Dear Friend,
Welcome to the Suzuki Music School of Westport, CT, Fairfield County’s leading 501(c) non-profit music school, founded in 1997. We are a member of the National Guild of Community Music Schools of the Arts, and a member of the Suzuki Assciation of the Americas, and offer instrumental music lessons in violin, viola, cello, guitar, flute, piano, chamber music, music theory, and ensemble to over 300 students aged between 3 years and 18. In addition to our instrumental instruction, we run a variety of music classes for mothers and tots from “newborn to 6 years”, as well as music enrichment classes for adults of all ages. This year we are proud to announce the addition of the new Suzuki Voice program to our school, making us one of a very small number of schools to offer this wondeful course. Our talented faculty is trained within the Suzuki Method and aims to instill joy and confidence to every student through the medium of music.
I invite you to come and visit the school, meet the faculty or sit in on a lesson. Or if you would like to be entertained, come and attend one of our events – an inspiring student concert or our exciting visiting artist series.
If you are interested in enrolling in a class please explore these web pages for information. You can also request information by phone or through our website. We hope we can bring the joy of music into your life!
http://www.smsw.org/index.html
Best wishes,
| Dr. Andrew Smith GRSM Hons, LRAM, Cert Ad. Music Director |
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The Mother Tongue Approach
Dr. Suzuki observed how even the youngest child can pick up words from it’s parents. Children immitate, experiment and perfect words – a learning the process they develop to a high art from the moment they leave the womb.
Dr. Suzuki realized the power of this early learning skill and realise the similarity between learning a language and learning music. Music is a language that transcends boundaries. Like any language, we can begin to learn its syntax from the moment we leave the womb. If we are surrounded by music as we are surrounded by speech, then we can learn to use it before we read or write.
Dr. Suzuki understood the similarity between speech and music. Using popular folk melodies and classical tunes he developed a sequence of music that introduces concepts in such small steps that even a child of three can learn. Each step is taught by ear in a natural learning process that mimics the way a child first grasps how to speak.
There are three steps to mastering any skill.
- Observing the skill.
- Experimenting with it.
- Turning our experiments into knowledge and skill.
Suzuki observed that at each stage of the learning process the richness of experience determines the level of success. To awaken inner musical creativity at every level Suzuki parents surround their children with beautiful music. The Suzuki approach uses active and passive listening for a richer learning experience. Continually through the day a child listens to their music so it becomes second nature to them. By the time they come to play the repertoire they have formed their own personal bond with the tunes.
The School’s Address:
212 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06880
Our Phone:
(203) 227 9474
Office Voicemail: Ext 1
Lesson Enquiry: Ext 2
Teacher Messages Ext 3
Fax: (203) 227 3014
