Suzuki Method
After witnessing the destruction of his native Japan during World War II, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki resolved to use music to help bring joy back into the lives of children.
A classical violinist who believed in the remarkable abilities of young children, Dr. Suzuki developed a visionary method of teaching music.
Dr. Suzuki's method took form as he observed how easily children learn to talk, noting that they speak their native language or "mother tongue" fluently at a very young age.
He noted the following important factors:
Instruction begins at birth with daily exposure.
Children hear parents’ voices frequently and more often than other voices.
Parents reward the child’s speech efforts with smiles, hugs, and praise.
“Practice” takes place many times throughout the day, through hearing and repeating words thousands of times.
Children study reading only after they establish fluency of the spoken word.
Dr. Suzuki believed these principles could be used to teach music.
Given a proper home environment, learning to play music could be as natural as learning to speak. He rejected the idea that children must inherit talent to play music, believing instead that every child has the potential to develop musical abilities. The results of Dr. Suzuki's method are amazing. Children enjoy music and play with beautiful tone and clarity beyond their years. They are not prodigies, but are normal children with parents and teachers who believe in their abilities and strive to nurture them. Often, these are the same children who excel in school and sports and have a positive self-image.
“Every child improves depending on his parents" –Dr. Suzuki