Violin with Mary T.

Private Program

Private Program is a play-based, outdoor education program for children ages 18 months to age 8.

Suzuki Violin

I follow the Suzuki method for violin instruction. I offer parent education for families new to the Suzuki method along with the student's violin instruction. Parent(s)/caregiver(s) are expected to attend lessons in order to take notes, and to be able to assist their child with daily practice between lessons. Required items to begin lessons: -Violin - fitted to the student (correct size) -Bow (matching the size of the violin) -Violin Case (matching the size of the violin and bow) -Shoulder Rest (I recommend Michael Kimber's Polypad, also needs to be correct size) -Suzuki Violin Book 1 (Book and CD/Audio download from iTunes) -Notebook or other method of taking and keeping notes for lessons -Nurtured By Love by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki (for parent to read) For local (to Columbus, NJ) violin rentals, I recommend JC Strings in Lawrenceville, NJ, Princeton Violins in Kingston, NJ, or Sam Ash in Cherry Hill, NJ. Please contact me with any questions regarding required items before renting or purchasing them. For very young students (ages 3-5), lessons may begin on a cardboard home-made practice violin instead of a real instrument until the child understands proper care for the instrument. In this case, violin and bow rental are not needed prior to beginning lessons. I can provide instructions for making a home-made practice violin. Daily listening to the Suzuki recordings and other music are part of the Suzuki method. Plan to listen to recordings 1+ hours a day. (This may be done as background music or active listening. There may be times when listening to a specific piece of Suzuki music may be part of the assignments for a particular week in order to prepare for an upcoming lesson.). Group lessons are an integral part of the Suzuki method in addition to private instruction. Group lessons will be offered for students in my home studio in Columbus, NJ who are enrolled in private lessons with me. Group lesson schedules are determined by number of students I have currently taking lessons and availability. They are typically scheduled for an evening or weekend a few times a month.

Ewing Township School District

West Chester University

Suzuki Association of the Americas

Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Suzuki Association of the Americas

Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY

Suzuki Association of the Americas

Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY

The Suzuki Association of the Americas, Inc. is the not-for-profit organization officially licensed to support, guide, and promote Suzuki education in North, Central, and South America. The SAA was founded in 1972 and currently has about 8,000 members.

Our hope is to develop people with a good heart, through a positive environment of music learning. GPSA strives to enrich the lives of children through the Suzuki approach to music instruction. The Suzuki philosophy is based on creating a positive environment through which children can learn. This requires strong emphasis on the involvement of the family and learning in a combination of private and group settings. Positive encouragement, step-by-step improvement, development of strong listening and memory skills, and building upon learned repertoire are cornerstones of the philosophy. We strive to keep raising the quality of Suzuki music teaching and the quality of children's abilities. Teacher workshops, master classes, informal sharing of ideas, access to videos and teaching information, and assistance through the Suzuki Association of the Americas help teachers improve their teaching skills. Students participate in a variety of activities with others from a wide geographical area in events which motivate interest and raise musical standards.