Music + Talent Education = Kind Character
We’re a Suzuki Violin School for children ages 2.5+ established by Glenda Walsh Crouse in 2003! Our Westminster, Maryland studio is a safe space for families of all backgrounds and abilities. Our classes meet twice per week. Our program offers comprehensive violin training and artistic development through the Suzuki Talent Education method. Children learn music the way they learn their native language—through immersion, games and play! Our focus is to nurture both musical skills and the whole child. Fostering life skills, a love for learning and kind character. Student levels range from absolute beginner to conservatory auditions for college music majors.
Why choose Suzuki over Traditional Methods ?
Dr. Suzuki observed that all Japanese children became fluent in Japanese.
He applied language acquisition to the study of music. That is, learning music the way we learn our native language—through emersion!
Dr.Suzuki’s main goals were twofold:
1) To develop kind human beings that use empathy to create change and 2) We educate children HOW to learn, so that the skills they learn through violin study can be applied to study of any discipline.
A Social Justice Movement
The Suzuki Method is a social justice movement that began in 1945. Dr. Shinichi Suzuki studied in Germany from 1920-1929 and witnessed the rise of Fascism, White Supremacy, White Nationalism —the rise of the Nazi Party. When he returned home, he also witnessed the rise of Nationalism/Fascism in Japan. He witnessed first hand the atrocities that these dehumanizing ideologies create and he understood that people are not inherently born with these ideas; rather they are educated into people. He observed that it’s a person’s environment that will shape them to do kind acts or hateful acts. He wanted to educate children to have good character. By “character” Dr. Suzuki meant discipline. It’s through the study of violin playing, that one learns to discipline their thoughts, emotions & actions. This leads one to make choices leading to change. Talent education instills a sense of responsibility to act for the the good and happiness of ALL people. Dr. Suzuki believed that if every child could be educated in the spirit of kindness, the world would become a kinder, happier and more peaceful place. “Every child can,” Dr. Suzuki’s famous saying, means that every child can develop the skills needed to play violin and to have a kind heart. It also means adults must breakdown all barriers that limit a child’s access to education and a nurturing environment— Including all economic, political, social and privilege obstacles.
Talent= Ability to Aquire Skill
In the Suzuki method “Talent” is something one fosters. Talent is a skill that one can develop.
When we say a person is “talented” we mean they have cultivated the ability to learn new skills; They have learned how to learn!
Dr. Suzuki said that “Every child can!” Meaning that all children have the ability to develop talent.
A child is not born “talented” or ”gifted” or with a gene that makes them superior to another.
Every child can learn to play the violin if parent and Sensei work together to create the right environment.
Westminster Suzuki Strings - A Suzuki Violin School 