Music Department Offers New Suzuki Method Certification

Music Department Offers New Suzuki Method Certificate Program

Ohio Christian University has added a Suzuki Method Teaching Certification program to its Music Department’s offerings.  The Suzuki Method Certification is a four-year program that prepares violin teachers to use this proven learning method.

Professors Linda and Roger Stieg earned their Suzuki Teacher Training certification after studying for two years with Dr. Suzuki in Japan. Both have enjoyed music teaching careers and are Suzuki Association of Americas (SAA)-accredited teacher trainers.

“Suzuki said his method is a philosophy of learning. We learned it directly from him and want to pass the baton, pass this brilliant method along,” explains Linda Stieg. “We want to do this in a Christian setting,” adds Roger.  It is uncommon for violin teachers to learn the Suzuki method at a university, and this program is unique among faith-based schools.”

The ten units of the program cover the Suzuki learning philosophy, performance literature, and a supervised practicum. Undergraduates in the Bachelor of Music program, as well as university and private instructors, are encouraged to enroll. To enroll, individuals must demonstrate through an audition that they are accomplished violinists. Upon completing the program, graduates receive a certificate and qualify for SAA accreditation.

Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, a renowned violinist and violin teacher in Japan after World War II, devised his ‘mother tongue’ method of how to teach students to learn to play the violin by applying a holistic philosophy and technique similar to how young children learn their native language.”

The method helps children to realize their potential for playing the violin. When formulating his method, Suzuki observed how and why children learn to speak their native tongue quickly and well—by listening, watching, and receiving reinforcement in an encouraging, loving environment. He believed children learn to perform well when nurtured by caring teachers in a group of players who inspire each other through their varied proficiencies and levels of advancement.

To find out more about the Certificate in Suzuki Pedagogy, click here.