David Madsen

Last summer, focus groups at summer Institutes were asked to submit questions for a panel of “Suzuki Experts” to answer. This is the fifth installment.

How can we maintain the joy of playing guitar without weighing the student down with technique?

The better technique a student has, the more joy in making music she will experience. When a child has good technique, he can play expressively and musically without any restraint from the fingers, in the same way children use their voices. When technique is carefully presented and fully developed a child will not be weighed down, but will be free to develop their ability to the fullest. Creating a fun environment is important and we should remember Dr. Suzuki’s words, “Without hurry, without rest.”

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It is my great honor to present Frank Longay with the SAA Creating Community Learning Award for his accomplishments in developing the Longay Conservatory of Guitar. I first met Frank in the summer of 1991 when I took Suzuki Book One training at the Guitar Summer Workshop in New Milford, Connecticut. It was his teaching that inspired me to pursue Suzuki pedagogy.

The Conservatory is located in Santa Clara, CA. Frank began his program in 1983 with a private studio in rented space, and since then, it has evolved into one of the nation’s premier Suzuki programs, with 125 students and their families enrolled. Frank and his staff; teachers Grady Sloan, Scott Gossage, John Kline, and administrator Kim Buller work together to create, in the words of Dr. Suzuki, the “superior environment that has the greatest effect in creating superior abilities.”

Read more of Longay Conservatory of Guitar: Suzuki Vision and Leadership »