Violinist Shiqi Luo -- A Brief Introduction On Early Childhood Enlightenment Education for Violin

The violin originated in Italy in the 16th century and has  a wide range of character and color in the sound. As one of the most popular choices for instrumental music learning, children between age five to eight years old have the softest undefined physical conditions and a relatively free learning environment before entering elementary school, making it an excellent time to start learning the violin. Let me briefly talk about early childhood enlightenment education for violin.

Development of intelligence:coordination and balance, color and imagination.

Musical instruments are very effective as a hobby to develop intelligence, and the violin is one of the best choices for training human brain development. Violin learning is well balanced between the use of the right and left hands. Because it is played differently with the left and right hands and requires looseness in both hands, it is ideal for young children who are undefined, have a high degree of physical flexibility and plasticity. In addition, the different sizes of violins from 1/16 to 4/4 can match the growth characteristics of each child and can adapt to different height and arm lengths, truly custom-made. In the cooperation of the left and right hands, it is well balanced in the development of the left and right brain. Then the learning of the instrument is not only the cultivation of a sense of rhythm, but also the cultivation of color and imagination. Each of the four strings of the violin has the character of a completely different color, the tenderness of the A string, the warmer tone of the D string, the deeper sound of the G string, and the E string has the brightest sound. Because there is no music without a specific shape, the process of playing retains a greater scope for imagination. It is a good combination of color and sound sensitivity.

Imitation and learning

From the age of four to five, young children begin to develop a certain level of ability to coordinate their movements and can imitate the basic movements of holding the instrument and moving the bow by " listening " and " watching ". Encouraging children to learn familiar or favorite melodies is a good way to promote interest in learning. The most satisfying moment for a beginner is when they are able to play a melody in its entirety through a combination of "eye, ear, hand and brain". This is a great confidence builder because they have done a good job of presenting a complete piece. The teacher's guidance is especially important during the learning phase of the imitation process—a patient and disciplined teacher will influence the child's entire learning period.

Timing and growing

A regular practice schedule is not only a good way to develop good habits in learning the violin, but will also be reflected in future growth and learning. In the early period of learning the violin, the steps and goals of practice need to be clearly defined. The most important thing is to use your "brain", as the famous Russian pianist Nikolayev said: "From a scientific point of view, all the exercises are connected with the movements of our body and are the result of the activity of the central nervous system. Therefore, we must consider exercises as a process of mental and physical training." The process of playing uses the hands, the eyes, the ears and the brain, and the brain is the most important part of the process. In terms of time, then, practice time is slowly accumulated. Children's concentration is not that efficient and their focus needs to be renewed. Then it is necessary to develop the habit of practicing the violin daily in the beginning, shorter but more frequent, and it will become a habit that will benefit for life. Violin has a long learning cycle and can accompany a child's growth from early childhood to adulthood. Such a hobby makes the violin not only a great companion on the way to growth, but also cultivates a sense of belief.

Practice setting and parental companionship

Parental accompaniment plays a very important role in the learning process for the child. In the early period of learning, accompany the child to lessons as much as possible, accompanying but not disturbing. Adults have a better understanding and can summarize the lesson content and remind them of it after the lesson. When practicing at home, try to create a quiet and non-disturbing environment to ensure the child's concentration in practicing. While continuous repetition is a necessary part of learning the violin, parental reminders can prevent repetition of mistakes. If we look at the learning process as a parent-child activity, the participation of parents and children in the process of learning increases the mutual interests and communication between each other.

Forms of playing and development

In addition to being a soloist, the violin is most often played in collaboration with the piano, in chamber music with duos, piano trios, string quartets, and symphony orchestras. The violin is not a solitary instrument, but rather a team player that communicates and collaborates with others, whether in chamber music or in a symphony orchestra. In addition, the small size of the violin makes it easy to carry, and the venues where it can be played are not too limited. In the long term, many top universities or colleges have their own orchestras, so having a background in classical music training is an outstanding qualification.

Early childhood violin enlightenment education has a long way to go, the development of musical literacy can make a young child fall in love with music and let the violin open up the door to a love of music and the mind. The famous German music educator Carl Orff said, "Everything that a child experiences early in life, everything that is evoked and nurtured in him, is decisive for his whole life. What can never be redeemed again may be buried in these years, and what can never be received thereafter may be left undeveloped in these years." When a baby is born, none have the ability to speak language, but eventually all can have the ability to speak their native language fluently, so talent is not born, but guided and nurtured later. Finally, I hope everyone can enjoy their journey in learning the violin.

Article author: Shiqi Luo, a Chinese-born violinist,  joined Paulus Hook Music Foundation in 2022 as a soloist in concert performance, and an educator in music enrichment program for children.  She is also a core violinist at The Asian Cultural Symphony of the USA. Shiqi received a Master Degree and Professional Studies Certificate in Classical Violin Performance from Manhattan School of Music in 2021.

Shiqi began her violin studies at the age of four. Later, she was admitted to the Primary School and Secondary Professional Music School Affiliated with Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She studied under Professor Yu Lina, one of the most famous violinists and educators. At the age of 11, she appeared on the stage of Shanghai Grand Theatre, where she performed "Butterfly Lovers" with renowned violinists such as LiNa Yu, Zhijiong Wang and Mengla Huang. During her school years, she was awarded with the People's Scholarship and the Tang Scholarship. Her live recording of Grieg's Violin Sonata No. 3 was included in the album celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She was also invited to perform at Shanghai Weekly Radio Concerts in Shanghai Concert Hall.

In 2014, Shiqi was admitted to the Manhattan School of Music in New York City with scholarship, studied under Professor Lucie Robert and Professor Malkin Iscca, two renowned contemporary violinists. 

She also studied chamber music with the violinists from American String Quartet members, Peter Wingrad?Laurie Carney and the cello professor David Geber at Manhattan School of Music. She was invited to perform at the MusicAlp International Academy Festival in France and the Beijing International Music Festival… In 2018, She performed in the United Nations at the Summit Health Industry. In the same year, as a rising classical music star of Ningbo City, she performed in the concert “Coming Home". In 2020, She performed with the famous vocalist Ruston Ropac at the Columbia University Concert Hall - - “Thinking for solo voice and Two Poems of Li Bai”, a contemporary work for soprano and violin by young composer Keyin Lou. In 2022, she was invited by Brighter Bee Academy to perform Midsummer Night’s Dream Concerts for Children in New Jersey, and performed in the Mid-Autumn Concert with the Asian Cultural Symphony of the USA at Lincoln Center.  In October, she was invited by the Association of Classical Musicians and Artists to perform Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5.

After graduating, Shiqi joined the Paulus Hook Music Foundation and began teaching violin in the New York and New Jersey area. With many years of teaching experience, Shiqi has in-depth study and research on violin enrichment education. Two of her students were admitted to primary school affiliated with Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Her teaching is deeply appreciated by students and their parents.