Suzuki Method of Teaching Music Inspires Passionate Pedagogy by Carolyn Cosmos "The Suzuki method of teaching music has been incredibly influential internationally and in the United States since the í60s," said professor Robert Garofalo, who recently retired from the Catholic University of Americaís School of Music. "Not everybody believes in it, but itís based on solid educational principles such as repetition and environmental stimulation. Itís worthwhile as far as Iím concerned as an educator." Garofalo hosted the first Suzuki Summer Institute at Catholic University and adapted the Suzuki method for teaching the violin, transferring it to other instruments, including the piano, flute and cello. As a parent, he also made sure his own children took Suzuki music lessonsófrom other teachersóand Garofalo swears that his sonís first word was "Zuki." What is the Suzuki method, why is it so colorful and controversial, and how can you find a teacher if you want to become a Suzuki parent? Hereís a quick look at this hot-button education issue. If the term "Suzuki" conjures up visions of extremely tiny tots with miniature violins playin g at Wolf Trap or filing onto a Kennedy Center stage, youíre on the right track. The Suzuki method compares learning to play music to learning to speak. The method holds that this learning is best begun at a very young ageóor even before birth. According to the method, young children listen to recordings of a set series of musical pieces, sometimes for hours a day as background music. "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is, famously, the first piece in their learning repertoire, but beginner Suzuki students as young as 3 also listen to Bach minuetsóand learn to play them. What Is the Suzuki Method? Some of the key elements of learning to play an instrument using the Suzuki techniques include listening to music, including a set series of recorded Suzuki pieces, and learning to play them by ear. Children also practice repetitionóin listening and through practice to encourage masteryóand they must display a meticulous attention to technique. In addition, the method involves the use of a standard series of Suzuki music books; intense parent involvement, including a parent present at each lesson; both one-on-one and group lessons, with ensemble-playing routine; the inclusion of group play and other social interactions as part of the pedagogy; a focus on developing sensitivity and a "kind heart" as part of learning music; and a teaching philosophy that stresses nurturance and the development of each student as a "total human being." This list, however, hardly conveys the passion that the Suzuki method inspires in parents, teachers and students alike. Take for instance Ronda Cole, a Suzuki expert who serves on a key committee of the International Suzuki Association (ISA). Cole is head of the Suzuki Violin Program at the University of Maryland School of Music and leads the annual Suzuki Summer Institute for children and parents held in Washington, D.C. She also knew the man who developed the method in the 1940s, Shinichi Suzuki, who died in 1998. "In 1968, I was a student at the Eastman School of Music when I first saw Dr. Suzuki on a stage and heard a toddler group of his violinists from Japan," Cole recalled. "In those days, it was unheard of for children so young to be playing violin pieces normally taught at the high school and college levels. These were not geniuses, he told us. These were normal children raised to this extraordinary level by [a new teaching technique]. There was not a dry eye in the audience. I was never so moved. I said, ëWhat I want to be in my life is a person who can be a catalyst like that.í It was almost like a religious experience." Critics of this method can be equally passionate, arguing that the smallest Suzuki students are too young for such lesson pressures and that the older children never learn to read sheet music. Some see an automaton approach or donít care for the parental fervor. Other parents would like their children to have music lessons but lack the time to attend lessons and learn along with the child, that is, become a "Suzuki parent." How To Find a Suzuki Teacher Detailed information about the Suzuki method and lists of teachers are available online through the International Suzuki Association (ISA) at www.internationalsuzuki.org, the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) at www.suzukiassociation.org, and the Suzuki Association of the Greater Washington Area (SAGWA) at www.sagwa.org. There are a large number of private Suzuki teachers in Washington, and a list of those who belong to the local association is available through the SAGWA Web site. Most of these instructors, including Cole, teach from their homes or small studios. Coleís studio is called the Northern Virginia Suzuki Music School of McLean, Va. Cole recommends that parents who are serious about Suzuki look for teachers affiliated with a professional Suzuki association. There is not yet an official accreditation, but teachers can take courses and receive course certificates. The Suzuki Association of the Americas has a teacher registry that lists them. An official accreditation program is also in the works. In addition, Cole recommends that parents ask if the teacher includes individual and group lessons because both, she believes, are important to learning to play a musical instrument. Many fine music teachers, Cole observed, use Suzuki music books or have adapted other parts of the pedagogy, but using partial techniques does not achieve the same results. School-based programs, for example, may not include the typically intense level of parent involvement. The University of Maryland School of Music has a year-round program for Suzuki teachers and students that offers the standard Suzuki lessons to children ages 3 and upward. Another resource is the Greater Washington Suzuki Institute at the Catholic University of America, a week-long summer music camp for children, parents and teachers. Itís a supplement to year-round lessons, and information about it is available through SAGWA. What Was Shinichi Suzuki Like? Shinichi Suzuki was 99 years old when he died in 1998 at his home in Matsumoto, Japan. Cole met him, observed him, worked with him and spoke with him on numerous occasions. "He came to the United States many times in the í70s and after, and I saw him in Munich and Australia," Cole said. "The first thing about him: He felt that this kind of teaching, the intimacy and the real reach of it, was going to change the world. He would say the Suzuki method was to make a better heart. "On a personal level, you knew you were in the presence of incredible wisdom, and inside that was the heart of a 6-year-old. He didnít believe in music without joy. But it was tough love. On one occasion I was alone with him in an elevator, and I asked him about practice. He said, ëYou donít have to practice every day, only on the days that you eat,í" Cole recalled. "He was an idea factory. He would meet with teachers and present a new approach, saying something such as, ëI want to try this with vibrato,í and heíd say to the teachers, ëGo out and try it out and come back and tell me if it works.í He was always looking for the new way, the better way of doing something," she explained. "He always kept his standards, his ideals, high. He stayed with the ideal and kept pointing upward." Carolyn Cosmos is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.