Secretly, every doting parent wishes his/ her child to be an expert in some form of art. It is not uncommon to encounter parents enrolling their little kids in ballet, painting, and music classes in the hope that their kid may take interest in artistic expression. In music, the violin is perhaps one of the instruments parents may prefer their kids to get acquainted with. Before enrolling your child in violin lessons however, parents should know that there are different methods which can be used by violin schools in teaching kids to play the violin. One famous method is the Suzuki method. What should parents expect in a Suzuki violin school?
Parents should know first of all that in a Suzuki violin school, kids start early. Although older students are not prevented from enrolling, students should preferably be 3-5 years old when they start. This is because Suzuki, the founder of the method himself, has observed and believes in the excellent ability of kids to learn fast.
If you’re thinking, “How can my kid learn to read the notes when he does not even know how to read anything else?” In a Suzuki violin school, kids are not expected to immediately learn how to read notes, so you don’t have to worry of your child’s ability to comprehend complex pieces on paper. The Suzuki method believes in a student’s ability to learn by listening and following. Suzuki explains this as analogous to a child learning to speak the native language. Place a child from a different race in another country and that child will eventually learn to speak that place’s native tongue instead of the language of his/ her biological ancestors. Children naturally learn language by listening to adults and following what they say.
Since all normal children eventually learn how to speak, it is also expected that all children are inherently capable of learning the violin. A Suzuki violin school does not discriminate according to race, nationality, gender, social status or even in musical aptitude. Schools that are pure adherents to the Suzuki method may do away with auditions that are a necessity in other schools. This is because auditions, by their very nature, presuppose that only a child with some musical knowledge may enroll, excluding others who know nothing. This goes against the belief that everyone can learn.
In a Suzuki violin school, expect your child to memorize through repetition. Just as children learn the meaning and significance of word by using them repeatedly, so do students of the Suzuki method learn by repeating past lessons. The method also encourages not just individual learning and performance but group as well, with both frequent individual and group performances.
Finally, parents should expect a Suzuki violin school to ask parents themselves to participate and motivate their children to participate and practice. In some schools, parents are asked to attend classes and help teachers teach their children. At home parents are expected to remind students to practice and assist them in listening to recordings.
All in all, it is obvious that entering a Suzuki violin school entails tremendous dedication and discipline, but if, as a parent, you believe in Suzuki’s philosophy, you can expect to have children who’ll know more than just the difference between a violin and a guitar.
