As a mother of a daughter who loves music, I’ve witnessed firsthand how incredible the Suzuki Method is. My oldest daughter Natasha participates in the Suzuki program at Citibabes and it has been amazing not only to watch her learn to play an instrument, but also to watch her confidence grow with each violin lesson. Her proud smiles after playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star are contagious!  Some of Citibabes’ largest events of the year are Suzuki-based concerts and recitals—a true testament to the Suzuki Method’s power to teach music to even the littlest learners and its ability to bring families together to share in the joy and discovery of learning an instrument. We are excited to expand our Suzuki program at Citibabes even further with the addition of a Suzuki for Toddlers class in the fall, our Suzuki Summer Program, as well as a Citibabes-to-Go Suzuki program with lessons taught via Skype. Enjoy!

-  Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO & Co-founder, Citibabes

Throughout this past year, I’ve had the pleasure of talking to many parents and caregivers, most of whom had heard of the Suzuki Method before simply because it is a “buzz word” program (a la Headstart, Kumon, Montesorri, etc.). As with any popular program, many people invariably have preconceived notions. I truly love being a Suzuki instructor and am eager to educate everyone on the advantages and disadvantages of participating in Suzuki.

The Suzuki Method was developed not as a way to instruct children in music, but as a form of talent education that cultivates a child’s natural well of talent much in the same way as a child inherently learns language. For Dr. Suzuki, music was the language he taught. The method encourages success in each student by setting reachable goals and using positive reinforcement upon achieving those goals. I like to use stickers and games to inspire my students. Not only do the students feel an internal sense of motivation to accomplish the next goal in the lesson, but it helps to cultivate the student’s confidence, pride, and work ethic in many other areas of school study. 

During the first few lessons, students will be introduced to a variety of instruments and should be given the opportunity to explore before choosing a “main” focus for their Suzuki program. No matter what instrument we use, I work on the basics of rhythm while encouraging students to feel comfortable on multiple instruments all the while letting them get to know me and how our lessons work. I remember from my own childhood how important it was to establish a good relationship with a teacher right away. In order to progress, particularly when the techniques get difficult, I believe children must be able to see me as a guide, not a task master. This is especially important with music instruction as we deal much more with emotions and expression than, say, a math tutor does.

Lastly, it is important to note that The Suzuki Method is not for all children and all families. I make no promises that the students will continue on to college or performing careers. There is an infamous story of Dr. Suzuki himself turning away one of the most influential families in Japan from his school because during the parent interview, they expressed the desire for their daughter to become a pianist like her parents. As the story goes, Dr. Suzuki said to the parents, “I’m sorry, this school can’t except students who have decided their future. We can only learn through what we know.”

That isn’t to say that Suzuki is not a serious method. I myself began at 2 years old, and although I was one of the slowest students to advance through the books, I became a professional musician here in New York, splitting my time between teaching and touring. Suzuki is an invaluable experience for children to have with their parents. In a world where the quality vs. quantity of time with our children is always being challenged, I can say from experience that the time I spent enjoying music with my mom are still my fondest and strongest memories. 

by Jenny Pham, Director of Suzuki Education, Citibabes

For more information please contact Jenny Pham.

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