For Current Students
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Here are a few things I think students should look into.

Local Events:​

• Los Angeles Suzuki Institute
• Annual Los Angeles ViolaFest
• Annual Violin/Viola Suzuki Graduation (and other SMAC-LA sponsored events)

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Learn from other teachers & musicians:

• William Fitzpatrick at ​MusiShare (violin technique videos)
• The Sassmanshaus tradition (violin technique videos) at violinmasterclass.com
• Practice tips compiled from the viola email list at viola.com

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Recordings to Practice with at home:

• StringsAlong.com - for something a little different, practice with a guitar or harp accompanying your early Suzuki violin music, or with a violin duet.
• ​Think the Suzuki CDs are too fast to "play along" with at home? I recommend Kerstin Wartberg's "Step by Step" recordings that have slow and medium "practice tempo" versions of most of the Book 1-4 music. CDs and books are available, but you can also download a version of it online at her online store, imtex.info.
  
  • ​Note! Why don't I recommend slowing down recordings with apps or other software? Because the slower you go, the lower the tone quality.
• Or, check out SmartMusic's  variable speed accompaniments.​

Discover Interesting Artists:

• A violist's story: Kim Kashkashian on 100 Lives 
• Find out about a few Legendary Violinists

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Other Resources:

• Pencils.com - want the best sheet music marking pencil? They're a bit pricy, but try the Blackwing from pencils.com

 

• IMSLP.org - public domain sheet music

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• The internet discussion forums of the Suzuki Association of the Americas can be a great place to learn something, connect with other Suzuki families and teachers, and provide some answers for someone else! I'm one of the moderators on this forum, and I highly encourage you to take a look. 

 

• Want to practice your sight-reading? Try PracticeSightReading.com. Or, check out SmartMusic (which also does quite a bit more than merely provide a library of new stuff to sight-read.)


• Violin Photos (online book) from Peter Schaaf
• Helmholtz Motion
• Bugs

Apps:
Looking for an app I used during group class or private lessons? It might be one of these.

• forScore (iOS sheet music viewer & more)
• MyOngaku (iOS Suzuki violin book 1 practice videos)
• Harmonize (iOS ear training app - learn how to hear if you're in tune or not)
• The Most Addicting Sheep Game (rhythmic accuracy)
• Cleartune (chromatic tuner)
• SpinnyWheel or DecideNow (customizable spin wheels)
• TimeGuru (metronome) and Tempi Beat Detector (a sort of "reverse" metronome)
• Mobel (bell choir simulator for change-ringing practice)
• Tenuto from musictheory.net (note pitch flashcards, aural pitch identification, etc.)​
• RhythmCat, TrebleCat & BassCat (practice reading rhythms and pitches)
• Benefit (a scrip "gift card" app that can support PSMP)

Online Music Stores:

• Concord Music (mostly strings)
• Shar (a little of everything)
• Stringworks (instruments)
• SouthwestStrings (a bit like Shar)
• Young Musicians Online (a variety of music-related paraphernalia)
• GoStrings.com (strings)

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Music Theory & Musicianship

• musictheory.net - online music theory lessons, exercises to practice identifying pitches, and other tools
• Viola Skills by Allen Winold - a pairing of theory concepts (in pdf format) and musicianship exercises to be played on viola (in musescore format) for the intermediate level violist, or perhaps for the violinist interested in adding viola playing to their skillset.

Youth and Pre-Professional Orchestras
After reaching a certain level of technique and musicianship on the viola or violin, it becomes possible to join an orchestra. Here are a few local youth orchestras (I teach in multiple locations, so not all of these are local to all of my students).

• Verdugo Young Musicians Orchesta (Elementary through High School)
• Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA - in partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; no experience and up)
• South Pasadena Strings orchestras (Elementary and Middle School)
• *Community Youth Orchestra of Southern California (in Orange County; four groups encompassing Kindergarten through College)
• Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra (ages 12-20) & Intermezzo Orch. (9-17)
• Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras  (four groups in the Pasadena area)
• Colburn School Ensembles (no experience 4th grade-Advanced)
• Debut (ages 14-25, Pre-Pro)
• American Youth Symphony (ages 16-25, Pre-Pro)
• Los Angeles Youth Orchestra (ages 8-18).

Next: Local Luthiers (Violinmakers) Directory