When I first took the Suzuki training courses six years ago, our first assignment, post-training, was to write a short essay on what the Suzuki Method means to us. It’s taken me six years, but I think I’ve finally found what the Suzuki Talent Education Method means to me.
I didn’t really understand the approach until I applied it for several years. I’ve realized, over time, that the thought processes in teaching violin with the Talent Education Method have creeped into every part of my life. I studied the Suzuki Association website, memorized Book 1, read the required text (Nurtured by Love), and took the pre-requisite course “Every Child Can”. I knew all of these things. But I didn’t really understand until I saw it in action these past years.
The Suzuki Talent Education Method is not just a method for teaching violin, or piano, or guitar, or any of the many instruments they offer. Academic preschools were, in fact, created in Japan using curriculum based on the method. The foundational belief of every aspect of the Suzuki Talent Education Method is that everyone can. A brief sidenote, it is a proven fact that children will perform better than adults, even with the Suzuki Method. More on that later.
While using the method to teach a musical instrument is a huge task, it is not the only goal of the ideals behind the method. Dr. Suzuki studied Western music in a time and place where it was not readily available. He started his education method in a time and place that was torn to shreds by war, death, and destruction. He wanted to share beauty with the new generation. He wanted to help create a new culture based on peace and the beauty of the arts. He wanted to help the new generation to think for themselves and decide for themselves what is beautiful and good.
I have started with some deep ideas here, and I hope they are new to some seasoned parents, and helpful to new parents. I plan to expand on many of the statements I made above, but the most important idea I hope you learn from this is that Talent Education is not just a tool for teaching violin, but Talent Education is a way of life. And it starts with the fundamental belief that everyone can.
Do you believe that everyone can learn a new skill?