In Suzuki musical learning the presence of a parent (or an adult figure) is crucial. It is common to talk about the Suzuki triangle where student, teacher and parent have the same importance in the musical education of the child. As a parent, you are home-teacher, and have the task of supervising and guiding the practice of your child. You will also be an essential part of individual and group lessons. Please take notes during lessons and learn the pieces your child is learning. I highly encourage you to have a few lessons yourself on the cello, so you will be able to fully understand and help the musical journey of your kid. As a Suzuki parent, you have to make sure your child (and yourself) is listening to the repertoire. Make it part of your daily routine, as you would do with practising. Suzuki used to say, “practice (and I would also add listen) only on the days you eat”. I am always happy to give advice and listen to your concern.

It is essential to create a positive and nurturing environment, where the child enjoys playing the cello, is not afraid of mistakes and is free to express themselves. Try to recreate the fun and positive environment of the lesson at home, always maintaining a loving attitude. Support the learning of your child but do not put extra pressure on them. Games play a vital role in the lesson and at home. Try to recreate the lesson at home. However, children often struggle to practice. Some tools to use are practice charts where they can mark or put a sticker on a completed task. Use a lot of praise and rewards. Show how proud you are of them, just because they are practising and doing something as challenging as learning to play the cello. Agree on a specific time of the day when you practice (for example, many students of mine practice in the morning before going to school), so they know when to expect it in the day. Suzuki lessons follow the principle of a one-point lesson, where in one lesson one specific skill or task is tackled. Try to do the same at home. Stay positive and excited during the practice session, do not force too much. If we are doing things right, your child will eventually enjoy practising and improving.

If you want to learn with a qualified Suzuki Teacher, like myself, you will have to become a member of the BSMA. This will give you access to group lessons, workshops, graduation, online and in-person classes for parents. The most exciting part about the Suzuki method is being part of a musical community which globally shares the same values, repertoire and approach to music. You can find more info about membership on the BSMA website. https://www.britishsuzuki.org.uk/pages/membership.(https://www.britishsuzuki.org.uk/pages/membership)

I recommend hiring a cello. Children grow fast and you will change them quite quickly. Usually renting a cello is about £30 per month. Here are some shops where you can rent cellos. Bridgewood and Neitzert, in Stoke Newington, rents cellos, but the smallest cello you can rent is a 1/8: https://bridgewoodandneitzert.london/cello-hire/.(https://bridgewoodandneitzert.london/cello-hire/) Stringers, in Marylebone, offers various cellos but does not rent full size cellos (maybe needed by parents): https://stringerslondon.com/services(https://stringerslondon.com/services) JP Guiver, a few minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus tube station, is slightly more expensive and bills every four months. However, you can find smaller cellos and 4/4 cellos. https://guivier.com/services/student-hire/(https://guivier.com/services/student-hire/) Also, Suzuki Hub, in Hoxton, offers instrument rental for its students.

Here is a link to download the official Suzuki recordings of Books 1 and 2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K6B3TII/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&linkId=20b817a09acfcb3cb49965e6cc7ae9f0&tag=violinistco0e-20(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K6B3TII/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&linkId=20b817a09acfcb3cb49965e6cc7ae9f0&tag=violinistco0e-20)