Suzuki Piano
Dr. Suzuki was a world –renowned violinist and educator. He developed one of the best music learning methods available, known as ‘The Mother Tongue Approach’. This approach to learning music embraces the total development of the child, not necessarily limited to musical developments, therefore the Suzuki Method is famously known as not only producing excellent young musicians but also ‘fine human beings'. Dr. Suzuki observed that all children learn to speak their own languages with great accuracy, complete with local inflections. He believes this demonstrates a remarkable ability by the child. Think about it, how hard it is for an adult to start learning to speak a foreign language? However all children learn to speak their mother tongue with the greatest fluency and ease. Suzuki noticed that children are surrounded by these language sounds all the time, even before they were born. He reasoned that if children were surrounded by musical sounds to the same degree, they would develop an equally remarkable ability in music. Why Suzuki Piano? As a part of Melody's Honours and Masters degree, she discovered many different piano pedagogical approaches in her research. Suzuki Education came across as the most natural and positive piano learning method for young children aged three to six. Before the development of logic, reasoning and abstract thinking (usually happens age six onwards), children as young as three years old already possess the motor skills and emotional capacity to play the piano with pleasure. Apart from nurturing a life time of enjoyment and appreciation of music, it is also scientifically proven that learning to play the piano can develop areas in the brain involved in language, reasoning and spatial intelligence in children. Furthermore, the benefits of learning the piano goes far beyond mental and physical development. It also fosters abilities and skills that are essential for a healthy, happy and flourishing human being. Music students are taught to think creatively when it comes to problem solving, they are trained to have discipline and teamwork skills, they can access to one of the best means of self-expression, the music they play bridge cultural and geographical gaps, it teaches young people to conquer fear and take risks... as Plato once said, music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, and life to everything. The benefits of music education cannot be justified by words as it is really a life education. However, most piano teaching methods and piano teachers cannot successfully teach young children as the reading of music is required, and often this skill has not yet developed. It is illogical to refuse young children such a noble and priceless education based on that one factor, especially at that age their brain is the most pliable. Suzuki Education allows a child to experience and explore his/her musical potential as soon as the necessary motor skills are developed, and children are then taught how to read and compose music when they start to read and write in school, or when their fundamental piano techniques have been grasped. This means Suzuki students will have benefited from years of intellectual stimulation and emotional growth, compared to the students who are only permitted to start their music learning at a later age limited by their reading abilities. As it is vital for parents of Suzuki students to be involved in a nurturing environment, Suzuki students often have loving relationships with their families. This not only make their learning positive and progressive, it also promotes building a harmonic family life. To find out more about Dr. Suzuki and his philosophies, and whether the Suzuki Program is the right one for your child please contact Melody. |
Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998)“Music exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart.”
“Every child grows; everything depends on the teacher.” “When love is deep, much can be accomplished” “Children learn to smile from their parents.” “Art is not in some far-off place. A work of Art is the expression of a man's whole personality, sensibility and ability” “Beautiful tone, beautiful heart” “Talent is no accident of birth. In today's society a good many people seem to have the idea that if one is born without talent, there is nothing he can do about it; they simply resign themselves to what they consider to be their fate.” “Any child can be developed, it depends on how you do it” “Talent is not inborn, it has to be created.” “Wrong education and upbringing produces ugly personalities, whereas a fine upbringing and good education will bring forth superior sense and feeling, as well as nobility and purity of mind.” |