Tahka-Tahka-tah-ka

I grew up on the Suzuki Method of teaching (teaching music, sure, but in general, just teaching).

Shinichi Suzuki's method of teaching children how to play the violin was a "mother tongue" approach - children learn how to play the violin by hearing/seeing the violin played, and then mimicking what they hear.

Another important part of his philosophy is "talent education" - Dr Suzuki believed that you aren't just born with musical talent, but that musical talent could be taught and that teaching children how to play music would make them better citizens.

I am in the process of observing some Suzuki violin teachers so we can get V taking lessons. We bought him a violin for Christmas but it is slightly too big so we are going to exchange it. In the meantime, we have been listening to a lot of the "Twinkles".

This morning while V was at preschool, J asked to listen to "Tahka-Tahka-tah-ka" (also known as "mississippi hot dog", "huckleberry hello", "everybody down up" among others) - which is "Twinkle A" in the Suzuki books.

Here she is enjoying her Twinkle A music...

Have you heard of the Suzuki Method? Do your children take music lessons? What benefits have you seen from music lessons with your children?

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