Anna Lea Stefánsdóttir 

“A living tree brings forth buds; on each branch blooms lovely flowers.  It is the splendid course of nature: Man, I believe, should follow Mother Nature and bring forth fruit.  What is man´s ultimate direction in life?  It is to look for love, truth, virtue and beauty.  That goes for you, for me, for everyone. “

 

- Shinichi Suzuki

 

I believe that when given love, care and a nurturing environment, all children can bring forth the fruit of their potential- it is their nature to learn. In the same way that they learn languages so naturally, they can also learn how to express themselves through music with ease.

 

A positive, affectionate approach to learning enables students to feel comfortable and secure, and thus get the most out of their lessons. Learning to play the violin this way not only allows them to develop their unique talent and fulfill their musical potential, but also- and perhaps more importantly- contributes to the development of a strong sense of self-esteem.

 

When you decide to give your child violin lessons, you are giving them:

 

1) A powerful mechanism for neurological development and coordination

 

Violin playing is perhaps one of the most challenging activities that a human being can engage in. The two hands are trained to carry out two completely different functions, which are coordinated by the auditory and visual centers of the brain. This complex task stimulates the creation of millions of new neurological pathways between different parts of the brain. Numerous studies have shown that children who learn to play an instrument, tend to do better academically than those who do not.

 

2) A tool for human development of the highest level

 

Few activities challenge and inspire a human being to balance and integrate the powerful forces of creativity, intuition, and emotion, with the analytical and deliberate structures of discipline, reason, and logic, as thoroughly as the art of playing the violin. The path of mastery of the instrument has the potential to take the student on a profound journey of practical learning and self-discovery.

 

3) Your time and commitment to their development

 

Your child thrives in your full presence and learning the violin is a journey that the two of you take together.  Your presence is required during the lessons in order to follow your child´s progress and to be able to support him/her to the best of your ability during his/her daily practice.

 

4) A life-long connection to music

 

Playing the violin develops a highly refined sense of music in children, but I also encourage my students to develop connections to a very broad spectrum of music, both classical and popular.