| Dr. Shinichi Suzuki Shinichi Suzuki was born on October 17, 1898, in Nagoya, Japan. He lived to be 99 years old, but throughout his life, he remained full of energy, cheerful and loving to everyone he met. Suzuki and his 11 brothers and sisters played near the violin factory his father owned and saw instruments being made, but the children never realized what beautiful sounds could come from a violin. Whe he was 17, Suzuki heard a recording of Schubert's "Ave Maria", played by famous violinist Mischa Elman. He was amazed that a violin could make such a beautiful tone. He had thought it was just a toy, but soon learned to play, at first by teaching himself. When he was 22 years old, he went to Germany and studied with the famous teacher, Karl Klinger. Suzuki also met his wife Waltraud in Germany, and eventually the couple moved back to Japan, where he began to teach and play string quartet concerts with his brothers. Dr. Suzuki always loved children and became very interested in teaching them. He thought that children could learn music just as they learned to speak, starting when they were very young and hearing music all around them. He believed that all children from a young age have the talent to learn if they are taught well by loving parents and teachers. Teachers from throughout the world came to Japan to learn about Dr. Suzuki's method of teaching. As he and his students performed in many other countries of the years, more and more teachers and parents became fascinated by his ideas. Now thousands of children around the world have learned to play through the Suzuki Method. Dr. Suzuki showed teachers and parents everywhere what children could do. He believed hearing and playing great music helped children become great people with beautiful, peaceful hearts.
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