APPROACH AND PHILOSOPHY:

The Suzuki Piano School is a method of learning music developed by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in 1945. Called talent education, this approach focuses on a child learning music by being immersed in listening to good quality music with the assistance of the parent daily. This philosophy, called the mother-tongue approach, is based on the premise that children are born with ability and that the environment has a direct relationship to their development and growth. The children’s ability to learn is based on the premise of how they learn their native language—through review and repetition and being determined to accomplish the challenges in order to learn their language. The program includes Suzuki Volumes One – Seven and requires memorization, graduations from levels and performances. 

The Institute incorporates values and principles of the Suzuki Method. The philosophy of the institute believes in the methods of the Suzuki Principles that are to:        

LISTENING/ENVIRONMENT: The institute creates private and group environments that motivate students to learn and enjoy the music with a sincere heart and joyful spirit. Being surrounded with listening to good quality music helps the child to internalize the sounds and establish an ear for a beautiful tone quality. Learning in an environment of passive and interactive listening helps the students to learn the music more naturally. Children mimic the things that they hear and learn by watching in order to develop. The environment is very important to a child’s growth.

PARENTAL SUPPORT: Parents are the most integral part of making the Suzuki approach work for the children. They are the home guider and facilitator for their children. When they are supportive and involved in the learning process showing patience and respect, children will seek ways to blossom and progress naturally.

READING, PERFORMANCE, and MEMORIZATION: Reading is integrated in a way that makes the student understand how listening to quality of music relates to the written notations. Performing compositions from memory is at the forefront of the method. Students do constant review and repetition of the compositions in the repertoire and perform the pieces by memory at graduation recitals and private book level concerts. The review helps the children to grow and achieve difficult parts of compositions that will occur later. Listening is the main focus at the beginning stage of learning to play.

GAMES, INDIVIDUALITY, and TECHNIQUE: Creative games and manipulatives are used at the institute, especially, at the summer music camp. The games help when work is needed to perfect a piece, to learn more about reading music, listening and developing  memorization skills. Although all students play the same composition pieces, everyone is treated as an individual. They develop their own style and technical expertise in playing the repertoire. Since technique is a vital part of learning to play the pieces well, students work to learn how to play with the appropriate amount of upper-arm gravity drop and rotation on the piano keys. The focus is to help with the hand-arm alignment and prevention of injury.

SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT: The appropriate footstools and cushions must be used to help build a correct posture for the children. The footstools can be purchased from the following company:

Mike Garrett:
Phone: 832-816-1203
email: garrettmd@yahoo.com