Give the Gift of Guitar Lessons

By Guest Blogger William Kossler

“Where love is deep, much can be accomplished.” – Dr. Shinichi Suzuki

If you’re looking for a gift that will enrich your child’s education, strengthen your relationship, and instill valuable life skills, consider the gift of guitar lessons at the Winston-Salem Suzuki School.

When your child takes guitar lessons at the Winston-Salem Suzuki School, he or she will enjoy a unique form of music instruction. The Suzuki Method, developed by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in Japan, is an effective method of teaching musical skills and developing a child’s character in the context of the parent-child relationship.

Winston-Salem Suzuki School

William Kossler, founder of the Winston-Salem Suzuki School, first encountered this method while working on his Master’s Degree in guitar performance. His violinist girlfriend, Lauren, suggested he try teaching guitar lessons to children using the Suzuki Method. (At the time, Suzuki’s method had yet to be applied to the guitar.) Both the method and the girlfriend stuck—he married Lauren, who performed for over 20 years with the Winston-Salem Symphony and taught in the public schools.

After finishing his degree, Kossler went on a Rotary Academic Scholarship to spend a year with Dr. Suzuki in Japan. Upon graduating from the Suzuki Institute, Kossler returned to settle in Winston-Salem and develop the Suzuki Guitar Method in the shadow of one of the best guitar programs in the country at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. To date, he has co-authored the publication of nine volumes of the Suzuki Guitar School and was the recording artist for the first of those. Kossler raised his three sons in the Suzuki Guitar program; all perform professionally and one is now the professor of guitar studies at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

What is the Suzuki Method?

The Suzuki Method of guitar lessons involves the student, teacher and parent in a disciplined, yet enjoyable, cooperative effort that represents a wonderful investment in the child’s future. While Suzuki students learn to play their instruments remarkably well and develop a lifelong appreciation of music, the primary goal of the Suzuki Method is to develop the whole child.

Both students and parents benefit from the Suzuki Method and its emphasis on fostering healthy parent-child relationships. Suzuki students develop concentration skills, artistic sensitivity, poise and self-confidence, discipline, social skills and a strong sense of self-worth. Suzuki parents develop a better understanding of their children and of themselves through the commitment of daily quality time practicing the instrument with their child.

The Suzuki Method is built upon four elements:

• The Language Connection: Modeling the way children naturally learn to speak their own native language, parents play at home a listening resource of music the child is learning. This “mother tongue” method of learning is similar to language immersion.
• The Heart Connection: A healthy parent-child relationship is integral to a child’s well-being. Suzuki teachers work with parents, helping them to make practice time fun and communicate to the child the genuine delight they have in them. At the same time, students learn that a little bit of practice every day in any discipline results in tremendous payoff down the road.
• The Character Connection: Suzuki’s primary goal was to create children with “noble character.” He compares the development of character with the development of any ability. Intentional character development is accomplished through learning discipline and fostering a spirit of cooperation in group class collaboration.
• The Self Image Connection: The child’s self image is built through relationships with family, teacher and God. In the Suzuki Method, the message (curriculum) is never allowed to become more important than the medium (the relationship). “If we are not strengthening family relationships or are somehow compromising that in the education of the child, we are missing the point,” says Mr. Kossler.

Find Out More

The Winston Salem Suzuki School currently has openings for new guitar students and can help you find a right-sized instrument for your child. Interested families are invited to attend an initial free group class and private lesson. Visit winstonsalemsuzukischool.com for more information about guitar lessons! Be sure to follow them on Facebook too!

*Sponsored by Winston-Salem Suzuki School

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