Students play only the pieces for which they have submitted graduation recordings, not all the cumulative earlier pieces. This is a concert to celebrate milestone achievements in the literature levels. Also, there will be a celebratory reception after the concert, and each student will receive a certificate and another token of their accomplishment.

Yes! Every student who submits a recording is invited to participate in the Graduation Concert.

There will be no solo performances at the concert. Each student will perform their graduation piece along with the other graduates from their level.

In this case, it will be up to the performer. They will be given the choice to perform alone or with one or more teachers.

Your teacher will let you know which piece is the graduation piece and what level you should choose on the drop down menu.

Yes. The piece should be memorized and fully polished. A good rule of thumb is that the student should be currently working four songs ahead of their graduation piece. The graduation piece should not be the one they are currently learning.

Yes. The recordings can be made during your regular lesson time, at home, or at a recital.

No. Graduation is for any student of any age that has completed the requirements. You are never too old to Twinkle!

There will be a rehearsal for the more advanced players on the day of the concert. You will be notified if your student will need to be at that rehearsal once the registration window closes.

Yes!

Though we recommend piano accompaniment for the recording, we also allow for extenuating circumstances that would prevent accompaniment at this time. If that is the case, please plan to use the Suzuki Accompaniment recording, but be sure it is accompaniment only, meaning without the violin/viola/cello part. "Smart" accompaniment software like mypiano app, may also provide a solution. Please discuss with your teacher the best alternative for your student.

No, they do not. Students can submit recordings for their current level. IF the student wishes to graduate from previous levels, they may submit recordings for any previous levels that they would like. Making up levels is NOT necessary, but neither is it prohibited.

Suzuki graduations were initiated by Dr. Suzuki himself! On October 22, 1952, Dr. Suzuki held his first Talent Education Graduation in Tokyo. 196 students graduated that year, with the youngest student being almost 6. He determined that graduation would be decided by "practical ability," not age. After initiating Graduations in Japan, Dr. Suzuki rose early in the morning, daily, to listen to hundreds of tape recordings sent to him from teachers all over Japan. He chose "milestone" pieces from the literature, and when one of these pieces was at a comfortable, polished, highly musical point in review, the student could submit their recording to him for constructive comments to celebrate their accomplishment. Suzuki Studios and organizations world-wide follow Dr. Suzuki's lead in establishing local Suzuki Graduations to follow through with his idea of "celebrating fine musical achievement." Graduation is never a "pass/fail" scenario, as teachers are trusted to judge well when a student is musically ready to submit a graduation recording. Dr. Suzuki understood that the process of polishing and recording a review piece was where the students gained the most benefit from the process.