Frequently Asked Questions
General
We specialize in teaching children and their parents. Our studio is normally at capacity, and since our focus is on the children we try to keep our schedules open for them. There are many high qualified teachers around WNY who teach adults.
We believe EVERY child can learn! Although we are not Special Ed Certified our teachers will work together with parents to develop a plan best suited for the student.
Yes. For certain activities and concerts, we require the SVWNY youthful and casual uniform, which was chosen by our students. We offer a trade-in for families who need to change sizes, without the expense of a brand new uniform.
Group classes are held roughly once a month between October  and  April. We will work with each family to design a program that fits with their schedule and needs.
Suzuki Students whose teachers do not provide group classes are welcome to join many of our ensembles. This program only accepts students per teacher recommendation and audition.Â
Lessons
Parents of children younger than 9 yrs old will actively practice with their child and attend lessons. No previous musical experience is necessary, expected or required. Parents of young beginners will take 4 -6 lessons on their own before their child begins the program. The lessons introduce parents to the Suzuki Philosophy, the basic principles of violin playing, instrument tuning and how to help their child at home.  Parents of students over 10yrs will discuss the level of involvement necessary with their teacher.Â
Not at this time. Our teachers teach throughout the week and at group classes on selected Saturdays. We value a professional balanced approach that allows teachers to rest on the weekends and/or pursue careers as performers.
We believe that a studio environment makes for more productive lessons, without the potential distractions that can happen at home.  We do not teach students at their homes.Â
Many will say a viola is a bigger violin! Yes indeed. A full size violin measures 14” and a full size viola can be anywhere between 15”- 18". Both instruments have four strings, however the viola doesn’t have the E string (the highest string on the violin). Instead he viola has a C string which gives the instrument a much lower, deeper and mellow sound, closer to the cello. Just like violins, violas come in fractional sizes allowing children as young as 3yrs old to learn.
Want to learn more? Check out this video on our You Tube Channel
Although we do not rent violins, violas or cellos for beginners, we can recommend several shops that have excellent quality instruments.  Costs vary depending on the quality of the instrument but a typical range is $15 - $25/month.  We recommend to wait until you receive your teacher’s recommendation. Your teacher will discuss options with you, take the proper measurements and make recommendations based on your budget and need.Â
Finances
Because we design each program to fit your needs, we don’t have a “one size fits all” approach. Total cost depends on the program we design for you and your child’s age. We will discuss this with you as we learn more about your student
After a year in the program, families can sign up for a monthly payment plan.
The cost of materials varies by program. Typically the materials for a beginner cost less than $100. These are yours to keep forever and will last a long time if well taken care of. We will provide a list.
FAQs
We specialize in teaching children and their parents. Our studio is normally at capacity, and since our focus is on the children we try to keep our schedules open for them. There are many high qualified teachers around WNY who teach adults, and they are just a google search away.Â
We believe EVERY child can learn! Although we are not Special Ed Certified our teachers are highly trained in Early Childhood Education and will work together with the parents to develop an appropriate plan best suited for each individual student.
Yes. For certain activities and concerts, we require the SVWNY youthful and casual uniform, chosen by our students to be wore. We offer a trade-in for families who need to change sizes, without the expense of a brand new uniform.
To allow our teachers to teach lessons during the week and provide them with a balanced work schedule on the weekends, we schedule group classes for children only on Saturdays. These are held roughly once a month between October and April. We will work with each family to design a program that fits with their schedule and needs.
Suzuki Students whose teachers do not provide group classes are welcome to in many of our ensembles. This program only accepts students per teacher recommendation and audition.Â
Lessons
Parents of children younger than 9 yrs old will actively practice with their child and attend lessons. No previous musical experience is necessary, expected or required. Parents of young beginners will take 4 -6 lessons on their own before their child begins the program. The lessons introduce parents to the Suzuki Philosophy, the basic principles of violin playing and instrument tuning and show them how to help their child at home.  Parents of students over 10yrs will discuss with their teacher the level of involvement necessary
Not at this time. Our teachers teach throughout the week and at group classes on selected Saturdays. We value a professional balanced approach that allows teachers to rest on the weekends and/or pursue careers as performers.
No. We believe that a studio environment makes for more productive lessons, without the potential distractions that can happen at home. Â
As many will say it’s a bigger violin! Yes indeed. A full size violin measures 14” and a full size viola can be anywhere between 15”-18. Both instruments have four strings, however the viola doesn’t have the E string (the highest string on the violin). The viola has a C string which makes the instrument have a much lower, deep and mellow sound closer to the cello. Violas come in fractional sizes just as violins, allowing children as young as 3yr to learn.
Although we do not rent violins, violas or cellos for beginners, we can recommend several shops that have  good quality instruments.  Costs vary depending on the quality of the instrument but a typical range is $15-25/month.  We recommend to wait until they receive their teacher’s recommendation. Your teacher will discuss options with you, take the proper measurements and make recommendations based on your budget.Â
Financial
Because we design each program to fit your needs, we don’t have a “one size fits all” approach. Total cost depends on the program we design for you and your child’s age.Â
After a year in the program, you can sign up for a monthly payment plan.Â
The cost of materials varies by program. Typically the materials for a beginner cost less than $100. These are yours to keep forever and will last a long time if well taken care of. We will provide a list.Â
