Students who begin private study beyond age 9 or 10 will have the option of a more traditional approach to lessons. Often, students of all ages and levels do choose to go with a fairly purist Suzuki approach, and this can have many benefits. However, for some students or their families this may not be a perfect fit. For example, a student may come to lessons with very clear feelings about repertoire choices that differ from the Suzuki repertoire. Another may be well established in a tonguing style that differs from Suzuki pedagogy (which was influenced by the French style and differs from the traditional American style; Lisa plays and teaches both tonguing styles). Another family may conclude that it would be impossible for the parent to attend lessons and that playing exclusively by ear in the beginning under these circumstances would be a source of frustration for that child. My goal as a teacher is to meet the needs and assist the growth of each student and family in the way that works best for all. Pros and cons of a variety of teaching strategies will be discussed with students and/or parents prior to and after starting lessons.