September 2015

I am not a critic of the Suzuki Method!

A good friend of mine was recently attending a talk at a Suzuki conference discussing the Suzuki brand and highlighting recent criticism from elements regarded as hostile. Suddenly a picture of my face appeared on the PowerPoint presentation next to a quote of mine that must have appeared on this site a while back. The inference was that I was being less that flattering about the Suzuki model in order to promote Vamoosh, my own publication. I would like to take this opportunity to exonerate myself as I don’t regard myself as a critic of the Suzuki method in any way.

As my friend noted at the time, I have great respect and appreciation for the considerable contribution Suzuki has made to the world of instrumental teaching. The model has set the standard for all teachers of young children, whether as part of the Suzuki community or not. I merely suggested that teachers who are not official Suzuki teachers can achieve similar results and shouldn’t be ignored.

I never intended Vamoosh to be ‘method’ books to rival others. They are largely directed at slightly older children whose parents may or may not support their learning. In essence, they are designed to motivate children to practice by offering memorable pieces in a way that makes it easy for them to understand.

So please don’t imagine I have anything against the marvelous work of Suzuki teachers. There is room for all of us!

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