The Suzuki Method Violin & Cello Program at Pakachoag engages students at every level – beginner to advanced.
“If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.” –Shinichi Suzuki, founder of the Suzuki Method for teaching.
Pakachoag’s Suzuki Violin & Cello Program is based on the Suzuki Method used world-wide.
The Suzuki Method is based on the philosophy that “every child can”. The parent, child and teacher work together so that the child can learn to play a musical instrument.
Suzuki’s approach is modeled after the manner in which we learn to speak. That is: through listening and imitation. Students acquire basic playing skills through learning a set of variations of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. We begin, first, by learning songs by ear. We begin music reading instruction a little later. This sequence of instruction allows students to focus on developing a beautiful sound, accurate intonation and musicianship.
Students attend both a private and group lesson each week. We ask students to listen to music and practice every day. As a parent or caregiver, you attend all lessons and practice at home with your child.
Here a second year group class performs in concert.
During the course of the year, we offer various Suzuki-specific events. These include:
For children under the age of 5, we make the decision regarding readiness for lessons on a case-by-case basis based on a few simple questions, followed by a quick teacher assessment. One or more years of Music Together classes, including participation in the Music Together Big Kids class, can be highly valuable in preparing a child for private lessons.
The Summer “Suzuki Quick Start” program is also a good opportunity to determine readiness. Visit the Summer Page for more information.
Enrollment in the Suzuki program is based upon an academic year commitment, although a half year (January to June) is also possible at a reduced rate.
We determine the private lesson tuition according to your start date in keeping with the guidelines associated with the School’s private instruction program. Visit the Private Instruction Program page for general information.
The Annual Suzuki program fees for the 2021-2022 school year are:
The Suzuki Program fee is in addition to the private lesson tuition.
Once you enter your second year, you’ll be attending a weekly private lesson and weekly group class from September to June.
Private lessons are subject to the same make-up policies as the regular school private instruction program. Group classes missed by a student/family will not be made up.
The Suzuki Program fee is non-refundable. When signing up, we assume students are signing on for the full school year (or half year if joining between January and March). If a student must withdraw for unusual circumstances, and at least five months are remaining in the school year Suzuki program schedule, we will charge the half-year Suzuki program fee.
Parents of beginners attend six weekly, hour-long classes. We schedule these during an evening time starting in September or January. During these six weeks, the child will take private lessons only. Group classes for the child will begin after you have completed the parent training.
Students begin with a 30 minute lesson. As the child advances, the length of the lesson will increase to 45 minutes and eventually 60 minutes. We ask that a parent be present at the lesson in order to learn with the student and to take notes for home practice.
The School’s Program Director will work with you to arrange a lesson day and time that suits your schedule.
Suzuki Program students participate in a weekly group class in addition to private lessons. In group class, students learn to play together, review and reinforce skills learned in the private lesson and polish pieces for performance. Group classes provide support, motivation and fun to both students and parents. Group classes are as important as the private lesson in a student’s musical development.
We place students according to their playing level, and not necessarily according to age. The Suzuki Coordinator assigns students to a class at the beginning of the school year in consultation with your private teacher. Your child will get the most out of the group class when the class is held on a different day from the private lesson. Please plan to come twice a week.
In order to make class time as productive as possible for all involved, we ask that families review our Suzuki Sibling Attendance Guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact our Suzuki Program Coordinator, Amy Matherly at Amy@pakmusic.org
Additional benefits of the Suzuki Program at Pakachoag include:
For more information please visit the Suzuki Teacher Training Page.
You can learn more about the Suzuki Method here at the Suzuki Association of Americas website.