Suzuki
TEACHER TRAINING
at Oak Lodge School, Clapham, London SW12 Course Directors:
Violin: Alison Apley & Sue Thomas
Piano: Caroline Gowers
Cello: Carey Beth Hockett
Flute: Sarah Murray
British Suzuki Institute
Registered Charity No 278005
39 High Street, Wheathampstead
Hertfordshire, AL4 8BB
Tel: 01582 832424
The British Suzuki Institute
The British Suzuki Institute (BSI) was founded in 1978
to promote
the educational philosophy of Dr Shinichi Suzuki, with
special reference
to instrumental teaching. The BSI acts as an umbrella
organisation for
Suzuki groups and teachers around the country, publishing
a Journal
once a term, and providing information about the method
to interested
parents and teachers. The main purpose of the BSI is the
provision of
teacher training.
Every week the BSI receives many enquiries from interested
parents
from all parts of the country. At present demand for teachers
far
outweighs supply even in areas where we have many trained
teachers,
such as London and the South East, the Midlands and Bristol.
The Teacher Training Courses
Courses are available for violin, piano, cello and flute
and residential
and non-residential courses are held at Oak Lodge School,
Clapham.
These are part time, covering five levels, and normally
take two to
three years to complete, but the tutors do not guarantee
that students
will achieve all five levels in that time. There are six
weekends and two
week-long sessions each year and candidates are required
to attend all
sessions. It is usually recommended that teachers begin
to teach by the
Suzuki approach after six months on the course.
At the end of each year, usually in March, examinations
are held for the
European Suzuki Association levels, leading to the ESA
Diploma.
Content
of Courses:
A practical application of Suzuki’s Philosophy.
Individual lessons to improve the candidate’s technique
with
emphasis on tone production.
Step by step mastery of teaching points in the repertoire.
Structure of individual and group lessons.
Observation of Suzuki teaching with a recognised Suzuki
teacher.
Supervised teaching of children.
Lectures and discussions on child development with particular
regard to the parent-child relationship.
Solo performance.
Course Preparation:
Memorise the first few books of the Suzuki repertoire.
Listen to the Suzuki recordings.
Study Dr Suzuki’s books Nurtured by Love and Ability
Development from Age Zero.
Auditions and Interviews
Auditions are normally held in January each year in the
London area
for violin and piano courses which begin the following
April. Flute and
cello auditions are by arrangement with the course tutors.
Candidates
are required to play the audition pieces from memory (please
see
audition form for details).
Candidates should have read Nurtured by Love and be prepared
to
explain why they want to come on the course.
Career opportunities
Since the start of the BSI, more than 200 teachers have
been trained.
Some of these now work privately, many are employed by
Local
Authorities and a few work in private schools; a number
work abroad,
including some from other countries who have trained here.
Suzuki
teaching is international with large teaching programmes
in Japan,
USA, Europe, Australia.
|
| |
