What Would Suzuki Do?

If I can't have my OWN bunny, don't ask me to pose with the petting zoo substitute. . . 

Trash talk?  Sometimes she is a little scary. Beach volleyball olympics 2020?  

Last night about half way through Aidan and Lena's lesson I started to get a little giddy.  It hit me after they left.  Spring semester is done.  I haven't had a day off as long as I can remember.

Today: train of thought.  Make a pie?  Photo copy concerto parts.  WEED.

All week I have been ruminating on the conference.  My thoughts turn to all those folks who shared stories of being in Japan with Dr. Suzuki. All the stories are so awesome.  The phrases that are haunting me are "respect for the child," "greet the living soul of every child," and character formation is everything.  Especially, " tone has a living soul."  Stories of Suzuki's patience and his expectation of the greatness in every child and adult.  Music will save the world.

Yesterday at the drum shop, I was being treated like a suburban mom shopping for a drum set.  Yes, I'm sure every ten-year-old boy wants a drum set.  Yes, I'm sure two years later every mother of a twelve-year-old is putting a drum set on ebay. You don't want to spend too much money, the salesman kept telling me.  Resale value is key!  I kept saying, well, it really needs to sound good.   He said really they just want to beat on the drums and I kept saying yes, but they need to hold their pitch and have a good sound.  Obviously he wasn't that interested in taking my money.   I came very close to saying "tone has a living soul."  Even the tone of a drum. I probably would have been escorted out. At last I broke through the stereotype, trying not to pull the "his Dad was on the road with the Glenn Miller Orchestra--it needs to sound decent" card.  We need a simple high quality starter set that will make it through high school, because we finish what we start and EVERY CHILD can set out to do what they want to do.  WE WON'T BE SELLING IT ON EBAY UNTIL HE GOES ON THE ROAD WITH TAYLOR SWIFT AND THE BASS DRUM JUST WON'T CUT IT FOR ARENA PLAYING. . . Also tried not to pull the "I dated a rock drummer for four years and I know there are idiosyncrasies to snare drums and that a college kid will miss a rent payment just to buy a fancy china cymbal for his collection."

Tra la la.  It's hard to be a scholar of Suzuki in the real world.

Christian Sunday school kids can get little rubber bracelets that say WWJD.  What would Jesus do?  This can help remind them to make good choices.  If Jesus were in the room how would my attitudes change?

In a sticky teaching situation I've occasionally muttered to myself--what would Doris do?

One of the presenters, I believe it was Michiko Yurko, suggested that when we are teaching, we imagine that Dr. Suzuki is sitting on the sofa in the studio.  How would we teach differently.  How would we be ourselves, but be our very best selves.

I start the summer session on Tuesday.  That's going to be my goal.  To imagine that Dr. Suzuki is sitting on the sofa in the back of the studio, quietly observing.  I'm also going to make a fresh start at treating my own kids with the utmost respect.

That's why the bow is so important.  It reminds us to greet the living soul of the child.

I'm ready to be a patient and loving teacher.
I'm ready to learn.