Twinkler to Sizzlers…Suzuki Violin is a complete program. All students participate in private lessons and group classes. The former provides individualized instruction. The latter provides a unique group experience: students learn to make music with each other, learning to adapt and blend their sounds; they are encouraged by those who know additional songs; they encourage those who know fewer. A Suzuki group class is a mutually-supportive environment, in which everyone has an equal part to play, regardless of the number of pieces he might know. Not all private programs offer groups – but Twinklers to Sizzlers… does.
One of Suzuki’s innovations was the providing of recordings of all his material, since it is impossible to play what one does not expect to hear. These CDs are commercially available to all students everywhere. They are polished performances, something students need to aim for. They are not, however, teaching tapes: they don’t tell you how to get there. At Twinklers to Sizzlers…, teaching tapes – both CDs and DVDs -- are provided at all levels. They are helpful for students, but they are invaluable for parents. Parents can refresh their own understanding of a piece. And, it is an easy matter for parents to compare their child’s playing to the teacher’s: she either matches the DVD, or she doesn’t. These tapes are unique to Twinklers to Sizzlers….
While most violin music is written to be performed with accompaniment, most students have to settle for either the accompaniments on the commercial CDs or infrequent opportunities to work with a “live” pianist. Twinkler to Sizzlers… is fortunate that its teacher, Suzanne Schreck, is able to provide accompaniments at lessons, right from the beginning stages of study. Early on, students learn a complicated skill: to listen, so that they conform to the piano; to ignore, so that they play their own parts.
Learning to perform is an integral part of music education – one of the goals, really – yet most private programs are limited in what they can provide. In most years, Twinklers to Sizzlers… provides 3 recital series(in which each student performs a solo at one of several short recitals), 2 large concerts (in which everyone is part of the group – care is taken to see that even the newest and youngest students have much to do), and several opportunities for small group performances. Advanced students learn the responsibilities of playing professionally as they are hired for weddings and other special occasions.
At Twinklers to Sizzlers…, the goal is to provide as complete an environment as possible, from healthy snacks and books and toys in the waiting area, to prepared performances.