Congratulations to everybody who came to our workshop! Frances, Alondra, Ailyn, and Alejandro did a great job performing in the recital. Next time, we will be glad to have others who are prepared perform, as well. Well done!
Our goal is to foster a community of learning, love, appreciation and respect for music, and to promote early childhood intellectual, cultural and character development through the teaching philosophy of Talent Education.
We provide Suzuki violin lessons to children and adults, starting at three years old.
With the Suzuki Method, your child can successfully learn to play the violin beautifully by listening, imitating, and repeating sounds, just as we learn to talk.
In order to do this, we create a partnership between the teacher, parent, and child, inspiring a fine musical ear, self-confidence, and a lifelong love of music.
We have a great commitment to the Suzuki Method philosophy, quality of instruction, and the highest standards of professionalism, with more than fifteen years of teaching experience and proven success in music performance and training young children.
With the Suzuki Method violin program, children learn violin through both individual and group lessons.
Each child receives a weekly individual lesson and a group lesson, concert, recital, or other group activity every month.
Parents receive all the necessary guidance tools to help your child with daily home practicing, as well as to provide for the Suzuki music listening assignments.
No previous music or teaching experience is necessary.
In addition to individual and group violin lessons, students take music reading and theory lessons as part of their weekly instruction.
This comprehensive approach assures that students not only play the violin beautifully, but that students also learn to read, write, and understand music notation and how music works.
The Suzuki music curriculum gives students a well-rounded music education that goes beyond the “typical” weekly private lesson.
Our curriculum has taken many of our former students to the heights of music performance. It is designed to take our music students to the highest levels of musical excellence.
The complete, all-inclusive Suzuki music curriculum includes:To learn more about Lessons, please click here.
Individual Lessons
The teacher, student, and parent meet each week for an individually-focused lesson -one child at a time. While one, two or three children may be present at the same lesson, the teacher’s violin instruction is focused on one child while the other children and parents observe quietly, learning from the instruction.
The length of the lessons may vary depending of the number, age and skill level of the children in the lesson, being from 30 to 90 minutes. Listening skills, posture, rhythm, and tone are developed. At home, the parent works with the child on daily violin practice and listening throughout the week.
During a child’s first semester of Suzuki violin lessons, lessons #1 – 3 may be dedicated mainly to instruct the parent to develop a rudimentary understanding of the violin. The child observes and participates in those lessons. After that introductory stage, the child becomes the main focus of the lessons.
Group Lessons
Essential to the Suzuki Method are weekly group lessons, where students listen to one another play, interact musically, work on violin technique, play musical games, learn theory skills, and learn loco-motor skills. Group lessons are part of the school year’s regular instruction. Other activities such as concerts, recitals, and workshops are also part of the program.
Music Theory Lessons
Music Theory lessons allow children to read and write music notation, to understand how music works and to hear and read is merely a means to an end – music students should be able to use their music theory skills to play their instrument in a more informed manner and to compose their own music.
Recommended Ages
Because of developmental differences in young children, Suzuki violin teachers recommend that children begin studying between the ages of two-and-a-half and six years old. Admission into the program may require a short meeting between the parent, child, and teacher to determine whether the program is what you and your child need. Additionally, parents receive training on the Suzuki philosophy and approach. Contact us to request more information.
How to Begin
Most Suzuki teachers recommend that parents and children observe several Suzuki lessons before registering. Parents take a course covering the basics of the Suzuki philosophy and principles of helping the child with daily practice. It is recommended that children younger than 4 attend at least a semester of early music education classes.
For further details on how to attend violin lessons and details describing the Suzuki Violin program, go to our contact page.
The Suzuki Association of the Americas Violin Committee announced that the Revised Book 6 of the Suzuki Violin School is finally in print. Included in the mailing of the next SAA Journal is a list of Suggested Repertoire for Books 6, 7 and 8 to accompany those volumes.
By mandate from the 2009 International Teacher Trainers Conference, the ISA Violin Committee was to compile a list of suggested repertoire from different style periods appropriate for each book level to be published in the Revised Books 6-8. It proved a difficult task for all the Regional Association Violin Committees to arrive at consensus over a specific list. As a result, each Regional Association is to assemble its own list for distribution to its members. This is not to create an alternate repertoire but to suggest additional pieces to fill out the depth of the current books, in many instances with pieces Dr. Suzuki himself used in lessons and concerts. There will be a paragraph published in the Revised Books 6, 7 and 8 explaining this procedure. (See pg. 32 of the newly published Revised Book 6 for this paragraph.)
Beginning in 2010, the SAA Violin Committee, in collaboration with the SAA violin Teacher Trainers, began compiling such a list. The Committee appreciates the generous input from the Trainers in that process.
This list is organized by category: Tone pieces, Kreisler pieces, Concertos and Sonatas, Bach, “Show” pieces, and Modern pieces.
The list you have received today does NOT preclude any teacher from using their personal favorites, nor a Trainer from presenting a more comprehensive list for each book or distributing their own list. This list is meant as a guideline for our membership and provide a baseline resource in our training courses. This list is NOT immutable and will be revisited and revised as we work with the list in our teaching and training over the next several years. We look forward to your feedback.
SAA Violin Committee:
Allen Lieb, Chair; Ronda Cole; Lorraine Fink; Karen Kimmett; Sandy Reuning
How does the Suzuki Talent Education Method differ from other methods of teaching music to children?
Though music teachers have often used some of the elements of the Suzuki Talent Education Method, Dr. Suzuki formulated them in a cohesive approach to teaching music to children. The Love Nurtured Music Program uses this approach exclusively.
Some basic differences are:
Come to observe a lesson and see the Suzuki Method for yourself
The Suzuki Triangle:
The teacher is responsible for:
Parent is responsible for being the child’s assistant and helping with daily practice which includes:
Child is responsible for being a child, which means:
The child will learn from whatever is put in his environment. Most children enjoy learning music by ear if given the opportunity and proper surroundings. Gradually children learn to assume responsibility for their work as they mature, but it takes time and cannot be rushed. Children become responsible, cooperative, and disciplined, not because parents tell them they should, but rather because they see their parents behaving this way and follow their example.
If you are already aware of all the academic benefits that Suzuki violin lessons will bring to your child’s life and know how the Suzuki Method works, congratulations! You are one of the many happy parents who experience the joy of nurturing your child’s efforts and wants him/her to succeed in music, academics, social life, and beyond. Here is how to get started:
By Rigo Murillo
I often see that successful music students and parents always manage to be well prepared for performances, auditions, and weekly lessons. They always have what they need when it comes to books, accessories, and all that’s needed to have a nice lesson time. But even the best well-intentioned student and parent may forget a thing or two that should be in their music tote bag. Even Yehudi Menuhin, the famous violinist of the twentieth century wrote in one of his books about what every violinist should have in his/her violin case.
For starters, here is a “musician’s tote bag kit” for you to think about:
String players, please add these:
I am sure that getting all these applicable accessories and necessities will make your practicing more consistent, successful and pleasant. It will at least impless your music teacher when an emergency comes up.
Happy practicing!
Rigo Murillo
The Love Nurtured Music program embraces the ideals and philosophy of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, founder of the Suzuki Method. The student, teacher and parent are the solid foundation of a learning triangle. The parent attends the lessons, creates a positive home learning environment, and organizes the daily listening and practice sessions.
No previous music or teaching experience is necessary.
More than forty years ago, Suzuki realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach. The ideas of parent responsibility, loving encouragement, constant repetition, etc., are some of the special features of the Suzuki approach.
Parent Involvement
As when a child learns to talk, parents are involved in the musical learning of their child. They attend lessons with the child and serve as “home teachers” during the week. One parent often learns to play before the child, so that s/he understands what the child is expected to do. Parents work with the teacher to create an enjoyable learning environment.
Early Beginning
The early years are crucial for developing mental processes and muscle coordination. Listening to music should begin at birth; formal training may begin at age three or four, but it is never too late to begin.
Listening
Children learn words after hearing them spoken hundreds of times by othe rs. Listening to music every day is important, especially listening to pieces in the Suzuki repertoire so the child knows them immediately.
Repetition
Constant repetition is essential in learning to play an instrument. Children do not learn a word or piece of music and then discard it. They add it to their vocabulary or repertoire, gradually using it in new and more sophisticated ways.
Encouragement
As with language, the child’s effort to learn an instrument should be met with sincere praise and encouragement. Each child learns at his/her own rate, building on small steps so that each one can be mastered. Children are also encouraged to support each other’s efforts, fostering an attitude of generosity and cooperation.
Learning with Other Children
In addition to private lessons, children participate in regular group lessons and performance at which they learn from an are motivated by each other.
Graded Repertoire
Children do not practice exercises to learn to talk, but use language for its natural purpose of communication and self-expression. Pieces in the Suzuki repertoire are designed to present technical problems to be learned in the context of the music rather than through dry technical exercises.
Delayed Reading
Children learn to read after their ability to talk has been well established. in the same way, children should develop basic technical competence on their instruments before being taught to read music.
How do I get my child started on Suzuki Violin?
Very young children can be taught to play an instrument using the Suzuki approach. The child learns by listening, imitating, and repeating sounds, just as we learn to talk. The Suzuki music method takes children through music learning from infancy to excellence in music performance. The main purpuse of the Suzuki music lessons is to teach discipline, hard work skills, and a noble character to children.
The Suzuki Method creates a partnership between the teacher, parent, and child, inspiring a fine musical ear, self-confidence, and a lifelong love of music. The “Suzuki Parent” attends all individual and group lessons. Your Suzuki music teacher will give you all the necessary tools to help your child with daily home practicing, as well as providing instructions for the Suzuki music listening assignments. No previous music or teaching experience is necessary.
Contact us to schedule a FREE lesson observation appointment if you want to get your child started with Suzuki music lessons or would like to visit our studio, or to obtain registration and tuition information.
Mr. Rigo Murillo will personally give you all the information you need about the Suzuki music program.
Scroll down if you would like to send an email.
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