How do I become a Suzuki trained teacher?
So, you want to become a Suzuki trained teacher, or you’re just curious about the process. Either way, you’re in the right place. In this article, I’ll discuss the process for becoming a Suzuki trained teacher, including the cost, time commitment, and what exactly the program entails.
Step One
Find your local Suzuki Association. I am in the US, so my Suzuki Association is the Suzuki Association of the Americas, which serves the US, Canada, Mexico, and South America. If you live in Europe, Asia, or Australia, you will be a part of a different Suzuki Association, and the process will be slightly different.
Step Two
Audition. There are three levels of auditions for the SAA. The first level, for which you must play the first movement of the Seitz D Major concerto and the third movement of the Vivaldi A Minor Concerto, certifies you to take books 1-4. The second level, for which you must play the first movement of the Bach A Minor concerto, certifies you to take books 5-8. The third level, for which you must play the first movement of Mozart concerto 4 or 5, certifies you to take books 9-10. Do not be scared about this audition! You are not applying to become a member of the New York Philharmonic 😜 The association just wants to ensure that you can play your instrument decently.
Step Three
Sign up for training! There are three ways to get Suzuki trained.
Training may be offered at your school. This is how I had my first Suzuki training experience. One of the teachers at DePaul was a Suzuki teacher trainer, and offered Suzuki training classes. This was not something included in the curriculum, but rather an extra class we had to sign up and pay for.
Sign up for a training class via your Suzuki Association website. Many of these trainings occur at institutes, which are like camps, over the summer, but there are also several that take place online.
Enroll in long term training. There are a few universities, such as Ithaca, that offer long term teacher training. If you know of a teacher trainer in your area, they might offer long term teacher training as well. This would involve you taking private or semi-private classes with them over a longer period of time than the usual training classes.
Step Four
Start your training! The first class you’ll take is called Every Child Can. In this class, you’ll learn about the Suzuki Philosophy and the importance and benefits of learning by ear. This class is 3 hours long and costs about $150. Then, you’ll move on to book 1, which is the longest and most expensive book to take. Book 1 requires 10 days of training (instead of 5, like the rest of the books), and costs about $800 (while the other books cost about $400). The exact structure of the class depends on the teacher trainer, but you will learn the teaching points of each piece in the book, plus the necessary skills the student will learn through each. In addition to the classes, you must complete 8 hours of observation. These can be done via videos your teacher trainer provides, or observing other live lessons. Additionally, to complete Suzuki training, you must be a member of the Suzuki Association. The dues are $80 per year, and in my opinion it is very worth it because as a member you get a profile page on the SAA website, through which students can find you.
Step Five
Put everything you’ve learned into practice! Suzuki training was a completely transformative experience for me. It taught me how to teach and showed me the true possibilities of teaching at a high level. Suzuki training is also very beneficial for helping you land jobs. If you have any questions about the Suzuki training process, feel free to leave a comment below!
