 |
 |
|
||
My name is Angela DeVeau Wright and I am personally honored to have been under Yuko's tutelage through an internship program while completing my certification as a Suzuki instructor at the University of Memphis in 1977. UofM was one of the first Universities to embrace the Suzuki® Method and to establish the vibrant Memphis Suzuki Institute, a community program for Suzuki music instruction. Started in 1971, in 1976 Yuko Honda led and more firmly established the program in Memphis and it still thrives today with more than 300 students. My desire is to help bring beauty through music to my sphere of influence in South Central Texas and beyond. It is with gratitude that I now teach and perform music to further the ideals inspired by Yuko’s passion, enthusiasm, and devotion. Although she will be truly missed after her passing in April 2007, her legacy still lives on in the lives of her students. I am fortunate to have been one of them. The Suzuki method of musical instruction is as natural as teaching children their ABC’s. | |||
It was with this nurturing attitude that Dr. Shinichi Suzuki first established his Talent Education approach to teaching violin students in Japan and it is today with this nurturing attitude that we at SimplySuzuki ™ approach the musical instruction of our students. We believe that music is a life skill that can be learned and enjoyed throughout ones’ lifespan. It is noteworthy to point out that there is scientific evidence to substantiate that music has a unique and positive effect on brain function and development and can enhance the absorption of other academic knowledge.
The Suzuki Method was conceived in the mid-20th century by Shin'ichi Suzuki, a Japanese violinist who desired to bring some beauty to the lives of children in his country after the devastation of World War II. As a skilled violinist but a beginner at the German language who struggled to learn it, Suzuki noticed that all children pick up their native language quickly, and even dialects which adults consider "difficult" to learn are spoken with ease by people of 5 or 6 years. He reasoned that if children have the skill to acquire their mother tongue, then they have the necessary ability to become proficient on a musical instrument. He pioneered the idea that any pre-school age child could begin to play the violin if learning steps were small enough and if the instrument was scaled down to fit their body. He modeled his method, which he called "Talent Education", after his theories of natural language acquisition. Suzuki believed that every child, if properly taught, was capable of a high level of musical achievement.
|
|||
The Suzuki Method has evolved in the United States over the past 5 decades to include the more traditional instruction of sight reading and the study of a variety of musical styles. This Western evolution provides the advantage of musical aural development and improvisation potential in addition to the preparation of the student for the traditional orchestral environments. All
of us at SimplySuzuki ™ look
forward to meeting you and your child. Our expanding list of
accomplished musicians welcomes you. Together we can pursue and
fulfill Dr. Suzuki’s vision for better music by developing
skillful music from the heart. Sincerely, Angela
DeVeau Wright, BME, MA, PhD |
|||
|
|||
The
'nurture' involved in the Suzuki movement is modeled on a concept
of early childhood education that focuses on factors which 
Although
the Suzuki method was first developed in