Using Our Senses

In pondering what a "normal" vacation is like, I remember childhood vacations as visiting a new city where my family followed an entire itinerary of places to visit. The typical visit was so filled with visual stimuli that by the end of the day, I didn't remember much of what I experienced, having just seen a lot of places. We solved that problem by always taking lots of photos, which to this day serve as the memories of our vacations.

On my more recent vacations, I have visited a new location and chosen only one or two destinations. My favorite thing to do is to find a cafe or coffee shop in the center of a place, and drink coffee and people watch for an hour or two. This gives me the chance to not only see a place, but also imagine what it feels like to live there, experience the smells of the city, and hear the buzz of passers by and its ambience.

In our world of music, we know the importance of listening. This week, I heard myself say to a new beginners' family that their role in the Suzuki learning process was to provide a musical environment. I also could hear myself reminding my students to listen to their recordings. Listening to the Suzuki recordings is a key element, but there is more involved in creating a musical environment. It is like visiting a new place--we must create a musical world full of sounds, feelings, smells, physical stimuli, and, of course, visual landmarks.

I know so many students are learning remotely for school and enrichment programs for math, dance, gymnastics, and Suzuki! How do we keep our students focused and engaged? The learning tool of the internet and screen is very useful and has enabled us to be connected by seeing the faces of our students. We all know that Zoom is wonderful because we get to see our students almost like normal, and they can talk to us. But ultimately, this experience is visual. Our students are getting tired because it is only one type stimulus largely depending upon the visual.

With the changing seasons the air smells crisper and we can now enjoy baking pumpkin and apple pie and smelling the delicious aromas of fall cooking. As colder weather brings this opportunity for a change in cuisine, could music perhaps be associated with all these wonderful smells? Pumpkin songs, playing in minor, and rewarding good practicing with a slice of the freshly baked bread or pie could bring so many positive associations to the practicing experience. I can taste it already...

I hear myself saying to my students that playing the piano is physical. Thus we have to use our muscles daily, and we need to train our fingers to be stronger. Paying attention to how the keys feel under our fingers and playing with the correct finger position will build hand strength and confidence. Placing one's fingers and producing sound is a tactile experience, and we know phrases like "tickling the ivories" that really do reflect what is necessary to produce certain kinds of sounds. Children learn by this physical sensation.

We must not forget listening and our sense of hearing. What is your favorite music? Are you listening for pleasure on a daily basis? Who are your favorite musicians? Does your child have exposure to different styles of music? Do they listen to classical music outside the Suzuki repertoire?

So many students are eager to read music. Some of us believe that reading music is more essential than playing by ear. I feel that in our world we place so much emphasis on visual stimulus, that perhaps we forget that the strongest sense in children (and babies) is their sense of hearing. They will hear the tone of your voice and associate the feelings that go with that. Let us surround ourselves with beautiful music so that we may nurture beautiful hearts in our children. Let's use all our senses in creating the musical environment for our families.

Sachiko