Violin for 4 year old?

[Anonymous]

Any tips for violin for a little person in NWDC or MD this summer? I’m not a music person but I’ve been told it’s not too young and looking to add something a little bit structured for this summer. I got good advice to find a “Suzuki group” but I haven’t been able to locate one.

[Anonymous]

Levine (https://www.levinemusic.org) has the largest Suzuki program in the DC area.

There's a big one affiliated with Baltimore's Peabody Prep, if you're closer to Baltimore than DC.

There are also a whole bunch of little ones in the area.

See https://sagwa.org/

[Anonymous]

Please be advised Suzuki requires TONS of involvement on your part. It was not for us.

[Anonymous]

Glenn Echo has a 1 week violin camp that starts at 4 years old.

[Anonymous]

I played the violin for years and, while I can see the rare four year old being coordinated enough to gain benefit from private lessons, I have a hard time believing that a group violin class would be effective for that age group.

[Anonymous]

https://suzukiassociation.org/find-a-suzuki-teacher/

It’s not too young! They will start with posture, rhythm, and games. My daughter started cello just before she turned 4. There is a lot of parent involvement, but you don’t have to be a musician, just supportive!

[Anonymous]

If she’s 4, I agree that Suzuki is the method that will work best for her. Do be prepared that you need to practice at home 20min a day and parent needs to be pretty involved.

[Anonymous]

Suzuki is well regarded especially for violin at that age. Do be prepared to sit with her for daily practice and for the whole lesson (but I’d expect the parent to do this anyway at this age). Depending on the program you will also be expected to read about the Suzuki philosophy, participate in weekly group lessons, and/or take an extra music theory class.

[Anonymous]

As a long-time Suzuki parent, the one thing I'd add is that starting at 4 is perfectly fine, but doesn't really confer any advantage over starting at 6 or even 8.

If your child wants to start at that age, GREAT, but progress will be slow for most kids (barring some youthful prodigies) until they get the attention span and coordination to move forward more quickly.

[Anonymous]

Starting with Suzuki at 4 really helped my kid address some fine and gross motor challenges, since it provided motivation, and apparently, according to their OT, there's some scientific evidence that music makes it easier for the brain to build the pathways.

Despite a very short attention span, they did great, advancing quickly. (I do think my kid has some musical talent, but they're not a prodigy or anything.)

Everyone's kids are different, so if your 4 year old wants to play the vioiln, embrace the enthusiasm.

[Anonymous]

My kid started at 3, after nagging me for months because they saw solo violinists in action and wanted to make that sound. They started on the smallest fractional size available in Potter's violin shop!

I cannot recommend Levine enough, OP. Their Suzuki program is amazing. The director, Susan Katsarelis, is excellent. They offer several performance opportunities a year and it's all very nurturing, yet rigorous. We remember our time there very fondly.

Now my teen is at a private studio in the area, geared more towards advanced students, and using the Russian method. I feel they got a good start with Suzuki, but at some point kids outgrow it and they need to move on to more traditional methods. My teen doesn't remember a time when they weren't playing violin.

Best wishes on your journey. You're embarking on something special