In Suzuki lessons, there are three people involved in the learning process — the student, the teacher, and the parent or caregiver. The collaboration and teamwork involved between these three people is called the Suzuki Triangle; each person has their own role and responsibilities with the goal of cultivating a learning environment that is steeped in love, discipline, and collaboration.
The Suzuki Triangle involves three people -- The Parent, the Teacher, and the Student.
What is the role of each person in the Suzuki Triangle?
The Student
As the student in the Suzuki Triangle, your responsibility is to come to each lesson prepared with your practice assignments and ready to learn the next new thing! This means that you practice your instrument daily, you listen to your Suzuki recordings, and you try your very best in lessons and in-home practice.
The Teacher
As teachers, our role is to guide the student in an engaging and fun way, support the parent throughout the practice process, and give clear directions to both student and parent that can be easily replicated at home. We only see the child for a short time each week, so we pack a lot of learning into your lessons!
The Parent
As a parent or caregiver within the Suzuki Triangle, you attend lessons and coach home practice with your child. Even though you are not playing the instrument directly, your contribution to the learning process is crucial to your child’s success — especially when your child is very young! In lessons, you take notes and learn how to practice with your child throughout the week. You are attentive to the teacher’s interactions with your child, observing without interruption.
At home, your role is to create an environment for your child where they can explore their passion for music and build skills on their instrument. This means that you coach your child through daily practice with love and encouragement, and communicate regularly with your teacher about how practice is going.
You can also cultivate a musical environment by giving your child easy access to their Suzuki recordings, playing music around the house and in the car, and taking your child to see live music performances.
Why we love the Suzuki Triangle:
The well-renowned Suzuki teacher and Suzuki program director Alice Joy Lewis once said: “[Dr.] Suzuki’s idea was that as important as music is, the child is more important.”
We love how the Suzuki Triangle is designed as a collaborative effort to support the student! The discipline, collaboration and love that all three members of the Triangle cultivate provides the most ideal situation for the student to succeed, maximizing their potential in their development as a musician and as a person of upstanding character.