Suzuki philosophy and our wider approach

Helen’s journey into the Suzuki Method came about when a colleague started her training, and she realised that there were a lot of parallels between the work she was already doing and the work of the Suzuki approach. This made her curious to learn more, and after some research, she then began the path of training in 2010. Prior to this she already held strong beliefs about the importance of starting as young as possible, and the value of learning in the context of wider community events, and had developed a broad wider knowledge of the cello teaching repertoire.

The Suzuki Method was developed by Dr Shinichi Suzuki (1898 – 1988) in Japan in the 1950s, initially with him teaching violin students from as young as age 3. The Suzuki Method is now embraced and is constantly evolving around the world, and so there is a huge international community for families to connect with in doing this work.

• Some key points of the Suzuki Method are:
• A strong belief in starting as young as possible, tapping into children’s natural modes of learning and abilities in their early years.
• A belief that “Every Child Can!”
• The “Mother Tongue” Approach – utilising the brain structures which children are naturally gifted with to learn complex structures of language to learn musical structures
• The “Parent-Child-Teacher” triangle. The parent is strongly involved in the learning process right from the start, and becomes the “home teacher” on the days outside the regular lesson day. The teacher supports the parent in learning alongside the child, so that they learn how to best support their child’s practice.
• Environment is a key part of how a child learns, so parents learn about how to create a wider environment which supports their child’s learning.
• Regular listening well in advance of learning to play uses the child’s natural ability to learn in a similar way to how they would learn to speak after hearing language spoken around them for a long time well in advance.
• Group programmes alongside individual lessons right from the start. Children learn so much from other children, and this is a key part of our longer term approach to the work.
• Repetition, repetition, repetition!
• A belief in teaching the child as a human being comes first, and the musical education results from this.

Helen’s approach embraces the Suzuki repertoire as the core repertoire, and also includes wider supplementary repertoire appropriate to the level of the child. She includes technical exercises and reading development studies when the child is ready. Some students take exams, usually Trinity, at the more advanced levels.

Quotes from Dr Shinichi Suzuki:

“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.”

“An unlimited amount of ability can develop when parent and child are having fun together.”

“Man is the son of his environment.”

“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens, noble human beings. If a child hears music from the day of his birth, and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heart.”

“Where love is deep, much can be accomplished.”