Every Child Can Learn
More than fifty years ago, Japanese violinist Shinichi
Suzuki realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn
to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles
of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the
mother-tongue approach. The ideas of parent responsibility, loving
encouragement, constant repetition, etc., are some of the special features of
the Suzuki approach.
Parent Involvement
As when a child learns to talk, parents are involved in the
musical learning of their child. They attend lessons with the child and serve
as “home teachers” during the week. One parent often learns to play before the
child, so that s/he understands what the child is expected to do. Parents work
with the teacher to create an enjoyable learning environment.
Early Beginning
The early years are crucial for developing mental processes
and muscle coordination. Listening to music should begin at birth; formal
training may begin at age three or four, but it is never too late to begin.
Listening
Children learn words after hearing them spoken hundreds of
times by others. Listening to music every day is important, especially
listening to pieces in the Suzuki repertoire so the child knows them
immediately.
Repetition
Constant repetition is essential in learning to play an
instrument. Children do not learn a word or piece of music and then discard it.
They add it to their vocabulary or repertoire, gradually using it in new and
more sophisticated ways.
Encouragement
As with language, the child’s effort to learn an instrument
should be met with sincere praise and encouragement. Each child learns at
his/her own rate, building on small steps so that each one can be mastered.
Children are also encouraged to support each other’s efforts, fostering an
attitude of generosity and cooperation.
Learning with Other
Children
In addition to private lessons, children participate in
regular group lessons and performance at which they learn from and are
motivated by each other.
Graded Repertoire
Children do not practice exercises to learn to talk, but use
language for its natural purpose of communication and self-expression. Pieces
in the Suzuki repertoire are designed to present technical problems to be
learned in the context of the music rather than through dry technical
exercises.
Delayed Reading
Children learn to read after their ability to talk has been
well established. In the same way, children should develop basic technical
competence on their instruments before being taught to read music.
Are Suzuki Kids
Prodigies?
Are Suzuki students musical geniuses? Are they ‘gifted’
children who have a special talent for music? Are their parents professional
musicians?
Fortunately, Suzuki students are normal children whose
parents may have little or no musical experience. Their parents have simply
chosen to introduce them to music through the Suzuki approach, a unique
philosophy of music education developed by Shinichi Suzuki.
The Suzuki Legacy
Shinichi Suzuki was a violinist, educator, philosopher and
humanitarian. Born in 1898, he studied violin in Japan for some years before
going to Germany in the 1920s for further study. After the end of World War II,
Dr. Suzuki devoted his life to the development of the method he calls Talent
Education.
Suzuki based his approach on the belief that “Musical
ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which 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.”
Dr. Suzuki’s goal was not simply to develop professional
musicians, but to nurture loving human beings and help develop each child’s character
through the study of music.
The above article can be found at https://suzukiassociation.org/
Parent Perspective
Early on as a home educated family, we integrated the Suzuki
method of learning music into our lifestyle. Our exposer to this method of
musical training began when our oldest was 4 and started taking violin lessons
at the Wausau Conservatory of Music. One
of my earliest impressions of the Suzuki Method was the flow of communication
and relationship between the child, parent and teacher. I love the level of parental
involvement! WARNING: These are not the traditional lessons where
the child is deposited in a teacher’s home or studio and then retrieved 30 min
later.
Example:
Music lessons for us are attended armed with notebook,
writing utensil, music books, and quiet games or books for the other children
to enjoy while they wait for their lesson time.
As the involved parent, I sit in the lesson recording notes that are
directed towards me by my child’s teacher concerning the various pieces they
are working on.
These notes are what we use for reference during that
child’s daily practice sessions at home during the week; practice sessions that
are executed with 100% parental involvement.
This means that if Elsa is practicing ½ hour per day, then I am
directing that practice session according to the notes jotted down during that
week’s lesson. I will say that as my
kids have gotten older, because of time conflicts, I no longer attend the music
lessons of the 2 oldest. They attend
lessons on their own, but the teachers are great at weekly communication,
keeping me updated with feedback pertaining to progress.
I have all 7 lessons
scheduled on the same day, because the violin students are also involved in a
weekly violin group class. One child
plays with the Wausau Area Youth Symphony and also
the Conservatory Chamber Group and the 2 younger violin students are
participating in Jr. WAYS this year, so this means we are at the Conservatory 3
days a week.
Why so much detail? Is all this information really
necessary? Maybe not, but as a parent
who is watching our family’s lives being shaped by music, I’m passionate about
communicating the benefits and “how-to” of this lifestyle. Watching your
child grow from mastering “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, to playing Vivaldi in
a concert is indescribable joy that I would love for more parents to
experience. I have four violinists and
three pianist at varying abilities right now, but listening to them play
together is so rewarding. Yes, my kids
fuss and argue just like all kids; but music has given them a common ground to
gather on and an opportunity for the older to instruct and mentor the
younger.
The key word here, as with home schooling, is Lifestyle.
Keep First Things First. For
our family order is; Jesus, music, school.
Read the Bible, then hit the music. Why music before school? Speaking
from experience, I can guarantee that a music lesson is more easily brushed
aside than the math or grammar, and it’s easier to fit in an extra math lesson
at the end of the week than to make up for missed practice days.
Tips for practice:
Allowing the children to pick a small treat from a
designated stash is a great way to wrap up daily practice.
If you are cheerful
about practice, it’s more likely they will be too.
Use non-verbal corrections; a gentle touch on the arm, an
adjustment of the bow, a tap on the elbow.
Keep the talking to a minimum. Children get bored with
talking.
Take the lead regardless of what the child appears to want …young
children are not very good at making intelligent choices about matters that set
their future lives.
A 10 min. happy practice is better than a 30 min grumpy,
tearful practice.
The Suzuki method is great at preparing children to
perform. My children love and look
forward to the concerts that occur during various times of the year. Finding a teacher that provides and
participates in opportunities for performances is crucial. If children are not instructed in the beauty
of gifting others with their music, playing to create an atmosphere of worship,
or for the sole reason of bringing God glory, they are being deprived of a
truly complete musical education.
We are 11 years into this Suzuki experience, and I would not
trade one minute of it. The heavy “ear
training” involved in this program has enabled my kid to easily pick up church
songs and worship choruses. Not a day
goes by that He is not exalted in our home through music.
