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STATEMENT OF GOALS AND PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING THEM TO ASSURE EXCELLENCE IN THE SUZUKI TALENT EDUCATION PROGRAM
1. Prepare the student for developing his music ability by comparing it to the growing of a tree or ripening of a piece of fruit. Explain it will be an exciting and rewarding journey like traveling in a car up and down mountains - some high, some low. Each mountain or difficult spot is an opportunity to reach a higher destination or goal, which is unending. You will always continue to grow and improve as long as you continue to nourish your talent with concentrated goal oriented practice just like the car needs gas to get where it is going, the tree and fruit need water and sunshine to grow and ripen!
2. Role of the Parent: The success of the student's development depends largely on the commitment and attitude of the parent who is the home teacher following the guidance of the Suzuki teacher.
· Set standards of excellence- the child's will only be as high as the parent's.
· Set a priority for nurturing and acquiring your standards. Self-esteem is established more effectively in the child by developing and experience great success in one activity rather than trying to succeed at many when there isn't time to adequately prepare. The latter leads to frustration and failure resulting in a lowered self-esteem.
· Make a commitment and formulate a procedure of implementing it.
i. Set up a time to practice and listen to the tape. This is vital.
ii. Set goals guided by the Suzuki teacher. (see below)
iii. Make learning fun!
iv. Be creative or read books to get ideas and stimulate creativity.
v. Structure and plan the practice time. For example: (level represents a book)
· Level 1: 10 minutes on Twinkles; 10 min. on Review; 10 min. on new material
· Level 2: 5 min. on Twinkles; 10 min. on Review; 10 min. on New; 10 min. reading
· Level 3: 10 Min. on Tech.; 15 min. on Review; 10 min. on New; 10 min. Reading
· Level 4: 10 min. on Tech.; 20 min. on Review; 20 min. on New; 15 min. reading
· Level 5: 15 min. on Tech.; 25 min. on Review; 30 min on New; 20 min. Reading
· Level 6; 20 min. on Tech.; 40 min. on Review; 50 min. on New; 10 min. sight reading
vi. Attend each lesson.
vii. Tape each lesson.
viii. Take notes at each lesson.
ix. Practice with the child - Don't let him practice unsupervised!
x. Read :Nurtured by Love", "Ability from Age Zero", "Introducing Suzuki Piano" by Doris Koppelman, The
"Suzuki Journal", and all hand outs.
GOALS
The Suzuki method is the "Mother-Tongue" approach whereas we learn to perform beautiful music before we learn to read it just as we learned to speak by listening before learning to read. Listening and surrounding ourselves with music is the key, just as we were surrounded with hearing words before we could speak.
Book 1 Goals:
1. Legato concept.
2. Strong tonal concepts- feeling for beauty for tone.
3. Good hand position and posture.
4. A sense of tempo- feeling for steady and correctly established tempo.
5. Balance between the hands.
6. Dynamics. Nos. 12,14, & 17. Terrace and crescendos and diminuendos.
7. Phrasing- clarity and shaping rainbows (No. 19).
8. A highly developed ear for listening! (Must be developed in book 1!)
9. Good independence of the hands. (Nos. 4, 5, And 17.)
10. Confidence in skills which produces a deep love for playing!
PROCEDURE FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE ABOVE GOALS
1. Listening is a vital requirement through records of famous artists, Suzuki tapes, and one's own practicing and playing. Taping oneself and comparing the sound to that of the tape is an excellent practice technique! All technique is begun and set through listening and developing the ear just as we learned to talk by listening before reading.
2. Master one skill at a time in order of difficulty. Do not be concerned with how fast we are going in terms of pieces. The speed of developing ability depends on how well we master or secure each step in the process or each skill before proceeding! Don't go ahead of the assignments in playing- just in listening.
3. Learning is the result of many repetitions of a single skill. Set definite no. of times to practice a single skill, and draw something for each one. (Perfect repetitions)
4. Practice hands alone a tremendous amount. After "Twinkles" are hands together separate them to continue to develop technique to a high degree of listening and attention to each hand.
5. Review is vital! It must be done with a focus on a goal or skill. Continually create more beautiful sounds in review pieces using newly acquired skills. There is no end to what you can do with a piece. We will review Book 1 to learn later skills. Review is moving ahead in developing ability. Do it hands alone a great deal!
6. There is a big difference in the difficulty between books 1 and 2. Reading should not be begun until all book 1 goals and skills are firmly set. It will be destroyed if it is and skills will be lost. Pre-reading can and should go continually on in group lessons. Children will vary in their readiness. Do not be concerned just as when they learned to walk or speak.
7. Group lessons are essential to the success of the program and are required! Most learning is accomplished by watching, listening, and working with your peers. Pre-reading skills are taught in group lessons, and vital performance opportunities are provided.
8. Observation of student's lesson in your level expediates learning. Observe as many as possible.
This is the genius method developed by Sanichi Suzuki originally
For violin and expanded to include piano, flute, and cello called
Talent education. If we are not doing the above items and learning
Through listening, we have no right to claim we are in the Suzuki
Program. Carefully read this paper and listen to it on the tape,
And decide NOW where your priorities lie and if you can get the
Maximum benefit from this talent education Suzuki program. If you
Can, the rewards are unending as Suzuki's goal included enriching the
Whole person and developing him into a noble and beautiful person
Through love.
I will do all in my ability to make it a success, but I must
Have your support.
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