Suzuki Strings St. Pete Carries on Unique Tradition of Musical Training

Jennifer Diedrich founded Suzuki Strings of St. Petersburg in 2003, utilizing a unique style of teaching music that benefited her as a child. The St. Pete resident and violinist for the Tampa Bay Symphony was one of the first to learn via the Suzuki method as a four-year-old back in Chicago in the early 1970s from Arthur Montzka, one of the disciples of originator Shinichi Suzuki of Japan.

The Suzuki method applies the basic principles of learning to speak to learning to play an instrument, starting with children as young as infants. With the help of parents and a very basic program of study they learn the instrument and performance and are often well beyond the typical learning curve of others students within a few years.

The Suzuki method is meant to help in the approach to learning as a whole – not just music – and often results in better study habits, leadership skills and confidence.

Diedrich has been teaching at a local church and preschool but most students now go to her home for instruction as she seeks a new facility in which to expand her program. She talked to Patch about teaching students to play the violin.

Q. Can you explain what's different about the Suzuki method?

A. Most of us started out having a half-hour lesson a week and it was just a relationship between the teacher and the student. This method is a triangle – the parent, the teacher and the student – all three work together and the life skills are really what Suzuki had in mind. He was using music as a vehicle to teach discipline and respect and kindness. The other benefit with music is it really taps your emotional self, your intellectual self. It's more of a whole piece for development. I think that's why it works so well.

Q. Do parents have to be musicians to participate?

A, It's not necessary. A lot of adults are intimidated by that but I just reassure them they know more than a two or three year-old. They have better muscle coordination so usually the parent will learn how to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” just so they understand what it feels like. You'll make a lot of mistakes but they're joyful about it and laugh at it and have fun. It creates quality time.”

Q. Can you point to a student you've seen profoundly benefit from the program?

A. There is one little guy who has won the Florida and Southeast Division for composing and honorable mention nationally on violin and piano. He's eight years old. He did an infant and toddler program.

Q. What inspired Suzuki to develop his own method?

A. He believed everybody had potential, so that you weren't born a musician or an athlete or whatever. It is primarily what you're exposed to and how you're nurtured. For instance, you're not going to batter someone if they pronounce a word wrong, you just repeat it for them correctly. He believed the world would be a better place if people would be kind and loving.”

Q. How did the Suzuki method evolve?

A. (Shinichi Suzuki) said all of us have to call it our own program like Montzka Suzuki or Diedrich Suzuki because you have your own personality to inject into it. Montzka was a professor at Northern Illinois University and he went to all the elementary and middle schools during the day, and that's how it sort of started organically.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

There are approximately 30 families in her program in St. Pete and about 150 in the greater Tampa Bay area, and she has many adult students as well. Fees are about $100 per month, which includes both private and group lessons. There will be a new web site launch in the coming weeks for Suzuki Strings St. Pete at www.suzukistringsstpete.com.

She can be reached by phone at 727-804-1488 or via email at diedrichj@aol.com.