by Katie Sutton
In August my daughter, Sophie, presented her complete Suzuki Book One recital for friends and family at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Nashville. This half-hour concert represented three years of hard work and commitment. For those familiar with the technical aspect of playing the violin, the journey from young beginner to competent student during formative Book One instruction is worth a special showcase of the student’s repertoire. The song list itself proved to be a sweet walk down memory lane as I remembered assisting Sophie in her practice through each new song over the years.
This first big milestone has given me the opportunity to reflect on all of the smaller milestones the Suzuki Method allows students to achieve. I will never forget how excited both of my daughters were when they graduated from a box “violin” to their real instrument, and Sophie practically skipped out of her lesson the day Miss Sarah cleared her to start learning “Lightly Row” upon passing all of the “Twinkles.” With every newly acquired skill, our children gain both confidence and artistry, and they witness firsthand the direct relationship between consistent effort and tangible results. These small accomplishments provide handholds for our students to grasp even on the tough days when their practicing does not appear to yield any fruit. We know, of course, that they are cultivating much more than their musical prowess when they forge ahead, but our children need to be reminded often that their effort is worth it.
Suzuki Book One is quite the hill to climb, but the momentum I have seen in Sophie’s delight and ability since moving on to Book Two and sight reading has been so exciting. She actually volunteers to pick up her instrument most days and asks to go through her new piece “just one more time.” The most precious element in all of this is that no one could have done this for Sophie but herself, and her song is 100 percent her very own. And isn’t this sense of ownership what we want to encourage in our children? Reaching milestones fuels the passion to work and achieve, and we as parents should promote an atmosphere of celebration for every triumph, large or small.
Sophie’s recital was about more than performing a concert or highlighting certain book-level skills. In fact, the whole Suzuki Method is about much more than cranking out accomplished musicians. Our walk along the path of musical artistry is actually about the journey itself—the everyday steps we take to thoughtfully create and maintain something of beauty. This intentionality to nurture creativity in our children paves the way for their success.
Katie Sutton is a Suzuki parent to Sophie and Zoe, both of whom are violinists at Franklin Suzuki Academy.
