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IThe Suzuki method was
developed in Japan by Shinichi Suzuki to teach children
to play the violin and other instruments starting at a
very young age. The method is now popular throughout the
world, and is used for teaching adults as well as
children.
Dr. Suzuki patterned the
method after the way that young children learn language
by listening and imitation. Just as a child immersed in
the German language will learn to speak German, a child
who is immersed in a rich musical environment will learn
music.
Children listen to CDs
daily, learn by imitating the teacher at private
lessons, and then practice small steps at home with the
parent acting as home coach. Amazing things happen!
Foundations of the Suzuki
Method
- Daily listening of
the current Suzuki CD plus supplemental listening to
classical radio, classical recordings, future Suzuki
CDs.
- Private lessons with
a trained Suzuki teacher.
- The parent acts as
the home teacher and provides a positive, supportive
environment. Daily practice to follow through on
lesson points with the guidance of a parent. A young
child cannot be expected to do this on his or her
own.
- Group lessons to
play pieces together with accompaniment.
- Review is
emphasized. Pieces start to sound really musical!
- Performance
opportunities are emphasized
There is a lot of good
information about the Suzuki method on the Internet so I
won’t duplicate it here, but please take a look at these
links to familiarize yourself with the method.
Suzuki
Association of the Americas home page
Suzuki Association of the Americas "Suzuki Twinkler"
The
International Suzuki Association's method description
I also recommend the
following books, available through your local library or
online:
Ability Development from Age Zero by Shinichi Suzuki and
Mary Louise Nagata
Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki
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