Celebrating Dr Suzuki’s life and work


Link to articles

To celebrate Suzuki’s life and work, we are inviting all those who experienced his work as a teacher to send us either a short article (a sketch or vignette of up to 300 words) – or a longer article giving a fuller picture (maximum 1500 words). 

In 2008 to mark the  10th anniversary of the passing of Dr Suzuki as well as his 110^th birthday, many events took place around the world.  The ESA Web-Journal  contributed by creating a special collection or collage of memories, which we hope will continue to grow over the next few years.  We are looking for impressions of Dr Suzuki as a Teacher at the various stages of his life, as seen through the eyes of many people whether they were themselves teachers or children at the time.  We have already received several interesting contributions and hope to receive many more -  not merely reminiscences,  but pieces with genuine pedagogical content, which might inspire teachers and parents now in their day-to-day work with the children. 

Please send your article by e-mail to the EDITOR as soon as it is ready and we will update the page on a regular basis. 

 

 

Index and description of Articles:

Felicity Lipman’s account of Teacher Training in Matsumoto around 1977-78 was written close to the time and has an immediacy and liveliness which it is hard to re-create when looking back – a wonderful portrait and very interesting description of the community of Suzuki teachers which was created by their closeness in Matsumoto.

Mysie Ferguson gives a moving account of the inspirational talk given by Yuriko Watanabe, who was Dr Suzuki’s assistant during his later years, at the BSI’s National Workshop in 2007.  This account is second hand and looking back, but nevertheless conveys a strong impression of Dr Suzuki as Teacher as well as his strong impact on teachers who never even met him.

In Lasting Impressions: My Studies with Shinichi Suzuki at the Talent Education Institute, Matsumoto Kerstin Wartberg describes her two years  in Matsumoto 1980-81 as some of the happiest and most intense of her life. The article presents a vivid portrait of Dr Suzuki as a person and teacher, and of the life at the school.  A clear picture of Suzuki’s  philosophy and pedagogy and the impact it had on his many students from all over the world  emerges as well.

Stephen Power's interesting article on Stephen Power, Suzuki, Music and Matsumoto covers visits undertaken later in the same decade. Stephen Power studied at Dr Suzuki’s School for three study visits of three months each in 1984, 1987 and 1990.  His article describes a typical day at the school, the Monday concert and the calligraphy class and so on.  His analysis of the similarities between the approach to calligraphy and the approach to the study of music and playing is most illuminating.