WHAT IS SUZUKI?
"Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability that can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. The potential of every child is unlimited" -Shinichi Suzuki
Over sixty years ago, Japanese violinist, educator, and philosopher Shinichi Suzuki came to the realization that children all over the world learned to speak their native language relatively easily through observation, parental encouragement, and constant repetition. Suzuki believed that through creating a nurturing environment, musical skills could be acquired in much the same way. Using these basic principles, Suzuki created the incredibly successful "mother-tongue approach" to learning music.
Some of the basic traits of the Suzuki philosophy include:
- Parental involvement - Parents or guardians are incredibly important to the Suzuki approach. They attend all lessons with the child, help create and maintain a positive learning environment for the child, and assist with practicing at home during the week.
- Listening - Children learn to speak by listening to and imitating the language they hear around them. The Suzuki philosophy emphasizes the importance of daily listening to recordings of the Suzuki pieces. These recordings of professional artists help instill the value of a beautiful tone and good musicianship for students from the very beginning of their musical studies.
- Learning with other children - In addition to individual lessons, Suzuki students also participate in group classes. Through group classes, students build confidence, learn from their peers, develop ensemble skills, and gain confidence. Because all Suzuki students learn shared repertoire, group classes are motivating, and enable them to play together.
- Repetition - Repetition is essential when learning to play a musical instrument. Just as with language, children build their "musical vocabulary" through reviewing and maintaining pieces they have already learned as they continue to learn new pieces. This allows students to develop and build upon a comprehensive repertoire of pieces that are in a constant state of refinement.
For more information please visit the Suzuki Association of the Americas website.
Over sixty years ago, Japanese violinist, educator, and philosopher Shinichi Suzuki came to the realization that children all over the world learned to speak their native language relatively easily through observation, parental encouragement, and constant repetition. Suzuki believed that through creating a nurturing environment, musical skills could be acquired in much the same way. Using these basic principles, Suzuki created the incredibly successful "mother-tongue approach" to learning music.
Some of the basic traits of the Suzuki philosophy include:
- Parental involvement - Parents or guardians are incredibly important to the Suzuki approach. They attend all lessons with the child, help create and maintain a positive learning environment for the child, and assist with practicing at home during the week.
- Listening - Children learn to speak by listening to and imitating the language they hear around them. The Suzuki philosophy emphasizes the importance of daily listening to recordings of the Suzuki pieces. These recordings of professional artists help instill the value of a beautiful tone and good musicianship for students from the very beginning of their musical studies.
- Learning with other children - In addition to individual lessons, Suzuki students also participate in group classes. Through group classes, students build confidence, learn from their peers, develop ensemble skills, and gain confidence. Because all Suzuki students learn shared repertoire, group classes are motivating, and enable them to play together.
- Repetition - Repetition is essential when learning to play a musical instrument. Just as with language, children build their "musical vocabulary" through reviewing and maintaining pieces they have already learned as they continue to learn new pieces. This allows students to develop and build upon a comprehensive repertoire of pieces that are in a constant state of refinement.
For more information please visit the Suzuki Association of the Americas website.