About Suzuki School of Elgin
Our School
Lamar Blum founded the Suzuki School of Elgin in 1975 starting with two students. Demand increased as parents saw the benefits and opportunities available to students of the Suzuki Method. As interest grew over the years, the faculty grew to accommodate more and more instruments. Now SSE offers lessons for students of violin, viola, and cello.
Beyond lessons, SSE offers performance opportunities for both private and public events. The group has performed extensively throughout the Fox Valley, in Chicago, Williamsburg, VA, and Yellowstone National Park, WY. They have done benefit and fundraising concerts, as well as played with the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. The potential of every child is unlimited.
— Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
Suzuki Method
The basic premise of the method is that all children can learn to play music the same way that they learn their native language, by being immersed in an environment of music.
The method also depends on a connected triangle between the parent, student, and teacher, each playing an equal part in the student’s success. Parents function as a “home teacher” for the student, guiding them through their practices.
However, the biggest philosophy of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki was that students should learn with joy. At SSE, we always teach with that principle in mind.
Our Parents
SSE has a parent group called Suzuki Plus made up of the parents of enrolled students. They are active in putting on school recitals and performances, hosting social events, keeping a library of books, CDs and DVDs on musical subjects, publishing a newsletter, and giving scholarships for workshops and institutes.