Introduction

About the suzuki method

This Method, created by the Japanese pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki, is based on the belief that every child is born with enormous potentials to develop; therefore the learning of music  (similar to learning the spoken language) can naturally develop from a child’s most tender age, if continuously stimulated.

The Suzuki Method stems from the idea that every child is talented at birth. Everybody is talented, however a favourable environment, is not common to everybody. Teaching methodology stresses the great importance of the environment where the child is brought up, and so the parents’ active presence is an essential element in Suzuki ‘s educational process.

In October 1968, at the end of his speech in a United Nations session in New York, Shinichi Suzuki expressed the desire for a world policy to help develop children and to improve educational methods.

Today we are recalling his dream more than ever:

“May music make man better, bring peace and the joy of living”.

Musical Garden – Children’s Music Laboratory

At birth every child is surrounded by people who can make it a happy, responsible, intelligent person, or they can suppress the desire to learn for ever.

The human brain is influenced by its environment. The brain of a person changes according to the stimuli it receives and it incorporates past experiences, transforming them in more and more complex abilities and skills. 

Nurturing the human mind is a long and patient process, but nowadays, fortunately, the interest in early childhood education is increasing, due to growing numbers of attentive and passionate parents.

Every ability is the fruit of constant exercise; however a natural gift by itself will never  bear neither genius nor artist. 

Human brain develops thanks to the stimuli it receives and the younger the child is, the more influential the continuous stimuli on more and more refined abilities.

At the “Suzuki Talent Center” in Turin, the basic instrumental rhythmic course, was founded in 1985; it is aimed at children of three – five years of age.

Today we call it  Musical Garden – Children’s Music Lab (CML). By means of a weekly group lesson, for pupils and parents ,the course offers all motoric and perceptive skills necessary for instrumental studies, in a playful way .

When starting their first lesson the pupils receive a little suitcase, containing

• A wooden silent violin

• Two bows

• The  CD with our musical repertoire

• Wooden drumming sticks

• Wooden  cubes

• Little sponge balls

• Castanets

• A little ring

• A slider, etc.

All in order to be able to “play music” in class and at home, with mum or dad.  

Every exercise stems from instrumental practice and helps with specific instrumental problems. Motoric skills are developed in detail as important  pre-instrument steps. At the same time body movements and choreographies have been added to stimulate formal and structural elements in the repertoire in an instinctive and often unconscious way.

Nothing is left to chance and everything must be carefully prepared.

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