Discouragement.

Since I feel too kind to reply to your email personally, I will reply on here. Since I know you would never read my blog.

I will start by answering your questions.

1 - I am in 9th Grade.
2 - Right now with Madison, I am working on the Bach Concerto in A minor. I recently finished the Vivaldi Concerto mvmts 1/3.
3 - I am not using the book position etudes.
4 - I have no problem with 2 octave arpeggios, and I am learning 3 octave scales.
5 - Every day, I have from the time I get home (around 3:30) until I feel like going to bed to practice. On the weekends, I have basically all day Saturday to practice. Sunday I am in South Bend and I do homework.
6 - I would not have to give up any activities to practice 2-3 hours a day. I get bored, and I play for that long. I'm not on the computer that much. Maybe if I had something to actually practice, I could make good use of my time.
7 - Last year for ISSMA, I played the Gavotte from Book 3 and I got a 9.5 rating. I have improved so much since then.

You have not heard me play privately in a lesson for almost two years. You have no idea what I sound like at this present moment in time. I have improved so much over the summer.

Of the pieces on Interlochen's list, only one is required. Not all. I wanted to do the Bruch concerto. Not that you want to know or anything, but I can already play half of it. If I did that, I could also compete with the SBYSO in the Concerto competition. Not that you'd come to watch anyway.

Although you strongly believe in the order of the suzuki books, I strongly believe that I can do whatever I put my mind to. And honestly, that is what matters to me.

I want to grow up and be a violinist. I want to perform, and I want to teach. I would like to go to Yale College as an undergraduate and double major in performance and Education. I wouldn't mind giving private lessons. But I want to be the type of teacher that is willing to work on what my student wants - If I see that my student is eager to learn, I will teach them all I can. I won't hold them back.

And I won't ever discourage them.