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Shaw Strings
"When love is deep, much can be accomplished." - Shinichi Suzuki
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Shaw Strings: The Blog

Through my blog I try to share resources for other students, parents and teachers! Some weeks you’ll find write ups on workshops I’ve attended, sample lesson plans and more.

Regardless of the topic, my goal is to help others in their pursuits of teaching and learning violin, viola and music!

Use these links to help you find the blog posts that may be most relevant to you!

  • For Teachers 46
  • For Parents 33
  • For Students 28
  • Studio Business 1
Holiday Music, Church Services and Our Students
Holiday Music, Church Services and Our Students

A music teacher’s thoughts on the holidays, the opportunities music students have to share their gifts in their church communities at Christmas and other holidays and why it’s important to encourage these openings.

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For Parents, For Students, For TeachersRenee ShawDecember 29, 2021Church musicComment
Reflections on Suzuki Teacher Training: 2021 Edition
Reflections on Suzuki Teacher Training: 2021 Edition

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were so many opportunities for online teacher training through the Suzuki Association of the Americas! I was grateful to attend Violin Unit 1, 2, and 3 in 2021 and wanted to share some of my thoughts as I reflect on the last year. Enjoy!

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For TeachersRenee ShawDecember 16, 2021Studio Business, Suzuki MethodComment
Gift Guide for String Players 2.0
Gift Guide for String Players 2.0

It’s time for an update to the original string player gift guide! Here’s some new ideas to help encourage the musicians and parents of musicians in your life - Enjoy!

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For ParentsRenee ShawNovember 1, 2021Gift GuideComment
Music Scholarships for Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Music Scholarships for Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia

Find music scholarships for students in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and the surrounding areas! Different funds can be applied to lessons, new instruments, participation in groups and more. Check it out!

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For Parents, For Students, For TeachersRenee ShawOctober 28, 2021scholarshipsComment
Ways to Encourage More Listening in Your Studio
Ways to Encourage More Listening in Your Studio

Looking for a few more ways to make listening more accessible and easy for your music students and their families? Check out this post with ideas to make it more fun, easy and a resource you can share with your music studio. Happy listening!

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For Teachers, For ParentsRenee ShawOctober 22, 2021Comment
Three Favorite Facebook Groups for Music Teachers
Three Favorite Facebook Groups for Music Teachers

Find out which groups have been the most valuable to me as a music teacher and violinist! These have provided me with a sense of community and connection - Something I hope all teachers can have.

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For TeachersRenee ShawMarch 19, 2021Comment
Progress Reports for Private Music Lessons
Progress Reports for Private Music Lessons

Measuring student progress can be tricky and controversial! Private music lessons are perfect for designing a personalized way to learn an instrument, but taking a snapshot of how we're doing can be a great way to keep students and parents involved with how lessons are going!

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For TeachersRenee ShawMarch 5, 2021Comment
Four Favorite Christmas Collections for Violinists and Violists
Four Favorite Christmas Collections for Violinists and Violists

Studying music is well and good, but the holidays present us the opportunity to stop and remember - We want to have good technique so we can share music with others! This is a short compilation of my top four teaching resources to use in violin and viola lessons, I hope you enjoy!

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For Parents, For Students, For TeachersRenee ShawNovember 7, 2020 Comment
Music Scholarships for Hagerstown, Maryland
Music Scholarships for Hagerstown, Maryland

Find music scholarships for students in Hagerstown, Maryland and the surrounding areas! Different funds can be applied to lessons, new instruments, participation in groups and more. Check it out!

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For Parents, For Students, For TeachersRenee ShawOctober 25, 2020Comment
Mindfulness and Gratitude Practice for Music Lessons
Mindfulness and Gratitude Practice for Music Lessons

Try out this simple exercise this week in your private music studio! I’ve been doing it for over a year and it’s really helped keep me positive about my studio’s progress while improving communication with parents as well. I hope it brings the same benefits to you, too!

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For TeachersRenee ShawOctober 11, 2020Comment
Let's Talk About Practice
Let's Talk About Practice

Check out this post with some ideas on what practice is, why we want to practice and some ideas to help make it fresh for young and old musicians a like!

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For Students, For ParentsRenee ShawSeptember 17, 2020Comment
Cost of Studying Violin or Viola: How Much Can You Expect to Invest?
Cost of Studying Violin or Viola: How Much Can You Expect to Invest?

Music lessons are an investment. For those of you looking for an estimated list of resources you’ll need over the course of music study, read on!

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Renee ShawAugust 28, 2020Comment
Four Ways to Help Fund Music Lessons
Four Ways to Help Fund Music Lessons

Music lesson costs can add up quickly, and sometimes we need a little help in affording music lessons. Read on to find some ideas to help you or your student come up with the money to make it work for your family!

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For Parents, For Students, For TeachersRenee ShawAugust 11, 2020Comment
Shaw Strings, COVID-19 and 2020
Shaw Strings, COVID-19 and 2020

I wanted to hash out some of my thoughts regarding the rest of this year and how COVID-19 will impact my studio for the rest of this year! Read on to read my plans for my violin and viola students.

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For Students, For ParentsRenee ShawAugust 4, 2020Comment
Online Music Lessons in Shaw Strings Private Studio
Online Music Lessons in Shaw Strings Private Studio

Online music lessons are just like traditional lessons - Different depending on your teacher! Take a look at what they look like in this studio through this post.

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For Students, For Parents, For TeachersRenee ShawJuly 31, 2020Comment
Christmas (Music) in July!
Christmas (Music) in July!

Some free and fun resources for violin and viola students. Who doesn’t love a little extra Christmas in July?

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For Parents, For StudentsRenee ShawJuly 1, 2020Comment
Preparing for Maternity Leave
Preparing for Maternity Leave

Preparing to leave my private music studio for my first maternity leave took a lot of planning and looking ahead! Read on to see what I kept in mind as I got my violin and viola students ready for my leave of absence.

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For TeachersRenee ShawMay 31, 2020Comment
Teaching Music Lessons Online: What I've Learned So Far
Teaching Music Lessons Online: What I've Learned So Far

Teaching online music lessons has been such an asset to my private studio for both my students and myself! Click through to learn how I implemented online lessons and the changes it brought to my studio.

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For TeachersRenee ShawJanuary 20, 2020 Comment
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