The musical success story that is Suzuki

It was disappointing to read, in an otherwise excellent article by Richard Sennett, of another unnecessary swipe at the Suzuki method (Labours of love, February 2). Sennett writes about the enormous skill and craft required to become a true master carpenter or musician. He then demonstrates complete ignorance of Suzuki by implying that the method does not share those ideals of carefully building skills to become a fine musician. He suggests that Suzuki taught "without focusing on the complexities of producing a beautiful tone" and goes on to say: "Habit of this mechanical sort fails for a physical reason ... the fingertip doesn't know the fingerboard."

In fact, Suzuki teachers follow the concept "Every tone has a living soul". They demonstrate enormous care in finding the "sweet spot" of the finger where the finger meets the string, and in teaching the importance of listening to the ringing tones of the sympathetic open strings. It is our job to teach accurate pitch and the craft of violin playing. Listening to the correct pitch and the sound you are making is the point of the method.

Shin'chi Suzuki himself referred to his method as "the mother-tongue approach". His enlightened work has influenced violin playing all over the world for more than half a century and literally millions of children have been positively affected by his musical inspiration. Dorothy DeLay, that icon of the Juilliard violin department, declared that she would be out of a job if it were not for all her brilliant Suzuki students.

Surely we no longer have to defend what is a self-evident musical success story?
Helen Brunner
Founder-director, London Suzuki Group