About Us

Dr. Sinichi Suzuki

"To Learn with Love"

Dr.Suzuki was born in Japan in 1898 and passed away in 1998, almost a 100 years old. His father owned a violin factory and young Suzuki became fascinated by the instrument after he heard a recording of Elman’s “Ave Maria.” From then on Suzuki made attempts to play the instrument for his own pleasure.

Eventually, friends of the family encouraged him to become a musician. Suzuki studied in Germany under Kingler privetly. Fortune had it that Einstein became his guardian “…Thus unexpectedly, I experienced the warm friendship of this world-famous scholar and the outstanding people of his circle…It provided in later years the conviction and later theory behind the driving force that enabled me to carry out without the slightest doubt my Talent Education movement for small children.”  

This very conviction is in the heart of all Suzuki teachers worldwide today and is at the core of how instruction is given to our students here.  Dr. Suzuki’s vision lives on here in the music and in the heart of everything we offer.

The studio is committed to the education of children through the “Talent Development” and “Mother Tongue” approaches developed by Dr. Suzuki. Beginning, intermediate and advanced students are accepted. Minimum age 3 years old. Young children are strongly encouraged to observe as much as possible before enrolling 

small child violin

STEP

one

Good posture is key

Young children have to learn how to hold the violin first. There are some developmental thresholds to hit. Crossing the mid-line of the body is one of them. the visual-physical distinction between right and left must be present-not necessarily the verbal distinction. Ability to focus for at least 3 minutes at a time is another. Some exposure to a violin player (youtube is a great portal these days.) Then it is possible to build a posture that can allow development of a beautiful sound without hurting the bodies of our growing kids.

STEP

two

Listening & Repetition

All children learn to speak at their own pace and the thought of pushing them to speak more words, faster and better than other babies is almost ridiculous. .We trust the process. Every step is savored by the entire family as little treasures that will only come around once and therefore the baby is encouraged to improve his ability to speak.  As time goes on, a baby becomes a child who has a rather large vocabulary before reading and writing are introduced. Similarly listening and repeating in small steps creates a foundation that allows for the acquisition of the skill of playing the violin.

STEP

three

Emotional Relevance

The canvas on which language and music exist are our emotional experiences. The traditional repertoire of the Suzuki Method is based in timeless nursery rhymes, an array of classical music and culminates in famous Violin Concertos. These centuries of repertoire are the basis of what makes the Violin a truly beautiful sounding instrument with an endless variety of great music to play.   In the 21st century, there is an increasing crossover into violin renditions of Pop music. I count myself among the countless teachers that try to incorporate not just pop, but jazz, country, etc and bridge the styles for our students benefit.

Recitals

Jamin Java St. Patricks recital

Meadowlark Gardens Christmas Light Show

Free Evaluation Lesson

I offer offer a free evaluation session in order to see if the kids are ready to start as well as discuss the expectations we all might have of each other. No material needed if you have never played before. Kids who already play should bring all materials studied previously. 

Schedule your Evaluation