The ideal situation would be to have each parent meet Dr Suzuki, chat with him and become acquainted with his warmth and his vision for the excellent education of all children.
Since this is not possible, it is necessary to read about Dr. Suzuki philosophy of learning before or after starting lessons, so that you can as a parent, fully appreciate the difference with traditional school teaching and traditional music teaching for the very young.
READING LIST
MARKED WHEN READ
'Natured by Love’
by Shinichi Suzuki
‘Ability Training from Age Zero’
by Shinichi Suzuki
‘His Speeches and Essays’
by Shinichi Suzuki
‘Starting Suzuki Piano’
by Doris Koppelman
‘My Thoughts on Suzuki Piano’
by Haruko Kataoka
RECORDINGS
You will need at least one recording of Suzuki Piano books 1 and 2, on tape or CD Or both. They need to be played every day, in the background of daily life. Some families play the tape in the car, but this is not enough. Please plan to play the first book several times a day. Imagine how difficult it would be to speak another language if you haven’t been living with it for some time to get used to the sounds. Listening will make all the learning easier for your child, and for you. Children progress better if they listen daily, and teacher can tell the difference. Many of our finest pedagogues today require their students to listen to a new piece several months before beginning to study it. The term ‘saturation listening’ implies they should listen many times per day for those several months. This type of listening will cut learning time down substantially because the rhythm and melody will already be thoroughly familiar. I recommend either the CD played by William Aide or the one played by Haruko Kataoka. Both have their good and not good points.
SUZUKI PIANO BOOK ONE and MUSIC ROAD BOOK ONE
You will need to buy these when lessons begin. The books
and recordings listed above are all obtainable through the:
BRITISH SUZUKI INSTITUTE
Telephone:
01582 832 424
Fax:
01582 834 488 39
Address:
High Street , Wheat Hampstead, Hers, AL4 8BB
YOUR PIANO AND YOUR FOOTREST
Your piano needs to be the best quality you can afford in order to inspire your child to learn about making a beautiful sound. Your teacher is ready to advise and help you if you need to purchase a new piano; If you already own a piano, ask your teacher to see and hear it. Make sure that it is tuned and maintained properly. Usually pianos need to be tuned 3 times a year. Your child’s ear will be trained according lo the sounds he hears – so it is worthwhile making it the best possible.
