Overview
Students participate in weekly, 50-minute classes led by Dr. Janice LaMarre. They have access to practice videos (all under ‘Daily Work’). Students will perform in class, in an informal setting with snacks after, and in formal recitals. Based on the current students enrolled, the classes are going to be amazing! You can see part of our Christmas recital here, and most recent in-class recital here.
Getting Started with Violin!
1) Renting a Violin
Please consider renting from Shaker Violins ($10/month, with a $50 deposit returned upon returning the violin and 6 months up front – total upfront cost of $110). I always put aside the best instruments for my students. Please let me know before you go – and book an appointment in advance.
2) Purchasing a Violin
Please check with me before buying a violin — especially online. I only recommend buying online from Shar.com. In person is always best — and <<Maison du Violons>> in Quebec is by far the best shop I’ve seen. Their highest student level of violin costs $600, plus bow and case. You can resell for about 70% of the value. I always help my students to resell their violin to new students — as long as I have approved of it and it is a high quality instrument. I would recommend renting for $10/month until purchasing from Masion du Violons. Birthdays and Christmas are two good options!
3) Other Supplies
Once students have the violin, I will try different of my sponges and shoulder rests on him or her, to see which fits best. I will supply the violin book to students free of charge, which I’ve created for this class and update each time I teach from it. You do not need any other equipment.
4) How to Protect your Violin
Students must practice over a fairly thick rug. This way, if the violin or bow falls, it will not break. This is very important! Parents and students will practice tuning the violin during class, and must tune before each lesson. This will not only save us vast amounts of time during the lesson, but also will train your ear to hear good intonation. Never tune your E string with the peg, but rather with the fine tuner.
5) Cost of Class is $25/class, payable at the first class of each month via cash, zelle, venmo, or check.
Daily Practice & Special Events
Students must listen daily to the Suzuki Book recording, and practice daily for a minimum of 15 minutes. This can be with one of my practice videos, with a parent’s help, or by him or herself. Please use the practice chart on the violin book to keep track. Prizes will be given once students reach a certain number, and the chart will be displayed in the lesson room.
Each class will have in-house recitals at the end of each semester. We will also host a big recital at the Glens Falls Presbyterian Church with organ accompaniment, and it will be epic!
Extra opportunities include performing in the monthly Suzuki Assocation Recitals, Will Haye’s recitals, auditioning for the Saratoga Youth Symphony, competiting in online or in-person competitions, auditioning for precolleges, composing, conducting, learning piano, and more. Please see the list of events on the right, to find most events. For competitions, auditions, composing, conducting, piano, or others please contact me directly to ask.
Class Description
-Arrive to class 5-10 minutes early. Please place your violin case against the wall in the hall to open it, tune it to A=442 with an app or electronic tuner, tighten your bow, and gather your music book and two pencils to use during class.
-During class, parents will sit on their ‘teacher’ chair, arranged in a semi-circle around the room. Students will stand facing their parents. Dr. LaMarre will begin class directly on time, going to each parent-student dyad to guide their progress in terms of technique, bow hold, and violin hold.
-As the students play different pieces from homework, the parents will be given guidence on what to help the students work on. For the teen class, parents will not be needed once basic technique set up has been achieved, but for the younger class parents will actively participate throughout the class, alongside their child. An older sibling, grandparent, or other guardian may serve as the ‘teaching parent’, and I’ve seen that work very well in prior classes.
-At the end of class, students may put a sticker on the chart for a full practice week, as marked down on their chart. They will get an individual prize for 30 weeks of practice, and a group prize at the end of the year based on a goal we will set together.
-Class will consist of technique work (bow or violin) with the help of the parent; fingers, hand, & coordination dexterity exercises; memory work; phrasing, expresion, dynamics practice and ensemble work including breathing, watching, leading, and following; performance and audition preparation; note-reading, singing, dictation, composition, and music theory; character development, discussion of practice techniques, attitude towards learning, peer encouragement, motivation, discussion of current problems and ways to work on them; individual instruction in masterclass format.
List of Dates
Wednesday Classes, 6-7:30pm, Saratoga Waldorf School
Thursday Classes, 11:40am-12:30 Teen Class and 1:20-2:10pm Kids’ Class, Glens Falls
Friday Classes, 3:15-3:30 beginners, 3:30-4:20, Niskayuna
–Recitals you may perform in (no fee for my recitals)–
Sat, April 18, 2-3:30pm Glen Eddy Retirement Home, Niskayuna (hosted by Suzuki Association Capital District, I will be there. Fee $25 per student)
April 29, 30, and May 1: Informal in-class recitals preparing final recitals. Possibly fun, outdoor event, weather permitting.
Tues, May 5th, 6:30-7:30pm First Presbyterian Church in Glens Falls with Bryan Kirk, harpsichordist and organist
Wed, May 13, 6:30-7:30pm Waldorf School 62 York Ave, Saratoga Springs.
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Other important opportunities:
Come view free Saratoga Youth Symphony concert, to gague your interest in auditioning: Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 7:00pm. Arrive by 6:30 to get seats, it is always standing room only. Audition dates in June. I am very impressed with this orchestra and highly recommend any of my students to audition. Please inform me ASAP if you wish to audition. Fee is $600 for the year, rehearsals Sunday afternoons.
August: Play-in with Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC, in Saratoga Springs (Date not yet set, update to follow). Highly recommend. Easy music, but lots of it. I will prepare study videos for all the pieces. So exciting!
Concerts to Observe:
Tues June 2, 3pm: Victorian Tea fundraiser ($65 per person). 48 Canada St., Lake George
Fri June 5, 2pm: Dvorak String Sextet, 48 Canada St., Lake George. I will email to ask about free open rehearsals. Absolutely beautiful space and accoustic overlooking Lake George. Complete silence is a must, I drop off my older kids to listen while they read a book, and take the toddler outside to wander around. Very highly recommend.
SPAC concert highlights listed below: Lots of free parking, kids under 12 enter free (with adult ticket). Just get the lawn tickets because the view on the screens is excellent. Very fun and exciting for everyone, and bring a picnic if you like (we did not). Fun people watching, too.
Wed. Aug 5 — Tchiakovsky Spectacular at SPAC.
Thurs. Aug 6 — Mozart and Mahler at SPAC
Wed. Aug 12 — Musorgsky Pictures at SPAC
Thurs. Aug 13 — Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 and Brahms 1 at SPAC
Sat Aug 15 — Beethoven 9 at SPAC
Wed Aug 19 — Vivaldi 4 Seasons at SPAC
Of interest: Lake Luzerne has a big summer music festival for kids, and we may go check out some of the following student concerts. This would be of interest if you are considering auditioning for the camp.
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Saturday, June 27 – 7:30pm (Solo)
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Friday, July 3 – 3:30pm (Chamber)
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Saturday, July 11 – 7:30pm (Solo)
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Thursday, July 16 – 7pm (Chamber)
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Saturday, July 25 – 7:30pm (Solo)
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Saturday, August 1 – 7pm (Chamber)
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Saturday, August 8 – 4:30pm (Student Composers’ Read Through)
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Saturday, August 8 – 7:30pm (Solo Showcase)
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Saturday, August 15 – 7pm (Chamber Showcase)
Purchases
1. Rosin: I will have high quality rosin to use in class. Please do not use the rosin given in your case. You can purchase high quality rosin from Shar Music (much more reliable than Amazon). These are the only three rosins I recommend: Salchow Rosin, Hill Rosin, or Leatherwood Rosin. The first two are about $12, the last one is expensive but I do use it myself and it lasts forever. I love & use all three!
2. Shoulder Rest: Students should use either Kun 3/4-1/2 size, Kun 1/4-1/16 ($30), or Poly Pad ($10). A general rule of thumb is that ages 4-9 should use Poly Pad, and age 8-11 should use the collapsible Kun. (There is an overlap of age, we test both for each individual). For full size violins, please try my collection before deciding. These last forever – don’t lose it! I will help you sell it to a future student, at 70% of the value.
3. Book bag (free +): Please have a small book bag that contains the following — your violin book, two pencils with eraser and sharpener, and a small lined notebook to take extra notes as needed.
4. Violin rental & purchase: This has been addressed elsewhere on the website. Please just ask me before purchasing. I always help my students to buy, and often can help them resell their instruments. Give the kids a fighting chance with the highest possible quality of instrument. Treat it well, and resell. Make a plan to purchase a high quality instrument in the future – by around 1/2 size, ideally.
Practice Resources
Find the daily recording, practice videos, and more below.
Daily Work
Suzuki Violin Book 1 with Solfege
Advanced Review Twinkles Rhythm Video
(inspiration: the original, stop animated)
Suzuki Violin Book 2 with Solfege
———Practice Videos———–
Reading solfege treble clef first video
—- more practice videos —-
Bach double, first section note learning
Copland violin 1, Bach Double, twinkles 3rd pos
Violin Level 1 All materials including Copland part 1
Bach Double — opening section with solfege and note reading
Saratoga Class Malta Ave School Pieces
Pretwinkles A1234; E321; lightly row, song of the wind, Rhody
Violin Practice video (pre-twinkles) A1234, and E321
Pre-Twinkles
<practice video for open strings song>
Pre-Twinkles prep to play E section (A1234321A — flower or monkey song, and E321 which is the full E section)
Twinkles
Learning the Notes
<put here>
Lightly Row through Allegro
Lightly Row to May Song, with finger numbers
Perpetual Motion through Gavotte
Further Research on the Pieces
This website is a treasure trove of info on the Suzuki pieces, including lyrics and research.
Bach Double
sheet music Suzuki Vol 4, last in book
Instructions- open the PDF, scroll to the 6th piece at the end, titled ‘Concerto for Two Violins’. It is 2.5 pages long and we are learning the whole piece.
Review of Copland vln 1 part, Bach Double beginning, and Twinkles 3rd position
Bach Double Opening with solfege and note reading
Bach Double ending and bars 1-21
Teleman Concerto for Two Violas
Opportunities
Find local performances, orchestras, summer camps, inspiring concerts to attend, competitions, and auditions info for precolleges and other advanced programs
Performances, Classes, Orchestra
*Please see “list of dates” for specifics. And be sure to ask me about participating in any of the following.
Suzuki Association of the Captial District — churches between Albany and Malta, monthly. Fee $20 per year membership plus $15 per recital.
Suzanne’s Group Class — Niskayuna Library, monthly. By my recommendation only (please ask me). Fun to take out tons of books afterwards and spend time reading by the big windows.
Will’s Recital — Albany area, twice yearly. Fee is $25/student. Reception to follow, bring a snack to share.
Saratoga Youth Symphony — auditions in late Spring and summer. Sue Nazarro
Summer Camps
Summer camps are an amazing way to get inspired, benefit from top level instruction with other serious students, and to experience learning in a University-like setting with different classes and a set schedule, often on a beautiful campus. I only recommend programs I’ve personally attended as a parent or student, or have had multiple students attend with a stellar experience.
1) Montreal Suzuki Institute. Can’t recommend highly enough, for under Book 4 Suzuki level. Ask me for hotel recomendations, as I found one very reasonable one right near the Fine Arts Museum that includes a free, healthy breakfast and really nice other travelers.
2) SOSI, Southern Ontario Suzuki Institute. Many of the same teachers here as at the Montreal Institute. Beautiful campus and very good dormitory accomodations. Best to share accomodations with another family, which I can help set up (comes with a kitchen).
3) Ithaca Suzuki Institute. I’ve had students attend the Advanced Institute, and it’s probably the best program of its kind in the world, for young advanced players. I can’t speak to the younger level program. Beautiful campus and college town.
4) Lake Luzerne Summer Camp. Tuition is $3,450 for two weeks, but they offer scholarship and I spoke with an organizer recently who said they have teen volunteer students, who might receive full scholarship. This seems like a very high-quality, local option. It is required to do sleep-away, and day camp is not allowed even if local (I asked!). I would highly recommend any teens to apply, requesting scholarship and volunteer opportunities.
5) Our own summer camp/festival? I’ve found the institutes to be very expensive, especially with three siblings now to attend at once. I ran my own festival/camp/school for about 15 years, and would possibly start one up again here. More likely I would run a very small program with a Book 4/5/6 Suzuki level, and also a Book 1 level (since that’s the level my kids will be at summer of 2027). *Please let me know if you would be interested*. The fee would be about $450 per week, running two weeks and optional to do either week (just one).
Precollege Auditions
Juilliard Precollege
Manhattan School of Music Precollege
Mannes Precollege
Build your own Precollege?
Consider joining our Ear Training and Music Theory Class, forming a Chamber Music Group, doing regular performances, attending summer camp, and joining an orchestra. These are the activities that comprise precollege.
Graduation Recital!
After mastering Twinkles, and at the end of each Suzuki Book, students must put on a solo recital of the pieces they have learned. This could be as simple as having the family sit down to listen, and then having a nice dinner together at home. Or, you could invite friends and make it a party.
Future Plans!
In the past, I invited my students to perform on my solo recital at Carnegie’s Weill Hall. This is something I plan to repeat in the future.
I hope to collaborate with a truly wonderful teacher-conductor in Montreal. I envision our studio traveling to Montreal to take lessons and play concerts with his group or on our own.
I will be booking summer concerts for myself, my kids, and of course my students to perform on together, beginning in 2027. My concept is to select local architectural gems and outdoor spaces in which to create exceptional musical experiences for the community.
I also normally run concerto competitions in which my students can be featured. This is for a more advanced level, but I do create accompaniments even for Book 1 students.
Christmas Carol concert — at First Presbyterian Church in Glens Falls, possibly expanding to Saratoga Springs and Niskayuna next year. I love to combine singing with violin playing. What could be more lovely?! Last Christmas our kids played “O Come Little Children” at our church as a part of the Children’s skits. The whole congregation sang along, and it was very meaningful. Please think about creating your own Christmas tradition featuring music and your child’s violin playing.