Five year old Jamie has just learned to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Congratulations to Kiersten and Caleb who have joined La Jeunesse Youth Orchestra this year. These two also won the talent competition at the Warkworth Fall Fair (for the second year in a row!) and received as their prize a recording session at a local studio. Way to go!
Suzuki Method
What is the Suzuki method?
While traveling in Europe in the 1920’s, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki (1898 – 1998) of Japan had a hard time learning the German language. He pondered the fact that while adults often have difficulty learning a new language, young children acquire the skills of their native language quite readily.
Suzuki theorized that music is just another language, and that it can be acquired through a nurturing home environment and proper training. Suzuki referred to this as the “mother tongue” approach because children are able to learn to speak their native language by imitating and repeating their parents’ speech patterns. He called his method “talent education” because he believed that musical talent is not inborn, but rather, it comes from the environment in which the child is raised and educated. Student, parent and teacher work together to develop the child’s skills through listening, repetition, observation, and mastery of small steps. This “triangular” relationship is essential to the success of Suzuki’s approach. The encouragement and praise from parent and teacher within a caring, respectful environment build the self esteem and inner motivation required for progress to occur. It was Suzuki’s goal to help children to become “fine human beings with beautiful minds and high sensitivity”. Two of Suzuki’s books: Nurtured by Love and Ability Development from Age Zero are recommended reading for parents considering registration for Suzuki music lessons.
How does the Suzuki Method differ from other methods of teaching music to children?
Children in Suzuki programs often begin lessons at age 3 or even younger, when the brain is in the process of language acquisition. A more “traditional” approach is to wait until the child is between 6 and 10 years old so that they begin to read musical notation as soon as they begin to play the instrument.
Listening to recordings of the pieces to be studied, as well as other fine music is an important component of the Suzuki method. Prolonged, repeated exposure allows the student to internalize nuances of pitch, tone, rhythm, dynamics and articulation, much like the “immersion” process facilitates language acquisition. We do not teach young children to read until they have learned to speak. Similarly then, the Suzuki method delays reading until the student has demonstrated a mastery of basic technical skills and has developed some musical memory. Placing these skills first enables students to play more fluently (speaking the language), with a good tone and intonation, so that reading can be addressed as a separate skill from playing. Traditional violin methods have students learn new material by reading it note by note from the page (however, due to the popularity and success of Suzuki method, many other instrument method books now come with a cd).
Suzuki parent involvement is “intensive”. Suzuki parents need to embrace the view that music is a shared activity, not a burden. The parent attends the lesson and takes notes on the teaching points. The parent learns how to work with the child at home through observation of the teacher in the lesson. Frequent, positive, correct repetition is crucial for progress, which leads to success and increased motivation. Parent education is a frequently addressed topic at workshops and training sessions for Suzuki teachers. In traditional lessons, the parent may or may not watch the lessons, depending on the teacher’s preference. The parent’s role is to provide an adequate home practice environment (i.e. good lighting, free of noise and distractions), and to ensure that the practice takes place as scheduled according to the teacher’s guidelines. They should make sure the student arrives to his or her lesson on time, has all books and materials, and is picked up on time. Parent responsibilities beyond these vary greatly from teacher to teacher depending on the age, goals, and personality of each individual student.
Group lessons are an integral part of the Suzuki approach. Children enjoy playing with other children. Group classes are meant to be fun, interactive sessions where students develop friendships as well as polish musical skills. Classes may include musical games, theory, and ensemble playing, for example, and always are presented in a relaxed environment of mutual respect (and good humour). Group classes help students to feel comfortable performing with others and in front of an audience. It should be noted that the group lesson is in addition to the individual lesson, and the frequency of group classes varies, depending on whether the teacher is part of a school or runs an independent studio. Students still need an individual lesson so that they can progress at their own pace. Traditional lessons are typically one-on-one private lessons only. Although students are often encouraged to join ensembles and orchestras as they become more advanced, there is no expectation of group instruction as part of the curriculum. However, in practice many traditional teachers recognize the importance of an opportunity for group interaction and will arrange repertoire classes or studio classes from time to time.
For more information about the Suzuki Method, please visit: