We use the Suzuki method and traditional music teaching methods.
What does this mean? Well, our classes are strongly influenced by Dr. Suzuki, who founded the whole Suzuki method based on a single idea-- he calls this idea the mother tongue. He observed that all children learn to speak their own languages (mother tongues) with great accuracy, complete with local inflections. This he believes demonstrates a remarkable ability. Children are surrounded by these language sounds from birth, and he reasoned that if the children were surrounded by musical sounds to the same degree, they would develop an equally remarkable ability in music. This is the concept of the mother tongue.
Dr. Suzuki's idea is not merely a method of education, but is more significantly a philosophy based on respect for the child as an individual and on the belief that ability is learned and not inherited. Because he believes that ability is talent and because he believes that all children can be well educated, he calls his method Talent Education. It is based on 5 principles: no failures, environment educates children, rate of progress is dictated by the child, ability breeds ability, and a happy environment yields high standards and great ability. You can read more about his philosophy in a book we highly recommend Dr. Suzuki's Nurtured By Love.
The Suzuki Philosophy
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Dr. Suzuki's idea is not merely a method of education, but is more significantly a philosophy based on respect for the child as an individual and on the belief that ability is learned and not inherited. Because he believes that ability is talent and because he believes that all children can be well educated, he calls his method Talent Education. It is based on 5 principles: no failures, environment educates children, rate of progress is dictated by the child, ability breeds ability, and a happy environment yields high standards and great ability. You can read more about his philosophy in a book we highly recommend Dr. Suzuki's Nurtured By Love.
The Suzuki Philosophy
- The Suzuki approach is much more than teaching children to play instruments. Its purpose is to develop the whole child, to help unfold the natural potential to learn, and to help each child become a good and happy person.
- Suzuki teachers aspire to help every child find the joy that comes through making music.
- The Suzuki method of teaching is unique in that:
- Parents play an active role
- Children become comfortable with the instrument before learning to read music
- Children learn technique in the context of pieces rather than through dry technical exercises
- Students refine pieces through constant review
- Students perform frequently, individually and in groups
- Your role is larger than in traditional music education. You are a partner with the teacher to develop your child's musical ability. In this partnership, you:
- Attend each lesson with your child
- Learn the fundamentals of playing the instrument so that you can guide your child
- Listen to the Suzuki recordings frequently with your child
- Make practice a given part of daily life
- Expose your child to music
- Offer sincere praise
- Twinkles is Suzuki-speak for variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
- Twinkles is the first musical piece that each child learns to play. By learning each variation, the child grasps and solidifies the basic of playing the instrument.
- You may get very tired of hearing Twinkles because your child will work on the variations for several months. Hang in there. The hear-term rewards come at your child's Twinkle graduation when he or she plays all the variations all the way through. This is a proud moment when you both realize how far you've come. The long term reward shows up in your child's solid foundation and discipline for playing.
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