Suzuki method criticism

Countless times and in numerous places, Suzuki stated that the goal of his method was not to produce professional musicians. Upon my arrival in Matsumoto it was pointed out to me that a high percentage of the students who had studied music at the Talent Education Institute from age three or four had actually quit their lessons by the age of fourteen.

I was shocked to learn this because most of the fourteen-year-olds, and in fact most of the Japanese students over ten years of age, were at my level of ability or well beyond it. It was mind-boggling to think that Suzuki was producing child prodigies. How could he be happy about producing talented children and drop-outs at the same time? It was a paradox.

Yet he was happy, he continually boasted about the fact that only five percent of the Talent Education children go on to be professional musicians. If not to become a professional, why study music, particularly to such a high level? Firstly, Suzuki teachers must have an understanding of what Suzuki meant by nobility if they are to evaluate the success of their teaching.

Secondly, if one wishes to critically analyze the Suzuki Method, for research purposes or for the purpose of comparison with other music pedagogy methods, one must have an understanding of what it was Suzuki sought to do. He wrote one, but in Japanese.

Suzuki method violin pdf

Then everyone demanded that it be translated. Rather, the book is a collection of stories, ideas, and thoughts. Suzuki never explicitly specifies what he means by nobility. However, throughout the text, he does write about the goals of the method when discussing various topics.