Hi everyone. I have been reading all of the amazing posts about Suzuki music and am so intrigued. I have looked for a Suzuki school or teacher near my home and just cannot find one. I asked a family friend that happens to be a music teacher if there was anyone locally who could teach a baby or toddler. His response was that there is no reason to teach them young because it makes no difference in the long run. Talk about frustrating! Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we can find someone willing to try it? I know I have a couple years still, but am at a loss.
Oh, and I have started him on music already. I am using the piano and flash cards to teach him the notes (on top of Trebellina and Your Baby Can Discover). We also play patterns on his little drum.
I haven’t found any music groups around here. The youngest I can find music classes is 5 years. It is at an instrument shop and I don’t think they would follow the light hearted, fun approach that I like about Suzuki.
Also, thanks for the compliment on my blog. I enjoy writing it. I know I have learned a ton from other moms so wanted to share our attempts.
I love your blog, too. I might have been a little excited about leaving comments yesterday :wub:
Have you checked out kinderbach? They seem to have a lot of theory as well as piano teaching. I finally decided to get them later, because my son is nearly 2 now and I have Piano Wizard for his birthday present to introduce the piano as a game, then use Kinderbach in another year or so when I think he will get the fingering more. I think it could be possible to go through first as a parent with your baby watching, then once he’s big enough you can start from the beginning with your son.
There is also tune toddlers for pitch training - I’ve just ordered them so I can’t say how well they work, but lots of people have them. You can get brillkids discouunts, too
I am also impatiently waiting for Little Musician to come out. Unfortunately, I am what you might call ‘musically challenged’ so am unable to do more at the moment than play music and use a glockenspiel for pitch training.
One thing my son loves more than anything is his xylophone. I didn’t bother with the ‘baby toy’ one and went straight to a designed-for-kids actual 2-octave instrument. Ironically, there is not a huge price difference (I think I paid £15 against £8-12 for a four-note kiddy-toy). It makes quite good quality sound and allows him to ‘compose’ tunes. He has it in his corner and plays with it often. I also have a larger glockenspiel that we use for our pitch training, which is ‘mine’ (so he can’t acess it whenever he wants and destroy it ) that we take turns playing when doing perfect pitch.
Thank you MummyRoo. I have heard of Piano Wizard and was thinking of getting it in a couple of years. I will add Kinderbach to my list of things to look into. A kids xylophone is on my wish list (partially because it is one of the few words that starts with X). However, I am not in a huge hurry because I have a nice electric piano so can teach the notes in various sounds there.
Yamaha Music Schools start piano lessons at age 4. They have a program for 3 year olds called Music Wonderland. I started my child at 4, so I don’t know anything about the 3 year old program. But it is something to look into.
Hi there,
I’m a violin teacher with many years of experience teaching young children (2 years and above) the violin. I also have certified Suzuki training in both violin and viola. Please feel free to browse my school’s website: www.bestmusicacademy.com. I currently have 2 classes (Best Baby Violin Program) starting children on the violin in which the children’s average age is 2.5 years.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Let me know how you make out!
-Charliah
Yes, its tough. We have one Suzuki music teacher in our area ( violin) and she will only go as young as age 7. How frustrating because I have a 5yr old that so wants to play the violin its not funny.
But with that said when I asked the teacher had her reason. Of course it was a parent that ruined it for others. She had a parent that had extremely high expectations. She had a 5yr old student and the father really pressured the child in a way that was not condusive with Suzuki teaching. So in the end it has ruined it for the rest of the parents. I know that I would not get the same results with my 5yr old that I would with my 8 or 11 yr old.
I’ve been tempted to teach my daughter anyways since with Suzuki teaching you, the parent , learn the instrument too. Not just the children because you are the teacher too. The instructor teaches you, then teaches the child, then you are the teacher to your child at home.
We haven’t started with lessons because I can’t afford them right now. I sure wish I could because I love music and I love to play instruments. But I thought I would throw that out there. Or it could be because of tolerance. Some people don’t have the patience to teach little ones. And its good that they know that instead of telling you they will because it would set up for a very poor learning experience.
At your son’t age I would try out things like Kinderbach , and the Piano Wizard ( assuming you want to teach piano) to get him aquainted with music. He’s still pretty young and they really need to have a long attention span to learn music. But once he’s ready for Suzuki I would definitely get him signed up.
) that we take turns playing when doing perfect pitch.