Course for parents of children learning the cello - One term

One of the most revolutionary elements that Dr Suzuki introduced to the world in his famous method, was to suggest that a child's parents were a very important part of the equation in determining motivation and progress in the child. Some parents find this very exciting, because instead of merely chauffering their child from one activity to another, they are actually learning and taking part themselves. They are amply rewarded when they witness the results.
​Some other parents are overwhelmed by how busy they are and find the idea of helping their children just another thing to add to their busy days. Music is complicated and it requires a lot of good management and hard work to achieve good results. Children who practise on their own are lonely and they are too young to be able to use their time efficiently and effectively. Parental involvement is essential.

This course normally takes one term to cover and the topics include:

Creating a routine
Tuning the cello
How to motivate your child
How to use the recordings
How to read music
Taking care of the cello and learning the names of the parts
Playing the cello (put themselves in the child's shoes)
How children learn
The step by step approach
How to take good notes
Structure and method of practising
Being a parent during the lessons
Communication and psychology
Body mechanics
Types of progress
Reviewing the material that the child learns
Graded music exams

If the child's parents are professional musicians, then clearly parts of the course will not be necessary. They can, however, still benefit hugely from going through this course as there may be aspects of the work that had not occurred to them.