The Suzuki Method
			Many beginning string students will start private lessons by learning from the Suzuki books, but many teachers do not actually use the Suzuki method.  The method was formed after yearts of experimentation with the process of learning to play the violin.  Dr. Shinichi Suzuki studied how children learn to speak their native language.  Babies start with continual listening to the language, and eventually they learn to speak it.  Later in life they learn to read it.  Dr. Suzuki concluded that there are many advantages of learning to play an instrument from childhood.  This is easy for young children because learning to play the violin can be like learning to communicate.  Every child can learn music.  Their success relies on their parent's commitment. Parental Involvement      A parent is expected to attend each lesson with their child so that they will be able to help their child practice the rest of the week and essentially be the teacher at home.  The parent is also responsible for helping to set a very positive and encouraging atmosphere during home practice time.  This turns out to be a tremendously valuable opportunity to spend extra one-on-one time with your child every day. Expectations      One of the main expectations of Suzuki families is listening to recordings of pieces the child will learn to play.  Emphasis is put on getting a nice tone out of the instrument rather than moving progressively through the pieces as quickly as possible.  To start, the parent should purchase the recordings for Suzuki books 1 and 4.  Book 4 is to encourage both the parent and child by listening to what they can sound like in just a few years, since it can be a while before the first piece is mastered.  The parent should make a few copies of the book 1 recording:  one copy for the car, one for the child's room, etc. and put the original in a safe place until the copies wear out.  With these recordings the child will use both active and passive listening to learn tone and technique as well as melody and pitch. Group Lessons      There are many skills that simply cannot be learned through a private lesson, such as how to play with others.  This is why, after a child has most of the basic skills down, they are expected to attend monthly group lessons with a parent.  It is here that time is spent focusing on dynamics and ensemble skills (and we have fun, too). Music is Fun      The expectations may sound like a lot of work, but learning to enjoy music and have fun with it is important, too.  Even though your child will learn respect and focus, this isn't the army.  We will use activities and games to teach enjoyment of making music.
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