Suzuki Music Program

The Suzuki program currently offers instruction in Violin, Cello and Guitar for students as young as age 4. Beginners' classes are offered in the fall semester. Please call 860-486-1073 for a brochure or to be placed on a waiting list.

The Suzuki approach differs from traditional methods of teaching instrumental music because the student begins training at an early age, and a parent is involved in the lessons and practices with the student at home. The goal is to develop the whole child, to help unfold his or her natural potential to learn and become a good and happy person. The purpose of Suzuki training is not to produce great artists, but to help every child find the joy that comes through music.

Highlights of the Suzuki method include:

• Beginning as early as possible. The Community School of the Arts begins Suzuki Violin and Cello lessons as early as age 4 (in some cases at age 3).
• Moving in small steps. Each child progresses at his/her own pace. Mastery of each new technique gives students a sense of success and builds enthusiasm and confidence.
• A parent attends all lessons and group classes. Because the parent plays the role of teacher at home during practice sessions, it is important for him/her to feel secure with the material and the learning process. Parents will receive initial instruction in correct playing posture and all of the beginning steps, even to the point of playing a beginning piece.
• Listening to recordings. Daily listening to the Suzuki repertoire is paramount to the success of the student. The more a student listens to the material, the more quickly he or she learns. This is a basic tenet of Dr. Suzuki’s Mother-tongue method of learning, whether it be a language or music.
• Ear Training. Just as we teach children to read after they learn to speak, the Suzuki approach postpones music reading until after the student is already playing music. This keeps the focus of learning on sound, tone, intonation, phrasing, technique, and developing a strong ear for music.
• Group Lessons. In addition to private lessons, group classes based on experience offer valuable aids to motivation for our students in the Suzuki Program. Children learn from advanced students and from peers, often as much as from direct contact with an adult instructor.

Suzuki Package Fees

Private Instruction and Group Class/15 weeks

Pre-Semester Requirements for New Suzuki Parents
All parents interested in enrolling their child in the Community School’s Suzuki Program must call 860-486-1073 to be placed on the waiting list. Prior to scheduling lessons, parents will:

• be contacted by the CSA Suzuki coordinator;
• complete three observations (two private lessons and one group class);
• read “Nurtured by Love” by Shinichi Suzuki;
• and purchase Volume 1 book and CD