A Suzuki Music School Can Be A Child's Best Friend

 After the Second World War which brought unprecedented misery and devastation to the people of Japan, a violinist by the name of Dr. Shin’ chi Suzuki took the noble decision of restoring some light moments and learning to the lives of Japanese children. One of the important discoveries which this renowned man made was that the children learnt to express themselves in their mother tongue faster than any other language. He surmised that if a child of 5 or 6 years can learn to express himself well in his mother tongue, he can well be taught to play a musical instrument, if the teaching principles were customized to suit children, and the size of the instrument concerned scaled down to their level of convenience.  Soon the Suzuki method was also known as ‘talent education’ or at times the ‘mother tongue method’. This method is basically an exclusive philosophy of teaching music to children, in their most natural environments, through nurturing their sense of originality, innovation and creativity. While originally the Suzuki method was restricted to piano and the violin, today this method is applicable to a wide range of musical instruments like harp, guitar, cello, bass, organ as well as vocals. The term ‘Suzuki method’ also encompasses a series of sheet music books containing the Suzuki repertoire which belong to the Suzuki music education processes. Originating in Japan, it has now spread across Europe, America and some parts of Africa. The Suzuki School of Music thus promotes the creation of the right kind of environment where the children can bloom to their fullest music potential. Its methodologies include regular attendance of local music concerts, interaction with other music students, and learning through listening of music played by maestros at home everyday as a routine.

The Suzuki School of Music does not advocate the system of auditions for children desirous of learning music. The methodologies are taught from a very early age, when the child is between 3 and 5 years old, by certified Suzuki teachers. There are numerous Associations of Suzuki teachers who offer training programs for beginners as well as continuing education for professional Suzuki teachers. The early part of Suzuki education relies on learning music ‘by the ear’ rather than learning to read music. Solo pieces are then expected to be learnt by heart, even before the child learns to read sheet or published music for new lessons. This is considered to be a great way to encourage solo as well as group performance. The Suzuki School of Music organizes festivals in the US which last for a week or two. These sessions are designed to spread the Suzuki methods to parents, teachers and students. Important teacher training sessions are also held during such events.

There are numerous audio recordings and Suzuki sheet music published against each musical instrument and these are in great demand for teachers and students who wish to update themselves with Suzuki School of music.