More than fifty years ago, Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach. The ideas of parent responsibility, loving encouragement, constant repetition, etc., are some of the special features of the Suzuki approach.
The Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) is the backbone of our Suzuki education. The organization is a coalition of teachers, parents, educators, and others who are dedicated to making quality music education available to all children. The SAA provides programs and services to members throughout North and South America.
As a program of the SAA, The Suzuki Alumni Project gratefully recognizes that our education we are celebrating would not have been possible without the invaluable training, encouragement, and organization of the SAA, which was founded in 1972 as a 501(c)3 to promote Suzuki education in North, Central, and South America. For information on how to find a Suzuki teacher near you, Suzuki teacher training, Institutes, local chapters, and more, please visit the website of the Suzuki Association of the Americas:
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki working with young students