9-18-2026 11:23pm

Strings, Ice Cream, and a Proper Farewell to Summer at Potter Violins

Eme Awa Editor

Student violinists playing together in a group session, bows raised. Stock photo.

Published September 18, 2026 · 3 min read

On Saturday, September 19, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, the Takoma Park string shop at 7711 Eastern Avenue hosts its End of Summer Ice Cream Party & Suzuki Play-In—a free, open-to-the-public gathering that turns the shop's grounds into an open-air acoustic performance space. Regional string students, teachers, and musicians of all levels are invited to play together. The repertoire is classic Suzuki: the tunes everyone learned, played in unison, by memory, together.

If you've never seen a Suzuki Play-In, here's the short version: it's the opposite of a recital. No auditions. No spotlights. No ranking. Just a circle of players—some seven years old, some seventy—running through "Twinkle" variations and "Song of the Wind" while a parent tries to keep a toddler from wandering into the cellos. Shinichi Suzuki's whole philosophy was that talent isn't born, it's built, and that children learn music the way they learn language: by immersion, repetition, and community. A Play-In is that philosophy in practice, and it's genuinely lovely to witness.

The Ice Cream Part (Yes, It's Free)

Participants in the Play-In get free ice cream. So do community members who just show up to listen. There's also a Summer Practice Challenge recognition moment for students who completed their 50-day practice chart—a genuinely impressive feat that deserves more than a sticker. If your kid tracked 50 days of practice this summer, bring the chart. They've earned the applause and the scoop.

It's an informal gathering for local families, educators, and young musicians to connect before the fall semester kicks into gear. No pressure. No dress code.

The Rest of the Weekend at Potter Violins

The shop is making a full weekend of it.

Saturday, September 19, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM: A free String Instrument Tuning and Maintenance Workshop led by Robyn Sullivan, Potter's Workshop Manager and a luthier with nearly two decades of instrument-making and restoration experience, alongside Wesley Hamilton. If your violin has been sitting in a case since June, this is the hour to fix that.

Sunday, September 20, 3:00–5:00 PM: "Beyond the Practice Room: Growing a Life in Music" with Dr. Ana Abrantes, cellist and Director of Education at the Sphinx Organization. Tickets are $18, and all proceeds benefit Sphinx. Abrantes will introduce the Araucária Framework, a practical way of thinking about what a musical life actually looks like beyond scales and etudes. Designed for students of all ages, their families, and educators.

What to Bring (and What to Know)

Instruments: Violins, violas, and cellos welcome. Bring your own.
Gear: Music stands, outdoor chairs or picnic blankets. The Play-In is outside.
Paperwork: Your completed practice chart, if you've got one.
RSVP: Through Potter Violins directly on Facebook or hop on the Potter Violins post on CulturalDMV Takoma Park event calendar. It's free, but they'd like a headcount.
Getting There: Eastern Avenue is a busy corridor. Street parking in the surrounding Takoma Park neighborhood is your best bet. Metro riders can walk from Takoma station—it's about 15 minutes.

Potter Violins has been a full-service string shop since 1996, operating out of a historic Takoma Park mansion. Local music shops and Suzuki communities are the infrastructure of youth arts education. They're where kids rent their first quarter-size violin, where teachers send families for repairs, and where a 50-day practice chart actually means something. Show up, listen, and grab a scoop. Summer's over. Might as well send it off in tune.

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