Our History
Violin instruction using the method of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki began in Calgary in 1967 through an organization founded by Georgianna Ritter, who served as President and Executive Director. Dr. Suzuki sent teachers from Matsumoto, Japan in those early days.
In 1972, the Suzuki Talent Education Society was formally registered as a non-profit society; and the sole responsibility for administration of the Society was placed in the hands of parents. The Society is essentially the same today with an Artistic Director, Administrator and a Board of Directors composed of parents and members from the outside community.
The Suzuki Society provides private and group lessons for violin, viola and cello students. Master classes, workshops, concerts, ensemble playing and musicianship classes are also offered. The Society emphasizes the importance of music in the lives of babies, toddlers and even unborn infants by offering an outstanding early childhood program.
The Society has music programs for all ages. Parents can not only sit in on their children's lessons but also have the opportunity to learn to play along with their children. It's a great family adventure when you belong to the Suzuki Society!
PHILOSOPHY AND TEACHING METHOD
What is a cultured person?
One who is kind to others.
One who can pour affection on others.
One who knows the joy of life, and enjoys,
Striving for the sake of everybody's happiness.
The Talent Education movement was started shortly after World War II by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, master educator and humanitarian, as a means of helping children in his war-torn Japan. Talent Education has since spread throughout Asia, Australia, the Americas and Europe. In 2004, Talent Education celebrated its fortieth anniversary in North America.
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Using the Mother Tongue Approach or Suzuki Method (as it is also called), thousands of children world-wide are developing considerable abilities in such complex areas as music, languages and mathematics, starting as early as age three. In North America, where the Suzuki Method is best known as an approach to music education, many have become familiar with the sight of young musicians, often school-age or pre-school age children, playing with an astonishing level of technique and musicianship. The Suzuki method is now used to teach violin, viola, cello, bass, piano, flute, harp, guitar and recorder.
Dr. Suzuki formulated his method from the simple observation that all healthy, hearing children learn to speak their native language at a very early age; and they learn with perfect accuracy the dialect, pronunciation and inflection used in their own environment. Suzuki observed the ease with which children learn to speak. They hear thousands of repetitions of one word and add on new words, one at a time through hearing and repetition, unencumbered by harsh criticism or fear of failure. If young children could learn something as complex as language, then why could they not learn other skills as well? And why not learn them as simply and naturally as learning to speak?
Dr. Suzuki's fundamental belief is that all children possess natural ability (Suzuki uses the word talent) that grows according to the degree to which it is nurtured (education). In Talent Education, ability is fostered by parents and teachers working together with children. Parents create a home environment conducive to learning, structured listening and practice activities. In a sense, parents are the real teachers. The professional teacher acts as a mentor to both parents and children, guiding them in learning activities and helping them to overcome obstacles.
It is never too early to begin music education using the Suzuki Method. Training may begin as early as age zero by means of exposing children to selected recordings of good music at home until the children, even as infants, begin to recognize them.
Formal training with a musical instrument may begin at age three when children learn the basics of position and posture. A step-by-step progression is followed until they can play simple songs, then major works.
Although former Suzuki students are performing on concert stages and in major orchestras world-wide, the production of professional musicians is not the primary goal of Talent Education. Rather, Talent Education seeks to develop the hearts and minds of children with results beyond music itself including increased self-discipline, higher sensitivity, improved academic skills and a sense of confidence and self-esteem.
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