Shinichi Suzuki noticed something so obvious he’d never noticed it before: All Japanese children spoke Japanese. This revelation led to a revolution in music education.
At the Patel Conservatory, Suzuki violin has been the entry point to learning music for a great number of students, many of whom continue their progress in Patel programs. It’s been part of Patel’s curriculum since the conservatory opened 20 years ago.
The Suzuki Method is based on the principle that children could learn music in the same manner in which they learn to talk.
Youngsters hear older people talk, eventually form words and build a vocabulary and eventually learn to read and write. Applying this pattern to music instruction follows the same steps, said Dr. Catherine Michelsen, string specialist at Patel.
“Suzuki students build a repertoire, or musical vocabulary — at first by listening and imitating. Later, we learn music reading,” Catherine explains. “When we learn a new skill, we reinforce the learning with a piece of music we already know.”
This eliminates the “challenge of learning a new song and a new skill simultaneously,” Catherine said.
“Many of our young Suzuki students have grown within our programs,” Catherine said, “progressing to our Chamber Strings ensembles and playing in our Repertory Orchestra for musicals.”
These students, Catherine said. “serve as mentors to the young Suzuki students as helpers in classes, practice buddies, and more. This solidifies the great work they’ve done while also inspiring our younger students.”
“Suzuki is one of the few programs for students as young as 3,” said Alice Santana, vice president of education and community engagement at the Straz.
“It’s a proven method of instruction that engages parents and students in the instructional process,” Alice said.
Parents are vital to the Suzuki Method. Parents are home teachers using tools such as notes and recordings to continue the learning at home.
“Parents don’t have to play, but they learn the proper positioning and how to read the notes so that when they go home, they get to work with the student one-on-one as well,” Alice said.
“When you put together student, parent and teacher, you have the Suzuki triangle,” Catherine said, adding that the triangle is “one of the strongest geometric shapes.
“Our Suzuki triangle is strong,” Catherine said, “providing the foundation for many great things to come.”
For more information on Suzuki violin classes, call the Patel Conservatory at (813) 222-1040 or visit https://www.strazcenter.org/patel-conservatory/.