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Classes offered at Lauderdale
Lauderdale Suzuki Group offers group classes that complement the individual lessons a child has in the Suzuki method. Group teaching is considered by us to be an essential part of learning as an addition to the individual lessons that each child has. We offer 12 Group sessions in the Autumn term and 9 in each of the Spring and Summer terms. Each child particpates in an Instrumental Group and a Musicianship Class or Orchestra/Ensemble. The majority of classes last 40 minutes. Children must always be supervised during classes by a parent, or another adult appointed by the parent where this is not possible.
Violin Groups
Beginner Violins start in the Lilac group, which usually has about 10 children. Children sing songs and play instrument related games, progressing to being able to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Beginners typically start aged 3 to 4.
Blue Group is the next group for violinists. These children can all play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and usually quite a few other pieces from the Suzuki repertoire. This Group would typically have about 15 children in it. They play their repertoire, violin related games to develop their skills and also learn new pieces.
The progression is then through Green Group, Red Group, Purple Group to Gold Group. Children in the top group are typically studying Concertos by Vivaldi etc. The majority of the children in the Lauderdale Suzuki Group are violinists.
Viola Groups
Viola players are catered for and we have one Viola Group, which is small but thriving.
Musicianship
Musicianship Classes are to help children develop musical awareness and music reading skills away from the instrument. These classes are for the least advanced children and are vital to their musical education. We offer classes based on the Kodály and Sumics methods.
Kodály
Kodály musicianship offers children a strong foundation in music. Children sing songs which directly access and train inner hearing, develop pulse and rhythm as well as coordination and multiple hearing. The foundations are laid for musical reading, writing, listening and of course for the instrument.
Sumics
Sue Harris, an innovative music teacher from Islington, started the SUMICS teaching method for young children in 1975 as a Saturday music programme. The work SUMICS came about by combining the word “music” with its creator’s name. Sue Harris began her programme, designed for toddlers, by teaching them the foundation blocks for music - rhythm and pitch - through singing, playing simple chime bars and percussion accompaniment. She believed that children could learn basic music structures at a very young age simply through listening, repetition and simple hands-on activities (a learning by osmosis philosophy). By teaching young children this way she easily could help them master the basics of music in a most natural and joyful way.
The SUMICS classes at Lauderdale is run by our highly experienced teacher Patty Armstrong and is designed for children aged 2 ¼ to 4 ½ years. Patty has also added her own refinements and personal touch to SUMICS after teaching these classes for over 15 years and has incorporated the teaching principles of Carl Orff and Zoltan Kodaly. As a result, the SUMICS classes at Lauderdale are the perfect path to the Lauderdale Suzuki Group string programme as well as to more traditional music teaching methods.
Patty Armstrong has a background in music as a professional opera singer, but she describes her teaching of SUMICS as her “most satisfying career to date”.
Ensembles
Once some reading skills have developed the children join Ensemble 1 where violinists and viola players all work together. They then progress through Ensemble 2 to Ensemble 3 which, with the help of some guest cellists, is structured as an orchestra. In Ensemble 4 the most advanced players work together playing four part music.
Theory
There are two classes catering for the study of the theory of music. The children work towards Associated Board Theory Exams.
Performance Opportunities
The Concerts held each term are very motivating for all concerned and all children have the opportunity to participate in them. We also take part as a Group in the North London Music Festival which takes place in May every year.