How does it work?

If you haven’t heard of the Suzuki Method before reading about it here (or even if you have!), you’re probably stewing on some questions. Truth be told, the term Suzuki is an umbrella brand that can be as individual as the each teacher, school, or student who engages in it. There are violin teachers whose approaches are completely devoted down to the most finite detail of Suzuki/aka Mother Tongue/aka Talent Education, and there are those who simply use the books minus Suzuki’s whole gestalt. Of course, there are also scads of variations between those two opposites as well.

For our purposes, I’m going to focus on what I practice. As a third generation musician (and a first generation American Suzuki student), I’ve had a 44-year history with this method, the good, the bad, and the ugly! The flip side of its beauty and effects can sometimes also be considered its flaws…having benefited and struggled with both, here’s the practice that resonates with me.

Where does Manhattan Violin School fall in the spectrum between total allegiance and mere material use?

Great question! I do fully embrace the beauty and intelligence of prescribing violin study (and, in a larger sense, the essence of respect and love of children and their potential) in such detail and with such care, and I also feel that one needs to adapt the Mother Tongue approach to American culture.

I started violin at age 5 as a result of my father’s studies with Dr. Suzuki at Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore. My experience learning through the Suzuki Method was excellent with regard to posture, foot position, and use of rhythms to develop coordination with the left and right hands. My father was moderate in his emphasis of form, and I started playing the violin while he continued to fine tune my posture and form. I believe this shaped how I feel regarding the moderate rigidity of my approach:

1. When to start playing the violin. We work with posture, foot position, and form first, then add holding the violin (or box) and the bow (or dowel), mix in rhythm games, and then begin playing on the violin. Of course, each child’s pace dictates when we introduce each of these elements. We continue to work on posture and form as we go along, but we do not spend a year focusing solely on posture without playing. Teachers/schools that ascribe to Suzuki in its purest form generally follow the ‘no playing until form is fixed' rule.

2. Using Finger Tapes. My father taught me to listen to, and really evaluate, my intonation without using finger tapes. I’m grateful that he demanded precise intonation (although probably not so much at the time!), and I know it’s a part of what made me the violinist I am. However, I view it differently…finger tapes help to fix the correct pitch in the child’s ear. I do use them as a visual aid, and over time I wean students from relying on their finger tapes. It’s my belief that, having received the correct aural information, they will carry on good intonation by listening versus looking.

3. Reading Music. This one’s a biggie! The Suzuki Method dictates that children do not read music, but rather play by ear. Additionally, there is no prescribed point at which students learn to read, and no Suzuki-based methodology for how to teach note reading.

By the time my elementary school classmates signed up for violin (around the 3rd grade), I’d played solely by ear for 3 or 4 years. My father was my first teacher, and he was also the music teacher in my school. He used the traditional approach with those children, which included learning to read music. And at the appropriate time they could join the school orchestra.

I wanted to play with that group in the worst way, and I couldn’t because I didn’t read music. I started to learn then, but it was SUCH a battle for me. I’d spent so long playing perfectly well without music that I had the hardest time committing to read it. I’d simply hear the music once and revert to playing it by ear. This struggle raged over time, and my father sent me to my grandmother so I could learn piano. And note reading! But I always asked her to play the piece for me and then, once she did, I had my shortcut…I was all set without reading the notes. I skated by, undetected, for months before my dad caught on. I was a stubborn little so-and-so, and I did myself no favors by putting up such a fight.

So, the point of focusing on ear training is this…it is important to train one’s ear, and to focus on posture, position, and coordination of the left (fingering) and right (bowing) hands at first. We don’t read music at first. (For parents, I have a shorthand system which I teach them so they can guide their child from that system.) Once the children are squared away (or on their way, since we’re always a work in progress and we continue fine tuning), then I introduced note reading games and flash cards. It’s much like learning two languages…playing by ear, and also reading music. Dealing with it this way makes it a non-issue, and helps remove the gnashing of teeth, the sobbing of the child, and all manner of fallout! By the way, reading music is EASY!!! I say let’s keep it that way.

How young do you start?

We teach students ages 3 and older. With 3 year olds, we use box violins made from Cracker Jack boxes, and bows made of wooden dowels. Children learn body awareness, movement, listening skills, coordination, playing, rest, and foot positions, rhythms, good posture, how to hold the bow and the violin. Each child determines her/his own pace, and we’re totally ok with that. We embrace the individual’s pace, and follow no arbitrary or prescribed timeline.

What if I have no musical aptitude?

Wellll…that’s debatable (since it’s a basic Suzuki tenet that everyone can learn!), but you can help and support your child by accompanying him/her on the musical journey regardless of what you believe your innate ability to be. The point is, first, to be the eyes and ears of the teacher throughout the week. The parent or adult observer is crucial to success, through observing the lesson and then guiding practice during the week.

So, how much time commitment will all this require?

In my experience, your participation, your partnership really, is the critical piece of your child’s success. To reap the benefits of Suzuki (or any early childhood education, in my opinion), it’s paramount that parents understand their role. This is SO important…think of forming a musical team with your child. Set aside daily time to practice with her/him, without expectations of texting, computing, reading, etc. Don’t phone it in. Be there experiencing, observing, then applying what you’re both learning. The results will be exponential compared with the child who’s left on his own.

More info coming…thanks for tuning in!

Cheers,
Jill

Mom-inar #1

 

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