Suzuki Violin - Discussion

[phankao]

haha - those that i hear from are people that I really know who went to the classes at Mac’s. Yes, I am very clear the relations between the 3 parties. LOL. Yes, Yap Shu Mei is the Principal of Mandeville. Actually I also have friends who have children currently attending there, but I want to hear more. haha. greedy for more perspectives.

[Blissedsher]

Anyone here have kids who attended baby graduate after baby music in mandeville ? How to get into baby graduate ? Is it selected kids ?

[znzyzyzx]

7 only ? That is so much better than mandeville.

But the way you described how the class is conducted sounds similar to Mandeville :roll:

I think would be better to just start straight with one to one with a good teacher if the kids is above 4.

empressplace:

Yeah I read all the good online reviews and chose Mac's Music School over Mandeville due to proximity and timing. Both schools seem equally reputable online.

Mac told us that he was previously a partner of Mandeville together with Yap Shu Mei and subsequently he came out to set up Mac's Music School. I thought Sylvia Khoo was the owner of Mandeville but actually according to Mac, she is an employee and Ms Yap Shu Mei may be the main person running Mandeville. I wouldn't be surprised if both schools are not significantly different in terms of the suzuki violin class.

If you compare the published maximum class size of Mac and Mandeville, Mac would have a lower student teacher ratio. However in practice, this ratio is not strictly adhered to. Mac's maximum is 6 but our class was 7. Imagine a full class of 7 plus 7 parents in that ensemble room.

My review is restricted to the Suzuki violin class for preschoolers. I cannot comment on the rest of the school. I am sure people have good experience with their individual teachers.

For a more informed choice, it is sometimes better to observe a class from the window rather than just rely on online reviews.

[Blissedsher]

Is ms yap Shu mei good ?

[empressplace]

Mandeville is 12 maximum but when I enquired, there were only 6 in a class. For Mac Cheng's class, the room is so tiny that if he tried to increase any further, the kids would have to sit on parents' shoulders. Anyway you are effectively paying $40++ for maximum 6 minutes of personal attention. It's more effective to get individual lessons and you save time. Being cooped up in that small room for 45 minutes with an uncooperative kid is really torture. Watching the teacher go through the technique with other kids in the class is just not how I want to spend my precious weekend. Sometimes, the teacher runs out of time or spends too much time on the first few kids and would rush through when it comes to your kid's turn! I would rather pay more and get it over and done with in say 20 - 30 minutes.


It's not easy to find teachers willing to teach kids under 4 so these Suzuki classes are popular with parents sold on the idea of early music education. But now, I see the reason why there are few classes catering to this age group. It's probably slow progress and difficult and many teachers do not want to go through it or face a situation where parents' expectations are unmet.

znzyzyzx:

7 only ? That is so much better than mandeville.
But the way you described how the class is conducted sounds similar to Mandeville :roll:

I think would be better to just start straight with one to one with a good teacher if the kids is above 4.

[Blissedsher]

So empressplace do u recommand a 1-1 lesson for 3year old? Or don even bother learning at this age?

[phankao]

Yeah, I’d like to know too, since I have a 2yo. And empressplace, so which 1-to-1 teacher/school do you recommend?

[empressplace]

I don't recommend violin lessons for 3 year olds in general. It's quite a waste of time and money.


I can think of 3 exceptions:

1. if the child displays strong interest, musical gift or advanced fine motor skills or maturity.

2. if the parent is a professional violinist who has the means to guide the child.

3. if the parent has a strong motivation or commitment to ensure that the child has an early headstart in violin.

Mac Cheng is teaching his own 2 year old daughter and I know Annie Lee taught Lee Huei-Min at age 2.

There is also the amazing Akim Camara who learnt at age 2.

However, let's put things in perspective. Seow Lee-Chin has a professional violinist father but she rejected learning at age 4 and only learnt at age 7. It doesn't appear to have hurt her. Well, Seow Lee-Chin herself says age 2 or 3 is too young to learn the violin!
http://www.leechin.com/about-mystory2.htm
\"Siow began her violin studies at age 7, studying with her musician father, Hee-Shun Siow. The technique she mastered was only partially the famous Suzuki method. \"I know that some Asian children start the Suzuki method at age 2 or 3, but I think that is too young for holding the violin in the proper way. For certain, it is a very difficult instrument for a young child to learn to play, but it is so rewarding.\"

All parents whose kids are learning an instrument will have to endure years of \"encouraging\" practice. What is the point of starting it so soon?

Blissedsher:

So empressplace do u recommand a 1-1 lesson for 3year old? Or don even bother learning at this age?

[ruthbrons]

I can speak to this because I am part of a many generation line of musicians [mother, grandfather, great-grandmother, and now daughter are/were also all professional musicians], and I am

a Suzuki teacher with of over 30 years experience.

The advantage to starting a child as young as three is to install music activity [listening, playing/practicing, attending concerts] as an important part of the daily family environment. Children of musicians are already in such an environment, so the early formal start of instrumental education is less perhaps less important in the long run than for a child from a non-musical family. I have seen time and time again the wonderful results of starting the children so young. Yes, often it seems that a child will NEVER pull all the skills together into coherent violin playing. But, they always do -- some while they are still 3 and others maybe not until 5. And these young players are then amazing learners, well set-up for success, and already into a practice routine for as long as they can remember. Even if the child becomes hyper involved with other activities later on, say in high school, the gift of music has been given and will always be there.

Best Wishes,

Ruth Brons
http://www.Things4Strings.com
http://www.things4strings.com/img/products/Violin-Bow-Hold-Accessory.jpg\">

[Bowie]

Hi ALL,


Hope someone can give me advise though not directly link to learning violin. My gal has been practising violin dilligently. But we notice the powder generated from the wax on the strings often cause her nose to itch and sneeze.

Anyone have any suggestion to improve this.

Thanx Thanx!!