Suzuki Music Institute of Dallas

My daughter has been attending the Suzuki Music Institute of Dallas since 2004 with Dr. Bret Serrin as her piano teacher. This summer will mark her 12^th year of playing the piano. When she was four, I researched the Suzuki method thoroughly and visited some summer institutes to observe lessons with her. She was part of the decision to learn to play the piano, even at her young age. In this method, students learn an instrument like they learn a language. They listen, the teacher models, they practice at home with a parent as their «coach» when they are young, and they learn to LOVE music, their instrument, and develop such a sense of pride and accomplishment.
I am very surprised to learn through Unilocal reviews that some families have had experience with competitiveness and the desire to move students along, even if they are not ready. In all of these years, we NEVER once experienced this. The goal has always been for my daughter and all students to move forward at the pace that is appropriate for that individual AND for all students to celebrate the levels and accomplishments of everyone. From the youngest little «Twinkler» to the the advanced students, the monthly piano «Play-​Ins» provide a chance for all students to perform with pride, grace and poise.
It is true that the Suzuki method is a significant commitment, but the results and the sheer love of music that the students experience are unparalleled! My daughter, who is going to be 17 soon, commented recently that she would rather cut off her left foot than stop taking piano lessons with Dr. Bret. I took lessons with my daughter when she was in Book 1, and it gave me such an appreciation of the difficulty and dedication involved in learning to play the piano, that helps me now as I attend her lessons and take notes now that she is in Book 6.
We no longer benefit from the Group Lessons and the Theory Classes because we moved to California. But, we take «instrument only» lessons with Dr. Bret via Skype. At this age, I just attend the lessons, take notes on what she needs to be working on during the week, and the rest is up to her. Instead of monthly play-​ins and the final recital, she performs at local retirement homes about four times a year and has done two formal piano concerts at Saint Mary’s College for her Book 4 and Book 5 graduations.
I can’t say enough good things about the Suzuki method and the Suzuki Music Institute of Dallas! I highly recommend this school for anyone serious about learning an instrument, loving music, and having a community.

As an experienced musician myself, I searched for the perfect music teacher for my own budding young musicians. I am beyond thrilled with the Suzuki Music Institute of Dallas. This school has phenomenal teachers, fabulous group music classes, and unparallelled theory and composition training. All their students study individually with instructors as well as in ensemble settings, and all take separate theory classes. They perform at least 4 times per year, which is great practice! It’s a wonderful music community, one I only experienced when I got to college! I wish they had had a school like this when I was a child!
We are not planning for our children to be professional musicians (and indeed I am not, either), but I appreciate that my children are in an environment that maximizes their potential. My children play piano, and it has always been fun, move-​at-​your-​own-​pace, and encouraging. My little ones are pretty sensitive, so negative pressure or stress would really turn them off – but they love this place and all their teachers, and happily skip into the building each week!
The classes and the practice are definitely a time commitment, but the kids love it, and we are committed to making music an integral part of their lives.
There is excellent instruction for all levels, from pre-​schoolers and young children (like mine) through high school. Some of their recent graduates have gone on to study music at Juilliard and the Eastman School of Music.

Though this school claims to be the best music school in the country (because of the arrogant director), after our experience with our daughter, I wouldn’t let any child near it. Some piano and violin teachers are fantastic, but the whole competition and rudeness behavior of a few of the teachers makes the environment very bad for young kids.
Parents have to commit to a training course that outlines techniques on how children advance and compete with the level of other children. The course came out to us as condescending as far as what our role as parents is concerned. It seems that this school emphasizes music competition more than what I expected from a Suzuki school. We thought that one of the Suzuki principles was the non-​competition character of the instruction. There seems to be a push for the students to perform more and more advanced pieces without preparation, just to keep ahead and go through the pieces and in a fast pace. Yet, we did not see many children playing at a high level, musically, but rather just a few. My husband and I did not want to enroll our daughter to be playing at Carnegie Hall, but just to let her have a positive music learning experience. There is much to be desired in this aspect.
There are plenty of wonderful music teachers that are truly using the Suzuki method around the area that I doubt this school will survive long. The tuition fees are also very high. We felt that it just wasn’t worth all the aggravation and poor environment for the children. You can go and watch your future teacher and see for yourself if that is what you want. In our case, it was not.
I would recommend any parents interested in enrolling their children in music lessons to inquire about all the details and fine print before making a commitment to this school, as well as to search for other certified Suzuki music teachers in the area. We decided to leave and stay away from this place.

I’ve had two kids enrolled here; one in the string dept., and one in the piano dept. This school has a lot to offer, but it is not for everyone.
First of all, you really need to do your due diligence on the method itself; then again on the teacher in question. Not everyone teaches the Suzuki method in the same manner. This school as a whole, especially the string department, comes off as somewhat cultish. Dr Suzuki was a dear soul, a good motivator and an inspiration to many. He was NOT a great musician, nor a great technician.
If you are looking for a place where your chid will receive a pre-​fab, one-​size-​fits-​all musical education complete with a LOT of pressure to keep up, in a school that has a cliquish environment, and asks the parents constantly to donate of their time and money (in addition to all of the daily practice), then this might be the school for you. They like to say that it is a «family environment», but it never came across that way to me.
The fact that they require you to take a «parent training» class before allowing your child to take lessons should speak volumes. It is not optional, even for parents who are highly trained musicians. It is about indoctrinating you in the concepts taught there, many of which are questionable. They expect you there for three hours a week, for your private lesson, your group lesson, and the theory class, which makes participating in other extra curricular activities difficult. (BTW, the claim that things have changed since earlier years are only partially true.)
One up side to this school is the fact that you will not be alone in your efforts. You might feel like you are in the army, but you will certainly know exactly what you and your child are supposed to do, and how often. If you have no experience with music at all and just want your child to get some, then I can recommend the piano department with good conscience. The piano teachers all seem well informed as to proper technique, whereas the string teachers are hit and miss. (You may not think that it matters, but it does. Playing with poor technique year in and year out will take its toll in the end, both on the music, and on your child’s body.) (An aside: Strangely, one teacher REQUIRED me to purchase an additional «practice c.d.» they made themselves, designed to keep us in line at home.)
Another positive is that there are many opportunities for your child to perform, which is nice. However, you should be warned that there is a lot of pressure for the students to move ahead, regardless of readiness, which often results in a poor performance. If your child does not have a good experience performing, their enthusiasm will wane. Afterward, they will have to face their teacher’s disappointment (which is totally unjustified, because they are the one responsible for the child performing a piece beyond their ability in the first place.) As a parent, you need to remember that YOU are ultimately the one who will decide if your child is ready to perform. Don’t give in if you have doubts.
Another plus is that a lot of thought has been put into the repertoire. More so with the string books, than the piano, IMHO. It is nice that the kids get to play REAL music, right off the bat, rather than some of the silly pieces that are published in other methods. That said, you will want to make sure that the teacher in question is willing to break with the designated Suzuki repertoire. Their books are lain out according to «teaching points,» which develop a specific skill. The progression of skills taught in the string books is impressive. Every child is different, however, and if your child needs to re-​enforce a certain skill, which could be accomplished by using other repertoire, but you are stuck with a teacher who refuses to break with the Suzuki Book, then your kid will be one of those kids who does not get a solid foundation and later flounders. It seems that the piano department was more flexible with this than the string department. This begs the question: «If you want your child to study a stringed instrument, why not just have your child study with a traditional string teacher who incorporates the Suzuki Books, and maybe some of the teaching points, but is not a die hard Suzuki-​ite?» I think that is a good question.
You should also understand that prior to commencing lessons here, you will be required to sign a contract agreeing that you will pay for the entire year. I am always suspicious of (non-​academic) institutions that require this. I believe that it is incumbent upon the school/​teacher to do their job well in order to maintain their enrollment and therefore their income. Prior to signing up, I recommend you talk to (and sit in on a few lessons with) a traditional teacher AND a Suzuki teacher, and read everything you can find on the pros and the cons of this method and especially this school.