The Program
West Denver Suzuki Strings offers lessons for violin, viola and cello.
The program includes:
weekly private lessons
bi-weekly group lessons
biannual solo recitals
biannual group concerts
other fun growth opportunities
With eleven group classes, there is a place for every student to grow in musical enrichment and a community of friends!
Getting Started!
Email Lead Teacher Zach Ragent at info@westdenversuzuki.com to get connected to a teacher. Observe some current students to find out if our program fits your family’s needs. Arrange a meeting or phone call with the teacher to discuss your musical hopes and dreams. Find a lesson time. Start practicing!
The Suzuki Method
When love is deep, much can be accomplished.
- Shinichi Suzuki
Every Child Can Learn
Violinist and teacher Shinichi Suzuki realized that all children can speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the principles of children learning their native tongue to teaching music and called his method the Mother-Tongue Approach. The ideas of parent involvement, positive encouragement and constant repetition are some of the aspects of the Suzuki Method.
Parent Involvement
As with learning their native language, the Suzuki Method includes parent involvement in the musical training of the child. Parents attend lessons with their children, practice with them and create a home environment to promote an enjoyable musical experience.
Early Beginning
Musical training may begin as early as three or four years of age for muscle development and mental stimulation. Music listening should begin at birth. It is however never too late to begin!
Listening
Children hear thousands of words spoken to them over and over as they are growing. It is important for children to listen to recordings of their pieces constantly. This gives them instant recognition as they learn the pieces.
Repetition and Review
Just as children do not learn a new word and then abandon it, likewise students review old pieces constantly. This gives them opportunities to advance in technical skills while playing music. This means that old pieces are played in more and more sophisticated ways.
Encouragement
As with learning to speak, the student’s progress should be met with sincere praise and encouragement. Each student learns at a different pace and small steps are praised. Students are also encouraged to support one another’s efforts, fostering a spirit of joy and generosity in which to learn.
Learning with Others
In addition to private lessons, children participate in group lessons and performances in which they learn from and are motivated by one another. Students who participate in group lessons are found to be more motivated with practice at home, tend to learn faster and stick with their instrument for longer.
Graded Repertoire
Children do not use exercises to learn to speak but use real words and sentences for communication and self-expression. Pieces in the Suzuki Repertoire are designed to present technical difficulties in the context of music rather than dry exercises. As the student begins to master the instrument, scales and other studies may be added to advance the technique.
Delayed Reading
Children learn to read well after the ability to talk has been established. In the same way, students learn to read music well after their basic technical competence has been established.
