Friday, November 16, 2012

Awesome Recital!

The Fall Ensemble recital was amazing! Loved hearing everyone play together and step it up for this concert. Every recital just keeps sounding better! Fantastic work everyone!

Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is just around the corner so I want to remind everyone that there are no lessons on Thanksgiving Day and that masterclasses will resume in January. For those who are planning next year already, the new 2013 calendar is up and posted on the Schedule page. Main events include:


DEC 30 - JAN 3        Break
JAN 21st                Martin Luther King Jr Day - We will have lessons
JAN 27-31                Masterclass Week
FEB 24-28                Masterclass Week
MARCH                        PRACTICE OLYMPICS
MAR 24-28                Masterclass Week
APR 21-25                Masterclass Week
MAY 4th                        Spring Solo Recital
MAY 25-27                Memorial Day Weekend
JUN 16-20                Masterclass Week
JUN 30 - JULY 4        Break
JULY 21-25                Masterclass Week
AUG 25-28                Masterclass Week
SEPTEMBER                PRACTICE OLYMPICS
SEPT 22-26                Masterclass Week
OCT 26th                Fall Ensemble Recital
OCT 27-31                No lessons - previous week was double (rehearsals + recital)
NOV 22nd                Thanksgiving
DEC 22 - JAN 2        Christmas Break

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

It's that time again...FALL RECITAL! I'm really excited to hear how all the parts come together over the next week as we hold our first practices together next week. Students have been practicing some amazing music from around the world and excelling in some new and different styles!

I'm also looking forward to the prize ceremony where students who won categories of the Practice Olympics will receive their awards! ...and I bet they are too!

Frequently Given Answers
When is the big date? October 27th
What time is the recital? 6:30pm
Where will the recital be held? the Northwest Arts Center in Bellevue
What is the dress code? Not your pjs, or your ball gown. Dress nicely but comfortably!
What should I bring? Your instrument, appropriately bindered music, a stand and lots of practice!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

It's still summer, but we're back in the swing of things with weekly lessons! It's been great to hear about  everyone's exciting summer adventures! For some students, summer is a really busy time with camps and activities. Remember you can still fit in your practice as long as you find a good way to readjust your normal routine to the new summer fun! For others, summer drags on slooowly. Make your practice FUN with games and strategies! Before you know it, the school year will be here with auditions and homework and recitals! Make this more unstructured time count BIGTIME!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

During the month of June, we held our own version of the summer Olympics, focused on practice. It was amazing to see the hard work and time that so many of you put into your instruments! I certainly enjoyed hearing the results those four weeks. I hope you did too! Thank you!

Final Results - Top Ten Overall

No. 1 - Amanda A with 1,417 minutes or 23 1/2 hours or 50 minutes for each day of the 28 days!
2 - Emanuela
3 - Natasha M 
4 - Annapurna
5 - Shreya
6 - Amanda M
7 - Alex
8 - Steven
9 - Alyssa
10 - Claire

Category Winners

Most Weekend Practice - Alex (305 minutes)
Fewest Days under 10 minutes - Annapurna (only 2 days!)
Most Practice on the Double Day - Natasha M (470 minutes)
Most Days with 60+ Minutes - Emanuela (an amazing 13 days!)
Most Consecutive Days of 30+ minutes - Alyssa (blowing the competition away with 26 days!)
Most Practice in Grade 1 Students - Amanda M (1,027 minutes)
Most Practice in Grade 2 Students - Shreya (1,040 minutes)

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Practice Olympics final results coming soon!!!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

The Practice Olympics are here! Keep track of minutes and days practiced and remember you can get bonus points at your lesson for preparation!

*tip! Break up your practice into several sessions each day for better focus. Set a timer for a short session and when it goes off, reset it for double the time and go do something else....when it goes off again, come back and repeat! Remember we're going for quality and intelligent practice!

Top Scores at the end of the Second Week
100 Amanda A *780 minutes  *12 of 14 days *bonus: 10
96.5 Alice *765 minutes *11 of 14 days *bonus: 9
86 Emanuela *690 minutes *11 of 14 days *bonus: 676.5 Alex *575 minutes *10 of 14 days *bonus: 9
76.5 Suzu *625 minutes *7 of 14 days *bonus: 7
75.5 Natasha M *595 minutes *8 of 14 days *bonus: 8
75 Shreya *530 minutes *12 of 14 days *bonus: 10
68.5 Amanda M *505 minutes *11 of 14 days *bonus: 7
63.5 Claire *475 minutes *8 of 14 days *bonus: 8
63.5 Malwina *445 minutes *12 of 14 days *bonus: 7

62 Steven *440 minutes *11 of 14 days *bonus: 7
60.5 Lauren *405 minutes *11 of 14 days *bonus: 9
57 Anusha *360 minutes *13 of 14 days *bonus: 8

Awesome! Award Categories

*Most practice over a weekend

*Most practice by a Grade 1 student

*Most practice by a Grade 2 student

*Most days overall of 60 minutes or more

*Fewest days of 10 minutes or less

*Highest total for "Double Days"

*Most consecutive days of at least 30 minutes

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Practice Olympics are here! Keep track of minutes and days practiced and remember you can get bonus points at your lesson for preparation!

*tip! Break up your practice into several sessions each day for better focus. Set a timer for a short session and when it goes off, reset it for double the time and go do something else....when it goes off again, come back and repeat! Remember we're going for quality and intelligent practice!

Top Scores at the end of the Second Week
100 Amanda A *780 minutes  *12 of 14 days *bonus: 10
96.5 Alice *765 minutes *11 of 14 days *bonus: 9
76.5 Alex *575 minutes *10 of 14 days *bonus: 9
76.5 Suzu *625 minutes *7 of 14 days *bonus: 7
75.5 Natasha M *595 minutes *8 of 14 days *bonus: 8
57 Anusha *360 minutes *13 of 14 days *bonus: 8

Awesome! Award Categories

*Most practice over a weekend

*Most practice by a Grade 1 student

*Most practice by a Grade 2 student

*Most days overall of 60 minutes or more

*Fewest days of 10 minutes or less

*Highest total for "Double Days"

*Most consecutive days of at least 30 minutes

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Practice Olympics are here! Keep track of minutes and days practiced and remember you can get bonus points at your lesson for preparation!

*tip! Break up your practice into several sessions each day for better focus. Set a timer for a short session and when it goes off, reset it for double the time and go do something else....when it goes off again, come back and repeat! Remember we're going for quality and intelligent practice!

Top Scores
50 Amanda A *5 hours 3 minutes *+: 90 minutes *6 of 8 days *bonus: 5
43.5 Natasha M *4 hours 20 minutes *+: 95 minutes *4 of 8 days *bonus: 4
39 Anusha *4 hours - minutes *+: 30 minutes *8 of 8 days *bonus: 4
39.5 Lauren *3 hours 45 minutes *+:60 minutes *7 of 9 days *bonus: 4
38.5 Annapurna *3 hours 45 minutes *+: 30 minutes *8 of 8 days * bonus: 436.5 Alice *3 hours 55 minutes *+: 40 minutes *5 of 8 days *bonus: 4
34 Prajju *3 hours 30 minutes *+: 1 hour - minutes *4 of 8 days *bonus: 3
25 Shailly *2 hours 20 minutes *+: - hour 40 minutes *2 of 8 days *bonus: 5
22.5 Alex *1 hour 50 minutes +: - hour 45 minutes *3 of 7 days *bonus: 4
21.5 Suzu *1 hour 25 minutes *+: 1 hour - minutes *3 of 7 days *bonus: 4
19 Emanuela *1 hour 30 minutes *+: 1 hour 30 minutes *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
19 Alyssa *2 hours 3 minutes *+: 30 minutes *4 of 5 days *bonus: -
18.5 Shreya *2 hours 35 minutes *+: - *3 of 4 days *bonus: -
15 Shivani *1 hour - minutes *+: - hours 20 minutes *3 of 8 days *bonus: 4
12 Amanda M *1 hour 20 minutes *+: - hour 40 minutes *2 of 4 days *bonus: -

Awesome! Award Categories

*Most practice over a weekend
1. Natasha M - 2 hours 5 minutes
2. Amanda A - 2 hours
3. Prajju - 2 hours
4. Alice - 1 hour 45 minutes
5. Annapurna - 1 hour 40 minutes
6. Shailly - 1 hour 40 minutes


*Most practice by a Grade 1 student

*Most practice by a Grade 2 student

*Most days overall of 60 minutes or more
1. Prajju - 3
2. Natasha M - 2
3. Amanda A - 2
4. Shailly - 1
5. Suzu - 1
6. Alice - 1
7. Lauren - 1

*Fewest days of 10 minutes or less
1. Anusha - 0
2. Annapurna - 0

*Highest total for "Double Days"
1. Natasha M - 1 hour 35 minutes
2. Amanda A - 1 hour 30 minutes
3. Emanuela - 1 hour 30 minutes

*Most consecutive days of at least 30 minutes
1. Anusha - 8
2. Alyssa - 4
3. Annapurna - 2

Monday, June 4, 2012

The Practice Olympics are here! Keep track of minutes and days practiced and remember you can get bonus points at your lesson for preparation!

*tip! Break up your practice into several sessions each day for better focus. Set a timer for a short session and when it goes off, reset it for double the time and go do something else....when it goes off again, come back and repeat! Remember we're going for quality and intelligent practice!

Top Scores
36.5 Alice *3 hours 55 minutes *+: 40 minutes *5 of 8 days *bonus: 4
34 Prajju *3 hours 30 minutes *+: 1 hour - minutes *4 of 8 days *bonus: 3
25 Shailly *2 hours 20 minutes *+: - hour 40 minutes *2 of 8 days *bonus: 5
22.5 Alex *1 hour 50 minutes +: - hour 45 minutes *3 of 7 days *bonus: 4
21.5 Suzu *1 hour 25 minutes *+: 1 hour - minutes *3 of 7 days *bonus: 419 Emanuela *1 hour 30 minutes *+: 1 hour 30 minutes *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
19 Alyssa *2 hours 3 minutes *+: 30 minutes *4 of 5 days *bonus: -
18.5 Shreya *2 hours 35 minutes *+: - *3 of 4 days *bonus: -
15 Shivani *1 hour - minutes *+: - hours 20 minutes *3 of 8 days *bonus: 412 Amanda M *1 hour 20 minutes *+: - hour 40 minutes *2 of 4 days *bonus: -

Awesome! Award Categories

*Most practice over a weekend
*Most practice by a Grade 1 student
*Most practice by a Grade 2 student
*Most days overall of 60 minutes or more
*Fewest days of 10 minutes or less
*Highest total for "Double Days"
*Most consecutive days of at least 30 minutes

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Practice Olympics are here! Keep track of minutes and days practiced and remember you can get bonus points at your lesson for preparation!

*tip! Break up your practice into several sessions each day for better focus. Set a timer for a short session and when it goes off, reset it for double the time and go do something else....when it goes off again, come back and repeat! Remember we're going for quality and intelligent practice!

Top Scores
19 Emanuela *1 hour 30 minutes *+: 1 hour 30 minutes *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
19 Alyssa *2 hours 3 minutes *+: 30 minutes *4 of 5 days *bonus: -
18.5 Shreya *2 hours 35 minutes *+: - *3 of 4 days *bonus: -
12 Amanda M *1 hour 20 minutes *+: - hour 40 minutes *2 of 4 days *bonus: -
9.5 Sydney *1 hour 15 minutes *+: - *2 of 5 days *bonus: -
7.5 Lauren *- hours 55 minutes *+: - *2 of 4 days *bonus: -

6 Claire *- hours 50 minutes *+: - *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
4 Anusha *- hours 30 minutes *+: - *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
4 Sarina *- hours 30 minutes *+: - *1 of 4 days *bonus: -



Awesome! Award Categories

*Most practice over a weekend
*Most practice by a Grade 1 student
*Most practice by a Grade 2 student
*Most days overall of 60 minutes or more
*Fewest days of 10 minutes or less
*Highest total for "Double Days"
*Most consecutive days of at least 30 minutes

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Practice Olympics are here! Keep track of minutes and days practiced and remember you can get bonus points at your lesson for preparation!

*tip! Break up your practice into several sessions each day for better focus. Set a timer for a short session and when it goes off, reset it for double the time and go do something else....when it goes off again, come back and repeat! Remember we're going for quality and intelligent practice!

Top Ten Overall
1. Emanuela score: 19 *1 hour 30 minutes *+: 1 hour 30 minutes *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
2. Shreya score: 18.5 *2 hours 35 minutes *+: - *3 of 4 days *bonus: -
3. Amanda M score: 12 *1 hour 20 minutes *+: - hour 40 minutes *2 of 4 days *bonus: -
4. Lauren score: 7.5 *- hours 55 minutes *+: - *2 of 4 days *bonus: -
5. Claire score: 6 *- hours 50 minutes *+: - *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
6. Anusha score: 4 *- hours 30 minutes *+: - *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
7. Sarina score: 4 *- hours 30 minutes *+: - *1 of 4 days *bonus: -
8.
9.
10.

Awesome! Award Categories

*Most practice over a weekend
*Most practice by a Grade 1 student
*Most practice by a Grade 2 student
*Most days overall of 60 minutes or more
*Fewest days of 10 minutes or less
*Highest total for "Double Days"
*Most consecutive days of at least 30 minutes

Tuesday, May 22, 2012


The Practice Olympics will be here May 27th - June 23rd!

Here are the guidelines:
• Each week that a student brings their Practice Planner sheet to their lesson, they will be able to participate in the Practice Olympics.
• When a student brings a completed Practice Planner sheet to their lesson, I will tally their score based on length of time, consistency and results of practice.
• Each student may nominate one day in each week that counts as double: Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays. Every week that chosen day's practice will be doubled through the entirety of the month, so choose wisely!
• If a student forgets to bring their sheet to their lesson one week they can bring it to their lesson the next week, or the parent can email or text me the numbers.
• If a student misses a lesson they can print and fill out another sheet and bring both sheets to their next lesson. The link to the Practice Planner sheets can be found at www.stringsplay.blogspot.com under the "First Lessons" page.
• If a student has a double lesson, the extra lesson can be counted as a practice session!
• The Practice Olympics will be cumulative, so leaderboards will be regularly updated at www.stringsplay.blogspot.com with award categories as headings. The name of the current student leader will be posted under each category with their results as well as the current top 10 for the overall competition champion.
• The students who win individual categories will be awarded their prize during the next masterclass week and entered into the Hall of Fame permanently!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

What a great concert! Thanks to all the students for all their hard work and beautiful music! I'd like to give a big thanks to Shivani for designing the beautiful programs that we had tonight, and Prajju and Shailly for helping everyone get tuned!

Thanks to all the parents for their wonderful support! We would like to profusely thank everyone who helped with set up and take down of the chairs, who helped get the kids on stage in order and for bringing things to make our space more lovely and hospitable! 

All the feedback regarding the location was very positive, so we will be continuing to use this facility in the future for recitals. Our next one will be in early November, date to be determined. Thanks! See you all this week for lessons!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Reminder that we have a recital coming up soon on May 5th! Can't wait to see what everyone has prepared! Highlights will include Meditation from Thais, a Vivaldi violin concerto and Gretry's Tambourin.

Music to Inspire