SCHOOL
Bariolage is a community program in which students and parents are actively involved. Students benefit from private instruction as well as group classes, large and small ensembles, and performance events and concerts. Group classes and activities encourage collaboration, teamwork, exploration, and respect. Select group sessions will be replaced by parent classes, which provide an opportunity for teachers and parents to strengthen the learning environment at home.
One-on-one instruction
It is rare to experience the unique bond that is created between student and teacher in a one-on-one setting, as there are so few opportunities for private instruction in our modern world. By far the most personalized and efficient approach to learning a skill, the private lesson is an invaluable and timeless method of passing specific, detailed knowledge and practice down through the generations. We feel privileged to be able to carry on this age-old tradition!
Practice plans and motivation aids
The teachers at Bariolage provide detailed practice plans, short-term and long-term goals, and also organize community-based incentives such as group practice challenges to support daily practice, all with the expectation that our students will do their best to follow their assigned plans and fulfill their goals in their work at home. Other external motivational aids can be utilized both at home and in lessons, and can include stickers, small prizes, and other rewards.
Repetition and learning step by step
A child learns to speak by hearing the constant repetition of words and phrases, and step by step adds more and more words and phrases until they can speak fluently. Applying these principles to other subjects such as music, math, reading, and countless others, can create the same miraculous effect, given a positive, patient, and encouraging environment. The concepts of repetition and of learning one baby step at a time are at the backbone of our teaching philosophy at Bariolage. This principle is applicable to all ages and levels, and the only prerequisite to its success is diligent practice at home.
Learning to play together
Group lessons and large and small ensemble playing are an integral part of our program, providing opportunities to learn to play music with others. Within the groups, we form chamber ensembles (duets, trios, quartets) to perform in concerts and outreach events, and we also bring all of the groups together to play in a large ensemble setting. Students inspire and motivate one another in ways that teachers and parents alone cannot hope to emulate. Ensemble playing builds a sense of community, encourages teamwork and collaboration, and fosters friendships through the shared connection of music making.
Music reading and theory
Musical literacy is an essential part of music education. However, as string instruments are infamously challenging to play, it is necessary to master the basics of holding and playing the instrument before we can start to read music at the same time. Bariolage incorporates the concept of delayed reading into our method. We gradually integrate music reading into the lessons once the student has mastered the very basics of the instrument. Likewise, music theory is incorporated into the lessons over time.
Ear training and playing by ear
Having a “good ear” is not an innate ability that some are born with and others are not. Playing by ear (for example, hearing a melody and playing it back on your instrument) is a skill that can be taught and learned. Being able to play by ear enhances memory skills and also allows for a great deal of flexibility in terms of musical genres, as there are many styles of music in which musical notation is either not used, or is used differently than in Western classical music. If you can play by ear, you can play almost any style of music with anyone!
Review
At Bariolage, we highly value the importance of reviewing previously learned pieces and techniques at all levels. While progressively adding new pieces, techniques, and concepts is of course essential in learning, the review and consistent reinforcement of previously reviewed material is often underrated. Not only serving to build the repertoire as a whole, review pieces and technical exercises are also ideal to use as tools through which students can study new techniques and concepts. Playing review pieces in new ways or simply with a more developed sense of musicality and technique is a part of the daily practice routine taught by our Bariolage teachers, and this idea is reinforced in group classes and playdowns.
Parent classes
Select group sessions will be replaced by parent classes, held exclusively for parents, which provide an opportunity for teachers and parents to strengthen the learning environment at home, as well as to offer support and strategies for handling challenges that may arise along a child’s musical journey. We hold three parent classes over the course of the year, for the following groups: Pre-Twinkle, Level 1, and Level 2.
Piano accompaniment
Learning to play with piano accompaniment is an essential part of playing a string instrument. All Bariolage concerts are accompanied by our pianist, and in preparation for the main concerts, four private lessons and two group classes are also accompanied.