The Suzuki Method

The Suzuki Method was developed by the Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki (1898–1998).

The flutist Toshio Takahashi is the author of the Suzuki Method for flute and collaborated directly with Suzuki in the development of the method.

The core idea behind the method is that all children possess abilities—or at the very least, the potential to learn. One essential condition for developing those abilities is loving and positive guidance from both parents and teachers.

Students learning through the Suzuki Method begin playing the flute in an auditory way. Suzuki compared learning an instrument to acquiring one’s mother tongue: first you learn to speak, and only later to read and write. The same approach is used in this form of music education.

Early Start

Children can begin flute lessons as early as age 4 or 5—and sometimes even from age 2.5 to 3.

Just like with violin, young children start by renting a flute that fits their size. This begins with the Nuvo flute, followed by the Jupiter children’s flute, then a curved-headjoint flute, and eventually a full-size flute. We use songs from Little Bird as a preparatory step toward Book 1 of the Suzuki Method.

Parents

Parents play a vital role during and after lessons in order to support their child’s practice at home, to encourage them, offer positive reinforcement, and help them persevere. That’s why, in the beginning, parents also take flute lessons themselves so they can better understand how the instrument works.

In lessons, we discuss what and how to study with your child using a clear practice schedule. Parents also take notes during individual and group lessons.

Core Repertoire

The method is built around a fixed repertoire from which new skills are introduced and previously learned pieces are refined. This strong foundation enables children to play together with others, even with students of different teachers, at flute workshops both nationally and internationally.

Reading Music

Since most children naturally become interested in letters, they also start to learn to read notes and rhythms after a few lessons using Music Mind Games. This way, they are soon able to read simple sheet music.

The Suzuki repertoire itself continues to be taught by ear.

CD Listening

Daily listening to the Suzuki CD immerses the child in a musical environment, allowing musical structures and harmonies to become part of their internal system. This makes memorizing songs increasingly easy and natural.

Practice

Playing an instrument requires daily practice. That means setting aside time every day. At first, the practice time may be short, but before long, children will be spending around 30 minutes a day.

Group Lessons

From the start, children receive both weekly individual and weekly group lessons. Group lessons are a key component for learning many aspects of music-making, such as ensemble playing, performing for peers, exploring topics more deeply, working on tone as a group, physical or breathing exercises, enjoying shared progress, and learning to play in harmony.

Group lessons are held on Mondays.