How is the Suzuki Method different from the traditional method of learning an instrument?
Please see the History page and the Philosophy and Practice page. In a nutshell, the Suzuki method imitates language learning: listening, repetition, and support. Learning is by-ear, nurtured in an environment of listening to music, and is ideal for young ages. Parental involvement is crucial. The traditional method focuses on finding the talented few, works primarily with older students, and is encumbered by written music early on, making it difficult to learn proper technique and become proficient on the instrument itself without the distraction of reading. Imagine if your young child had to learn to read before they were allowed to speak!
I'm not a musician. Will the Suzuki method still work for me?
Absolutely! In the early lessons the parent learns right along with the child. Learning is incremental and the parents are invited during lessons to make bowholds, set violins, and any other activity they'd be expected to do during home practice. Prior musical knowledge is not a prerequisite.
How young is too young to start the violin?
Your child is too young if, when given a simple instruction, they lay down on the floor and wiggle around. Most three-year-olds are too young and some four-year-olds are also not yet developmentally ready for the violin. At very young ages (2-4) consider Kindermusik or Music Together classes as an introduction to musical activities.
I just want my child to have fun exploring an instrument. Is your program right for us?
As much as I believe that every child can be educated, I have to admit that not all children can be educated in my studio. If your goal is primarily to have violin as a hobby or extracurricular activity to put on a transcript, the Artistic Expressions program is probably not for you.
Students who only take private lessons tend to experience a kind of isolationism. They don't have any idea of what's possible, what other kids their age are doing, and they're not part of a community of learners. Learning is much slower, more awkward, and more difficult. By contrast, group classes expose children to their peers. They work together, they learn together, and they're encouraged by seeing students more advanced than they are. They learn basic ensemble and chamber music skills, review pieces and learn technique and flexibility, develop rhythm and basic music theory skills. Group classes are an essential part of the Artistic Expressions program and are not optional. I will consider taking advanced high school students without involving them in group class, on a case-by-case basis.
Another child in my child's beginner class is moving much faster than my child. Why is this?
Every child learns at different rates. This is normal and okay. Additionally, some families practice or listen more consistently, and you will notice that those children advance much faster. You may sometimes feel during the first year that I'm playing favorites by moving one child faster through the pieces than your child is moving. You don't have to trust me - you don't fully know me yet - but I trust myself, and I know I don't play favorites. I want your child to succeed and learn as much and as fast as they can.
One of the key elements of the Suzuki method is the focus on reviewing old material. Again, the analogy to language learning is important. What would happen if we mastered a word or a sentence - and then felt that we never had to use it again? It is through repetition and use - over and over again - that we become proficient communicators, and the same is true on violin. By reviewing older pieces, we have a chance to develop a level of technique that wasn't possible the first time the child struggled through that piece. When pieces show up again on a later recital, we have a chance to develop flexibility - another way of playing the same thing. And above all, we must remember that playing an instrument is a performance art - the point is not to learn many new pieces as fast as we can, but to share and communicate with other people. Professional concert violinists perform the same piece many times in a concert season - with different audiences and different people. The point is fluency in communication, not getting to the next piece as soon as possible.
I have a tremendous amount of patience for what I call "normal difficult behavior" - behavior that is difficult to deal with but is developmentally normal for your child's age. Especially in private lessons, I may tolerate a great deal more than you would. My goals are somewhat different than your goals as a parent. I hope to help your child learn to focus and cooperate, but saying "yes ma'am", speaking loudly and clearly in answer to a question, or immediate obedience are not necessarily my immediate goals. Therefore it is helpful if you, the parent, stay in the background during the lesson and let me deal with behavior issues as they come up. If I need your help, believe me, I will ask! As a child grows older and spends more time in the program, more is expected from them in terms of proper behavior for lessons and classes. Special circumstances - ADD, Autism, Asbergers, etc. - are taken into consideration. Normal difficult behavior will not exclude your child from the Artistic Expressions program, but may make it necessary to have some parent-teacher meetings to work out together the best way of helping your child learn and grow. Communication is KEY and the more you communicate to me about the home situation, school situation, etc., the more I can determine how best to work with your child within the Suzuki setting.
If you have a question that is not addressed here, please contact me.