Oak Park String Academy

Always with Excellence

A Teacher Development Workshop

 

featuring

Charles Krigbaum, SAA Registered Teacher Trainer

February 17-19, 2017

sponsored by the

Oak Park String Academy

 

*Participants who complete both sessions will be eligible to register training with the SAA as a 10 hour Enrichment Course.*

 

 

Session 1: For teachers of all instruments (5 hours)

 

The Courage to Make a Difference

 

A Suzuki teacher has the potential to impact the lives of families in extraordinary ways, yet there are challenges associated with being a Suzuki teacher.  We have enormous responsibilities to keep everything in order.  At times, it feels as if difficult situations and challenges are waiting for us at every turn.  From collecting payments and scheduling recitals, setting standards and expectations, to the understanding and delivery of teaching points—the teacher sets the tone for it all.  Indeed, a teacher’s organization, business skills, and communication style set the tone for their program, and often determine how their teaching is perceived and accepted.  

 

In this 5 hour session, participants will examine strategies and develop skills in the areas most necessary to create an environment where excellence becomes possible in all areas of teaching.  Watch students and parents thrive when expectations are clear and guidelines are set.  Imagine a program full of excitement, where students grow and develop, and parents are committed and involved.  You can make your studio anything you want it to be, and you are the only one that can make that happen for yourself when you embrace the courage to make a difference.

 

This inspiring, dynamic, and empowering session is appropriate for all teachers.  

 

Topics include:  

 

• The details of organizing and sustaining a private studio

• The importance of having studio policies and how policies guide one’s studio management

• What to include in your policies, how your policies may change over time, and most importantly–how to enforce them

• The realities of making a competitive living in the private music education industry by outlining methods of  setting your fees, billing families, collecting tuition, surviving the summer financially, funding continued teacher development and keeping your income steady and healthy in any economy

• The hidden benefits of having a full studio

• How to create a waiting list full of eager parents and students

• How to produce recitals that dazzle and impress

• Communication strategies for creating an environment of achievement and character development

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(See schedule for Session 1 and 2)

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Session 2: For violin teachers (5 hours)

 

Enjoying Violin Technique

 

New Teaching Ideas and Materials for the Pre-Twinkle, Beginner, and Intermediate Levels

 

*Participants who complete both sessions will be eligible to register training with the SAA as a

10 hour Enrichment Course.

 

The future success of a student depends greatly upon the teacher’s ability to effectively teach the fundamental principles of violin technique in the early stages.  Participants in this session will learn new and creative ways to teach technique, musicianship, and sound quality to young children.

 

This session will introduce participants to developmentally appropriate technical exercises and include the debut of new teaching materials for young violinists developed by Kerstin Wartberg and Charles Krigbaum that are intended for use during the study of the first four volumes of the Suzuki repertoire.

 

One interesting feature of these exercises is the lively, imaginative, and inspiring piano accompaniments by David Andruss.  These accompaniments are highly motivating for students and designed to make home practice easier, more organized, and more musical.  Participants will learn practical ways to incorporate these technical exercises in a way that helps parents and students understand the step-by-step learning of skills.  

 

Exercises presented in this session include: preparatory exercises for the Pre-Twinkle violinist, scales, left hand exercises, systematic whole bow training, exercises to develop bow hand flexibility, position etudes, shifting, vibrato, chromatic exercises, introduction to double stops, intonation exercises, soundpoints, and basic trill exercises.  

 

These materials used in this session will be made available as gifts (in mp3 and PDF format) to all course participants.