Every day some stillness needs to be found, held on to and used to focus playing and listening in such a way that the child finds ongoing meaning and learning and joy in it. Of course everyone in the family is caught up in this. The more centred the parents are at this time the more effective is the learning.

It is important for a family to understand that it is not just the child’s responsibility to learn. It is a commitment to a set of values that say – music! Great we love it, and we nurture it daily, we want to play not fast, or flamboyantly but Beautifully! A simple tune played beautifully is much, much better than a fast tune played with no real attention to sound, phrasing and presence.

Another question I am often asked is how old does my child need to be to start playing music? The answer is simple – The earlier the better. We do not ask how old should my child be to start learning their mother tongue? Of course we take it for granted that we start at the cradle and never cease with the learning of our language. The Suzuki approach takes the same position. Music is a form of language and we begin learning it at the cradle – the radio or CD player or what ever is on and the infant begins hearing music immediately. This is preparatory but also formative. So be thoughtful about the music you play – select fine music with subtle sounds along with the normal diet of music that your taste calls into the child’s arena of learning. Remember also that everything the child experiences is a learning experience – so be aware that your life in all its glory will be reflected back at you in your child.