It takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at anything. However, the investment of time is only part of the story; the practice must be meaningful and mindful. The Suzuki Method includes by design a rich variety of opportunities to practise with other people...

“Beautiful tone, beautiful heart”: being more than a role model"
“Beautiful tone, beautiful heart” is a phrase that Dr. Suzuki wrote in calligraphy on certificates given to teachers who studied at his school in Matsumoto, Japan. In just four words, it expressed his belief about what is revealed in a musician’s tone - someone who invested the effort in developing a lovely sound was also, in Dr. Suzuki’s view, demonstrating a commitment to becoming a finer person.

Imagine learning French without ever hearing it spoken. Imagine next that you travel to Paris to test out your new skill. Will you be able to manage in French? Will your pronunciation and inflections be correct? Unlikely. You might be able to read a bit – signage in shops, names of things – but as far as genuine communication with other people, to speak even rudimentary French, you need to hear it spoken. That is the only way to absorb the nuances, tone, and other sound-based qualities of the language.

Do you ever wonder why your student Brittany doesn’t practise the things you ask her to, things that will make her a better flute player? Or why you end up spending Peter’s lesson time on the same issues over and over? When this happens in my studio, I find it rather wearing – it’s pretty clear my students aren’t exactly thrilled about it either. An advantage of Suzuki method is that a parent attends the lessons and knows what the current work is all about. With younger students, the parent is expected to be actively involved in the practice, and we provide all kinds of activities and games to make practising effective. Still, many families find that their child will accept a lot more direction from the teacher than from Mum or Dad.