two weeks before the concert

Group Lesson pieces for concert
Book 1: Twinkles, Lightly Row, Song of the Wind, O Come Little Children, Long Long Ago, Allegro, Etude, Minuet 2
Book 2: Chorus, Long Long Ago
Book 3: Martini Gavotte
Book 4: Vivaldi A minor concerto, 1st movt
Folk and Possums pieces: Angeline the Baker, Old Joe Clark, Potty Potoroo, Possums in the Roof, The Fabulous Flying Fox

Group Lesson date in Term 4
Tuesday 17th October, and another date later in term tba

Group lessons are
– for violin/viola students in Books 1-3
– two Tuesday afternoons a term, 4.30 to 5.30 pm
– at Buda Garden Room, 42 Hunter St
Congratulations to Isabelle, who has now advanced to Violin Book 3.
Elena will play viola in group lessons, as she is switching from violin to viola, Good luck Elena, and congratulations on choosing viola with its special deep tone.

Lesson schedule
Mondays
1.00 pm Parents’ class (30-45 mins fortnightly, starts week 2)
2.30 pm Ada
3.00 pm Gabrielle (60 mins)
4.15 pm Gwen
4.45 pm Bibby
5.30 pm Paddy
6.00 pm Owen (60 mins fortnightly, starts week 1)
7.30 pm Joyce (fortnightly, starts week 1)

Tuesdays (not group lesson weeks)
4.15 pm Alex
4.45 pm Isabelle
5.15 pm Dante
5.45 pm Perryn

Wednesdays
11.30 am Elena
4.15 pm Zoha
4.45 pm Elsie (45 mins)
5.30 pm Sebastian
6.30 pm Kyle

Suzuki Music events in Melbourne
Sunday 27 August Grand Concert closing date 30 July
Sunday 29 October Stringalong workshop for Violin, viola, cello closing date 17 Sept
suzukimusic.org.au
Note: membership required, country discount, pro-rata available for new members

Term 2 Concert
The studio concert was a great success, thanks to all students for playing, John Tungyep on piano, and parents for your strong support of your child’s learning.

Zoom lessons
In-person lessons should be replaced with Zoom online lessons whenever anyone (including me) has cold or flu symptoms, has Covid, or is a close contact. Please try to give 24 hours notice regarding a switch to Zoom. Please update Zoom and use an external microphone for proper immersive online lessons. Audio settings must be musicians’ settings (otherwise I can’t hear your violin!).

Term 3 ends Thursday 14th September
Term 4 starts Monday 2nd October

Concert
The concert on Saturday 27th May was a great success, thanks to all students’ hard work preparing their pieces. We heard excellent solos from every student, in tune with a warm tone, and also exciting group items. Bibby and Frances performed the 1st movement of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, a masterwork by Bach that is in Suzuki Violin Books 4 & 5. Thanks to John Tungyep for his artistic piano accompanying.

Group Lessons
The final group lesson this term is on Tues 20th June.
For violin students in Books 1 and 2, on two Tuesday afternoons a term.
4.30 pm to 5.30 pm at Buda Garden Room, 42 Hunter St

Regional Suzuki String Workshop
We hope to run a combined violin/viola workshop in Shepparton, possibly on Saturday 2nd September, with David Pietsch of Yackandandah, Chantal Jones of Woodend, and their students. More news to come when we have booked a venue.

Lesson schedule
This term we warmly welcome a new violin student, Zoha, and her parents Sedigh and Chris.
Mondays
1.00 pm Parents’ class (30-45 mins fortnightly)
2.30 pm Ada
3.00 pm Gabrielle (60 mins)
4.00 pm Gwen
4.45 pm Bibby
5.30 pm Paddy
6.00 pm Owen (60 mins fortnightly)
7.30 pm Joyce (fortnightly)

Tuesdays (not group lesson weeks)
4.15 pm Alex
4.45 pm Isabelle
5.15 pm Dante
5.45 pm Perryn

Wednesdays
11.30 am Elena
4.15 pm Zoha
4.45 pm Elsie (45 mins)
5.30 pm Sebastian/Imelda (45 mins)
6.30 pm Kyle

Suzuki Music Autumn Festival at Methodist Ladies College, Melbourne was an exciting educational event. Elena from our studio enjoyed this immersive experience, improved her playing skills and made new friends. Her mother Emily gave a short talk at a group lesson about the Festival experience.

Zoom lessons
In-person lessons should be replaced with Zoom online lessons whenever anyone (including me) has cold or flu symptoms, has Covid, or is a close contact. Please try to give 24 hours notice regarding a switch to Zoom. Please update Zoom and use an external microphone for proper immersive online lessons. Audio settings should be musicians’ settings.

Term 2 ends Friday 23rd June
No lessons Tuesday 25th April (Anzac Day) or Monday 12th June (King’s Birthday)

Looking forward to sharing the insights gained at Suzuki Festival!

It’s been a great start to Term 1 this year, everyone came back to music lessons remembering most or all of their skills and pieces, I am very impressed.

Group lessons

Tuesday 28 February
Tuesday 14 March

Pieces to practise:
Book 1 – Twinkle, Lightly Row, Song of the Wind, O Come Little Children, Allegro, Perpetual Motion, Allegretto, Etude, Minuet 1
Book 2 – Chorus, Musette, The Two Grenadiers, Gavotte by Lully
Possums in the Roof – Night Sky, Bandicoot Boogie

For violin students in Books 1 and 2, on two Tuesday afternoons a term.
4.30 pm to 5.30 pm at Buda Garden Room, 42 Hunter St
Tuesday afternoon students will have their individual lesson on Thursday (or another mutually convenient time) instead of Tuesday, in one of those group lesson weeks (two for Perryn).

Suzuki Music Autumn Festival is on again, this year it is Thursday 20 to Sat 22 April (inclusive), closing date 26 Feb
suzukimusic.org.au
If you can go, it is very worthwhile, please consider it, it will considerably boost progress. In order to encourage you, I offer a $50 discount on Term 1 fees to those who enrol for Autumn Festival.
I will probably be there teaching and taking professional development classes.

Lesson schedule (as at 16th Feb)

Mondays
1.00 pm Parents’ class (30-45 mins fortnightly)
2.30 pm Ada
3.00 pm Gabrielle (60 mins fortnightly)
4.00 pm Gwen
4.45 pm Bibby from Week 6 (45 mins)
5.00 pm Perryn for 5 weeks
5.30 pm Paddy
6.00 pm Owen (60 mins fortnightly)

Tuesdays
4.15 pm Alex
4.45 pm Isabelle
5.15 pm Dante
5.45 pm Perryn (from Week 7)

Wednesdays
10.00 am Bob
11.30 am Elena
4.45 pm Elsie (45 mins)
5.30 pm Sebastian/Imelda (60 mins)
6.30 pm Kyle
7.00 pm Bibby (45 mins) for 5 weeks, possibly longer

Zoom lessons
In-person lessons can be replaced with Zoom online lessons whenever anyone (including me) has cold or flu symptoms, has Covid, or is a close contact. Please try to give 24 hours notice regarding a switch to Zoom. Please update Zoom and use a satisfactory external microphone for best-practice internet music lessons.

Term 1 starts Monday 30 January
Term 1 ends Thursday 6 April
No lessons Monday 13 March (Labour Day holiday)

Looking forward to enjoying the experience of making music together again!

Studio Concert

Date: Saturday 12th November
Time: 3.30 pm to 5.00 pm
Rehearsal: 2.00 pm
Place: Anglican Church
8 Mostyn St, Castlemaine
Accompanist: John Tungyep 0419 565 006

Group Pieces for Concert

Suzuki Book 1: Twinkle Variations A,B,C,D,E & Theme, Lightly Row, Song of the Wind,
O Come Little Children, Long Long Ago, Perpetual Motion, Andantino, Happy Farmer
Suzuki Book 2: Gavotte from Mignon
Suzuki Book 3: Humoresque
Possums in the Roof: Hannah the Goanna, Bunyip Creek, Bilby’s Trilby

Group lessons

Tuesday 25th October
Tuesday 8th November
4.30 pm to 5.30 pm at Buda Garden Room, 42 Hunter St
For violin students in Books 1 and 2

Zoom lessons
In-person lessons can be replaced with Zoom online lessons whenever anyone (including me) has cold or flu symptoms, has Covid, or is a close contact. Please try to give 24 hours notice regarding a switch to Zoom.

Term 4 starts Monday 3 October
Term 4 ends Friday 16th December
No lessons Melbourne Cup Day Tuesday 1st November

Looking forward to our first live studio concert for over a year!

Closing Date for Spring Workshop is Friday 26th August.
Save $22 – see the ‘It Takes A Village’ flyer.

Theme for Term 3
The theme for this term is Playing together – Duets and Trios.

Group lessons
Tuesday 9th August
Tuesday 30th August
for Books 1-2 violin students, 4.30pm to 5.30pm at Buda Garden Room, 42 Hunter St.

Suzuki Spring Workshop
This is at MLC, Kew, Melbourne on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October. If you are interested in learning from top Australian teachers, getting inspired, and meeting lots of families learning through Suzuki method please enrol now.
Closing Date is Friday 26th August.

Virtual Solo Concert
Performances from Term 2 are ready to view, see Solo Concerts.

Zoom lessons
In-person lessons can be replaced with Zoom online lessons whenever anyone (including me) has cold or flu symptoms, has Covid, or is a close contact. Please try to give 24 hours notice regarding a switch to Zoom.

Term 3 started Monday 11th July
Term 3 ends Friday 16th September

Looking forward to a productive and happy term making music together!

Group Lesson dates for violin students in Books 1 & 2
Tuesday 31st May
Tuesday 14th June
4.30 to 5.30 pm at Buda Garden Room

Concert news
The next studio concert is postponed to Term 3 due to Covid. Instead, please prepare a solo and we’ll record this with piano accompaniment to share on the website.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Carnival of the Animals
https://www.mso.com.au/performance/2022-carnival-of-the-animals

https://www.mso.com.au/performance/carnival-of-the-animals

Melbourne Symphony orchestra is performing Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens, one of our pieces explored last year. The ticket cost is only $9 or $19. UPDATE Tickets are still available for Thursday 19th, Friday 20th, and Saturday 21st May.
See Classics for schools, Classics for kids on MSO website – Learning
These concerts usually sell out, be quick if you want to go.
Thanks to Elena and Emily for sharing this.

The theme for this term is the same as last term – Music Reading and Theory
Last term every student made good progress, keep going, make it a goal to finish whichever book you’re using by the end of the year.

– Possums in the Roof
– Possums at Sea
– Aural & Theory Workbook
– String Techniques for Superior Musical Performance.

In-person lessons can be replaced with Zoom online lessons whenever anyone (including me) has cold or flu symptoms, has Covid, or is a close contact. Please try to give 24 hours notice regarding a switch to Zoom.

Term starts Tuesday 26th April
Term ends Friday 24th June
No lessons Monday 13th June (Queens Birthday holiday)

Looking forward to a musically exciting term!

Group lesson dates this term

Tuesday 15th March, 4.30 to 5.30 pm
Tuesday 29th March, 5.00 to 6.00 pm NOTE TIME CHANGE
Venue: Buda Garden Room, 42 Hunter St, Castlemaine

Group lessons are for all violin students in Books 1 & 2.
Tuesday students will need to have their individual lesson on a different day in one or both of these two weeks, to be arranged.

The theme for this term is Music Reading and Theory
Four books have been selected, according to your level.
– Possums in the Roof
– Possums at Sea
– Aural & Theory Workbook
– String Techniques for Superior Musical Performance.

In-person lessons can be replaced with Zoom online lessons whenever anyone (including me) has cold or flu symptoms, Covid, or is a close contact. Please try to give 24 hours notice regarding a switch to Zoom.

There has been a small fee rise, the first for many years, from $68 to $72 per hour for individual lessons (so 30 min lessons are now $36 and 45 min lessons are $54). Group lesson fees remain the same at $16 per group lesson ($10 in first year of learning; no group lesson charge for parents learning violin).

No lessons on Labour Day Monday 14 March.

Looking forward to this year’s musical journey!