The Suzuki Program is currently located at Chambers Elementary School.
Suzuki Music Instruction
Suzuki music instruction is based on the work of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, who called his method the Mother Tongue Method because the student first listens, then plays, then learns to read and write music, and because parental involvement is very important.
The child first listens to the music every day at home. The skills are broken down into small and easy steps, such as making a circle with the thumb and middle finger before learning to hold the bow, play simple games with the bow, and then learn to use it to make sounds. At the same time, the child is learning to hold the instrument in rest position and take a bow, then to hold the violin with the shoulder and chin, and finally to start playing rhythms on the open E string.
The Suzuki method uses individual instruction, home practice with the parent, group instruction, group performance, and individual performance. Every piece is memorized, and the student continues to play the pieces, perfecting skills by repetition, and eventually serving as a role model for younger students.
The Suzuki Method uses praise extensively, often saying, “Very good! Can you do better?” If only one small element is correct, Suzuki would comment on that element before asking for improvement on one aspect.
Suzuki uses the most difficult part of the piece as an exercise before starting the piece. The child would learn the most challenging bowing or fingering well before starting the piece, making the actual learning of the notes a much easier task.
Group instruction is both social and a method of reinforcing the skills already learned. The student hears more advanced students perform and naturally wants to learn more advanced pieces, while reinforcing the skills of the pieces already learned.
Making music a part of the every day life enriches the child’s life, and the child learns persistence and problem-solving through music. Children who study music at an early age have higher academic achievement, especially in math and language, and have been noted to score as much as 50 points higher on their SAT college admission tests.
For more information please contact Crystal Cash
Principal, Chambers Elementary school.