Nu Materials Janaury 8 2015

8/16/2019 Nu Materials Janaury 8 2015

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SUZUKI PEDAGOGY

AN INTRODUCTION TO SUZUKI PEDAGOGY, Regenstein Hall, Room 139.

Thursdays, 8:30 - 10:20 am, Winter Quarter, 2015.

Gilda Barston is the instructor. She will be available for consultation by appointment. Her office phone

is (847)448-8304; e-mail: [email protected]

The course, Suzuki Pedagogy, is intended to introduce the string major to the Suzuki Method of instruction.

It will include study of the basic philosophy of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, the history of the Talent Education Method, and the

pedagogical approach of the Suzuki Method. Specific components include the following:

• The Mother Tongue Method

• Parent, teacher, child relationships

• The concept of Tonalization

• The importance of listening and review

• The Pre-Twinkle stage of musical instruction

• A comparison of the Suzuki Method with traditional instruction

• The mechanics of sett ing up a Suzuki program• An overview of the repertoire and teaching points in Book 1 of the Suzuki Method

• Please bring your instruments to class beginning on February 12.

All class notes will be available online at www.gildabarston.com. Go to “Northwestern Materials” and download the files.

Notes will be posted weekly.

Taught by Gilda Barston, cellist, Dean Emeritus, Director of the Barston Suzuki Center at the Music Institute of Chicago

and a Registered Teacher Trainer of the Suzuki Method, the course will include the introductory course of the Suzuki

Association of the Americas, “Every Child Can!”, a six-hour course which is the pre-requisite for any further study in

Suzuki pedagogy. 100% attendance is required for this segment of the course. Additional requirements are

completion of required reading and all class papers and projects, 5 hours of observation of student private lessons andgroup classes taught by qualified Suzuki instructors, demonstration of teaching skills, and passing the final written and

performance examination. Required reading for this course includes:

Suzuki, S. Nurtured by Love. Alfred Music Publishers. (Revised Edition, translated by Kyoko Selden)

Kreitman, E. Teaching From the Balance Point.

Suzuki Association of the Americas. Every Child Can! An Introduction to Suzuki Education. ($30 payable to

the “Suzuki Association of the Americas.” Please bring check or cash to class on January 15.)

In addition to the required reading, the student is expected to have Book 1 of the Suzuki Method for his/her instrument as

well as the Book 1 recording.

Grades will reflect class attendance and class participation (10%), demonstration of performance and teaching skills of

the repertoire studied (10%), the quality of all written work and projects, including grades on examination (60%) and

observation reports (20%).

NOTE: ASSIGNMENTS, REPORTS, OR OTHERWISE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED LATE!

Office hours are by appointment. Mrs. Barston invites you to consult with her about the course at any time; however,

due to her schedule constraints, any appointments scheduled and not kept will count as a class absence.

mailto:[email protected]://www.gildabarston.com./http://www.gildabarston.com./mailto:[email protected]


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(Suzuki Pedagogy Syllabus and Course Outline, page 2)

Suzuki Pedagogy Course Outline

Please note: All written work must be referenced. Please quote your sources.

Course schedule (subject to change):

January 8: Student profiles and pre-test. Explanation of course requirements. Observation guidelines.

Discussion of Suzuki philosophy. History of the Suzuki Method. Mother Tongue Method. The

Suzuki Triangle.

January 15: “Every Child Can!”

January 22: No class. Please use this time to view the video “Nurtured By Love.”

January 29: “Every Child Can!”

February 5: “Every Child Can!”

February 12: Working with parents. Goals and expectations. Listening. Review. Structuring a program.

Structuring a lesson. Practicing. Instrument basics. Pre-Twinkle preparations. Instruments

Required.

February 19: Pre-Twinkle preparations continued. Teaching beginning skills. Steps to Twinkle.

Instruments required.

February 26: Overview of Book 1. Teaching points. Teaching skills. The Suzuki Style. Tonalization.Group lessons. Instruments required.

March 5: Continuation of Book 1. Teaching points. Teaching skills. The characteristics of a good

teacher. A comparison of the Suzuki Method and the traditional approach. Ethics. Questions

and Answers. Instruments Required.

March 12: Performance in class of selected pieces in Book 1. (Memorization required.) Demonstration of

teaching points and teaching skills. Instruments required.

Please note: A written “take home” examination will be distributed on March 12. This

examination is to be submitted to me via e-mail attachment (MS Word or WordPerfect

format) by noon on Thursday, March 19. No exams will be accepted late!!!

March 19: Take-home examination due via e-mail by noon. Written observation reports submitted

via e-mail by noon.


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OVERVIEW OF THE SUZUKI METHOD Prepared by Gilda Barston

The Suzuki Talent Education Method was pioneered in Japan over 60 years ago by Shinichi

Suzuki. It is based on the philosophy that all children are born with high potential for learning if

given the opportunity and environment to develop at an early age. Children are taught music in

the same manner they are taught language (their "mother tongue"), by listening and through

imitation. All music is memorized; note reading is taught when the student's technique is

established.

Dr. Suzuki's main purpose is simply to enrich the lives of children through intimate contact with

music and the inner satisfaction that comes from the ability to do something well. His primary

goal is not to teach young people only how to play musical instruments, but to champion the

unique contribution music can make in the total learning process.

The basic principles of the Suzuki Method are listening, proper technique, thorough mastery,

motivation, and reinforcement. The steps to achievement are exposure, imitation,

encouragement, repetition, addition, and refinement. The parent is the model: present at each

lesson, it is the parent who is first taught, and it is the parent who is responsible to practice with

the child and be the teacher at home.

Talent Education usually begins at an early age. Dr. Suzuki has suggested that parents repeatedly

play recordings of classical music for their infants and toddlers. Actual music lessons ideally

begin around age three, but it is never too late to begin the Suzuki Method.

Talent Education combines listening, practicing and performing, all under the careful supervision

of parent and teacher. Private lessons are held weekly. The Suzuki parent is actively involved in

the learning process. The parent attends all lessons and practices with the student each day,

making sure the student does exactly as the teacher instructed. Younger students, whose

attention spans are short, may have several brief practices each day, instead of one long practice.

The parent encourages the child, giving praise for each effort, so that practice time is a positive

experience. The length of practice time gradually increases as the student advances through the

repertoire. The parent need not be a musician, he is taught step by step how to help the child athome. The role of listening has always been the predominant factor in the Suzuki approach. It

parallels the mother-tongue situation in that this is the source of the material to be later spoken or

performed. In addition, as a result of listening to conversation or music, the desire to speak, or

perform, also arises. It is important to understand Suzuki's four prominent reasons for starting

this way.

(Overview of the Suzuki Method: Gilda Barston, Registered Teacher Trainer, page 1)


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He believes that:

1) The child's musical ear will be well trained through all the listening.

2) The child playing by rote will be able to devote his undivided attention to the

problems of acquiring a good technical foundation.

3) The child becomes accustomed to performing without music.

4) The child is highly motivated to perform the music he has heard so often.

The student must listen each day to a recording of the piece he is learning. In the Suzuki

Method, the child begins playing simple pieces before he is taught to read music. He learns to

depend on his ear for the proper pitch and tone. He acquires skill and confidence in his playing

before he is asked to begin note reading. Until note reading begins, the parent follows the music

and teaches the correct fingering and bowing as instructed by the teacher. All compositions are

memorized. Only after a song is memorized can the teacher concentrate on proper technique andmusicality.

Review is an important aspect of the Suzuki Method. The student spends part of each practice

session reviewing "old" pieces. Here he applies new skills and techniques to songs he already

knows, now he hears for himself the progress he has made.

Group lessons are an important part of the Suzuki program. At the group lesson, the students

have the pleasure of playing together and for one another. Younger students hear the pieces of

older students and are inspired to work harder in order to play those pieces. Friendships flourish.

With a spirit of cooperation and enthusiasm the students and parents encourage each other. It is

enjoyable to participate in the social aspect of music from the very beginning.

Students must have frequent opportunities for solos. Concerts serve as early motivational

experiences. The Suzuki student appears on the program even if he just bows on one string. The

chance to play before an audience increase the student's self-confidence, and he enjoys, rather

than fears, playing before others. The attitude of the teacher is very important in the Suzuki

Method. The teacher must have the firm belief that talent can be developed and that ability

breeds ability. All children do not mature at the same rate, so therefore one should not expect

that an equal amount of practice or lesson time will generate similar results. It is the ability of

each child that is to be developed to its capacity. Teachers, as well as parents, stimulate the child

by their interest and praise for the child as they master each new step. Talent education not only

provides the child with an enriching musical experience, but also creates an atmosphere of

sharing and mutual learning which can bond parent, child, and teacher in a unique and rewarding

manner.



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The use of small sized instruments properly fitted to the child is absolutely necessary, as

development of good form and posture is essential. Pianists will use footstools to aid in good

posture. Cellists will need a chair of proper height. The teacher will aid in selecting instruments

and equipment of proper size.

The pedagogy of the Suzuki books is carefully structured. The first book in the Suzuki Methodstresses preparation. The child must prepare for everything he does: he prepares his posture, he

prepares his change of string level with the bow when changing from one string to another, and

he prepares his fingering for proper placement. New techniques are introduced one step at a

time. Subsequent volumes introduce new techniques and more complex musical works. It is

important that the teacher and parent be aware of the importance of following the repertoire in

sequence.

Tonalization is another aspect of the Suzuki approach. Attention is drawn to the good and bad

tones possible on the instrument. From the beginning, the child is asked to listen to the full,

strong, sound, and to match the sound of the vibrations with the open strings. Good tone is

stressed from the beginning.

Note reading in Japan is started approximately in Volume 4, but in America many teachers begin

the reading process earlier, partly because of the large number of school orchestras which must

necessarily demand note reading. Reading is taught with current material available,

simultaneously with the Suzuki repertoire. By the time reading is introduced, good technique

should be well established at the instrument, so the child can devote his attention to reading.

However, the Suzuki student who has learned to read still performs from memory in the lessons,

and is expected to continue developing this musical memory. Dr. Suzuki's general philosophy

intends that the teacher, child, and parents enjoy the learning process and not be too goal

oriented, although goals are achieved quite readily as evidenced by the fact that the children do

play well. It is Suzuki's contention that talent can be developed; that while nothing can be doneabout heredity, much can be done regarding the environment. His method is not just a means of

playing an instrument, it is a way of life which will enrich the child in countless ways. Creating

professional musicians is not the goal of Shinichi Suzuki. He believes that with the proper

environment and educational process and through the medium of music, sensitivity and

understanding may be raised in children, creating for each child a better life, and for us all, a

better world.



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The Suzuki Method™

The Suzuki Method is based on the principle that all children possess ability and that this

ability can be developed and enhanced through a nurturing environment. All children learn

to speak their own language with relative ease and if the same natural learning process is

applied in teaching other skills, these can be acquired as successfully. Suzuki referred to theprocess as the Mother Tongue Method and to the whole system of pedagogy as Talent

Education.

Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998) was born in Japan and studied western music in Germany in

the 1920s. He first began teaching young children in Japan in the 1930s and further

developed his ideas and philosophy of teaching during the post-war period. His approach to

teaching has now spread to many parts of the world and is proving increasingly successful

everywhere. Because he was a violinist, he first applied his ideas to the teaching of violin,

but it has since been used with many other instruments, in nursery school teaching and

other more general areas.

The important elements of the Suzuki approach to instrumental teaching include the

following:

· an early start (aged 3-4 is normal in most countries)

· the importance of listening to music

· learning to play before learning to read

· the involvement of the parent

· a nurturing and positive learning environment

· a high standard of teaching by trained teachers

· the importance of producing a good sound in a balanced and natural way

· core repertoire, used by Suzuki students across the world

· social interaction with other children: Suzuki students from all over the world can

communicate through the language of music

Aims of the Suzuki MethodThe Suzuki method has enabled many children to play music to a high standard. Substantial

numbers of Suzuki trained students have indeed become highly acclaimed professional

musicians. However, the training of professionals is not the main aim: the emphasis

throughout is on the development of the whole child, on education through music. Dr Suzuki

himself always said that his wish was to foster the human qualities in the child. At every

opportunity he called on politicians, teachers and parents to ensure that the full potential of

every child is developed:

I want - if I can - to get education changed from mere instruction to education in the real

sense of the word - education that inculcates, brings out, develops the hum an potential,

based on the growing life of the child. That is why I am devoting my efforts to furthering

Talent Education: what a child becomes depends entirely on how he is educated. My prayer

is that all children on this globe may become fine human beings, happy people of superior ability, and I am devoting all my energies to making this come about, for I am convinced

that all children are born with this potential.

ISA Website

http://shinichisuzuki.htm/http://shinichisuzuki.htm/


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The Suzuki Triangle

Teacher is responsible for:

* Training the parent to be an effective assistant for the child.

* Teaching the child how to play with beautiful tone, technique and interpretation.

Parent is responsible for being the child's assistant and helping with daily practice which

includes:

* Creating the proper environment so the child will have a successful learning experience

* Playing the recordings as requested by the teacher

* Assisting the child with memorizing a piece as needed

* Teaching fingerings as requested by the teacher

* Helping the child become their own teacher by always asking, “How did you do?”

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.

Child

Parent Teacher

Jentry Barrett String Studio


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DR. SHIN'ICHI SUZUKI

1898-1998

a biographical sketch

Shin'ichi Suzuki was born in Nagoya, Japan on October 17, 1898, the third of twelve

children of prominent samurai parents. After the Japanese feudal system was abolished in 1871,

many samurai found it difficult to provide a living for their families, so Shin'ichi's father,

Masakichi, started a factory to produce samisens, a three-stringed musical instrument.

When Japanese ports were closed to foreign trade in the 17th century, all western musical

instruments were forbidden. In 1853 the ports reopened, but few foreign instruments were

imported to Japan. At the home of a college professor Masakichi happened to see a violin, and

received permission to take it home overnight. He made drawings of the instrument, and in the

following year (1888), he sold his first violin. Twenty-two years later the Suzuki violin factory

was producing 65,000 quality violins a year.

Since the factory was next door to their home, the Suzuki children virtually grew up

there, and often used discarded violins as toys. Shin'ichi didn't know what beautiful sounds aviolin could make until one day he heard a recording of Mischa Elman. Elman's famous tone

awakened Shin'ichi's desire to play the violin. His father, however, would not allow him to study

the instrument, as it was considered beneath his station in life to become a performer. Masakichi

felt that if his son wanted music he should hire someone to play for him. So, Shin'ichi taught

himself.

After a traditional public school education, Shin'ichi attended a school of commerce so he

could help in his father's business. While working in the factory Shin'ichi fell ill and went to

Okitsu for three months to recuperate. There he met the Yanagida family. Mr. Yanagida had

been a schoolmate of Marquis Tokugawa. The Marquis was planning a biological expedition to

the island of Chisima, and Mr. Yanagida arranged for Shin'ichi to join in. Also with the groupwas Nobu Koda, a renowned pianist, invited in honor of her brother, the first Japanese to set foot

on Chisima. Shin'ichi brought his violin, so he and Miss Koda played music daily. She and

Marquis Tokugawa, a devotee oaf fine music, urged young Suzuki to study the violin seriously.

In 1921 the Marquis arranged for Suzuki to study in Germany, where he became a

student of Professor Karl Klingler at the Berlin Conservatory. During his eight years there

Suzuki was befriended by Dr. Albert Einstein, who became his mentor. Einstein was an

accomplished violinist, and often held musical soirees in his home with friends who were

prominent in various fields. All shared a love of music, and were modest and loving human

beings. Einstein taught Suzuki how musical training can sharpen one's perception in any area of

learning. Einstein was only sixteen when he conceived his now famous theories of relativity..He later stated: "My discovery was the result of musical perception."

Suzuki was acutely aware of his own difficulty as an adult in learning the German

language, while equally amazed at the ease with which German children conversed. He began to

realize that children everywhere can speak their mother-tongues fluently and without failure. In

1929 he returned to Japan with his bride, Waltraud, and began his search to discover how

children might use the way they learned their mother-tongues to master other difficult skills, such

as playing the violin.


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World War II was a catastrophe for the entire world, including the Suzuki family, but also

a catalyst for Suzuki's ideas on how to prevent future disasters through better ways to educate the

world's children. Suzuki had great compassion for the innocent children who saw and suffered

the appalling consequences of a war they had not asked for nor understood. He had no money,

just a violin. So he played for every child he saw, not for profit, but to give them hope and a

promise for the future. The Suzukis adopted a four-year-old orphan of the war, and Shin'ichitaught him how to play the violin, not by coercion and scolding, as had been the traditional way

of teaching, but by love and listening to beautiful music.

Suzuki's idea of teaching peace and understanding by the mother-tongue method, using

music as a tool, gradually gained acceptance. In the intervening fifty years hundred of thousands

of loving and understanding parents and teachers in more than forty countries in Asia, Europe,

Australia, Africa and the Americas have joined Dr. Suzuki's effort to nurture loving human

beings through proper education and good music.

Pablo Casals,, a victim of war, prejudice and persecution himself, after hearing hundreds

of Suzuki's students perform in an international concert in Tokyo,, went to the stage, his eyesfilled with tears and his voice shaking with emotion,, and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen. I assist to one of the most moving scenes that one

can see. What we are contemplating has much more significance than it seems. I

don't think that in any country in the world we could feel such spirit of fraternity

or cordiality in its utmost. I feel it in every moment I have had the privilege of

being here. There is such a proof of heart; of desire for a better world.

"And what has impressed me most in this country has been the superlative

desire of grown-up people to think of the smallest, like these, and to teach them

noble feelings and noble deeds.

"One of these is music. To train them in music, to help them understand

that music is not just a sound to dance to or have a fleeting pleasure, to teach them

that music is such a high thing, and that perhaps it is music that will save the

world."

Dr. Suzuki passed away on January 26, 1998 at his home in Matsumoto, Japan.

(Suzuki biographical sketch, page 2)


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GUIDELINES FOR OBSERVATIONS

Please remember that the lesson class is for the student and parent. As a teacher/observer, you

should watch and listen. It is inappropriate to ask questions during the class, or to express your opinions to either the students or parents. If you have questions, please ask them after the class

has ended. Please be respectful of the learning environment.

If you are observing large group classes, it is appropriate (and helpful) to offer assistance intuning and setting up the room at the beginning of the session.

Please look for the following elements in the classes and lessons:

Main point

Activity and purposePacing of the lesson

How many activities

How long on eachHow is the child's attention captured and held?Parent involvement

Positioned in or out of child's vision

Note takingBody language, facial expression

Comments and questions at appropriate times in the lesson

Engaged as home teacher Teacher involvement

Body language, facial expression

Tone of voice

Appropriate use of humor Verbal - non-verbal

Learning modes:

AuralVisual

Kinesthetic

Spatial - large motor Touch - small motor

Active - Passive Relationship to/with parent

Clear assignmentsChild's response(s)

Review Preview Theory/Reading activity


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OBSERVATION FORM

Observation #_____

Name:_______________________________________________ Date:____________

Teacher Observed:____________________________________ Type of Class:____________

Instrument:_______________________ Length of Class:_________

Please observe the following aspects of the lesson:

Focus of the lesson Reading/theory activities

Tonalization and technique Games or teaching ideas

Repertoire Student/Teacher/Parent

Review Verbal/Non-verbal teachniquesPreparation of new material Questions and Comments


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January 8, 2015 PROFILE SHEET

Name:____________________________________Phone: ______________E-mail:________________

Address:_______________________________ City:_______________________ State:___ Zip:______

Instrument:________________________ Current teacher:________________________ Degree:_____

Music Training:

Please list schools attended and degrees awarded:

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Please list major teachers and dates studied:

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Professional experience:

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Teaching experience: ___________________________________________________________________________________

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What previous experience have you had with the Suzuki Method?

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What are your expectations for this class?

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Suzuki Pedagogy Pre-Test(This questionnaire will not be graded.)

Name:______________________________ E-mail address:_____________________________

Instrument:____________________ Teacher:_________________ Degree:_________________

Telephone:_________________________

1. What is the Suzuki method? What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses?

2. How does the Suzuki method deal with note-reading?

3. At what age should children begin their music studies? Why?

4. Do you have any opinions about the Suzuki method? What are your impressions? Did

you grow up in the Suzuki method? Do you know any students or professionals who

grew up in the Suzuki method?

5. What do you need to do to become a Suzuki teacher?

Documents

Nu Materials Janaury 8 2015