The Zero to Three Years Programme

Shinichi Suzuki believed that children really do begin learning from conception. The Suzuki Early Childhood Program is a Suzuki Accredited program which creates the environment and develops the skills in both parents and infants to foster the first steps in the child’s musical journey. This pre-instrumental program spans pregnancy and infancy.

Again the principle is based on the mother-tongue approach and emphasises immersion and modelling. This is how infants grow – they copy us and absorb all that is in the environment. Music is a form of expression and as such is communicated across the emotional spectrum and in many ways can be introduced into family life. The family needs to foster a joyful engagement with music making.

Zohara Rotem runs a Suzuki Early Childhood Program on the Sunshine Coast from her studio Sunshine Piano School, visit her web site to make direct contact with her: www.sunshinepianoschool.com It doesn’t matter what instrument your child will later learn, Zohara lays a thoughtful and engaging base for all the family.

Observations from Shinichi Suzuki on early learning.

The Life Force

“Every day a baby listens to his mother’s and father’s words in the environment. Mother is the one who is with the baby most often and who embraces the baby every day. Therefore the baby’s life force will absorb her voice along with every other aspect of the mother. Just like a tape recorder catches the sound of a hundred piece orchestra on a tape, a baby will his survival instinct to absorb everything in his environment while learning to be a human being,”

I want to play, too!

“If a child is three years old, his mother is taught good violin posture and how to play on the small violin. The child amuses himself until the mother is taught a short piece. After a month or two the child is probably thinking something like this: ‘Other children are playing the violin. I want to play, too!’”