When 3-year-old Meghan Jacobsen-Pacana walks into her North Tonawanda classroom at Buffalo Suzuki Strings, she spots a table filled with familiar instruments.
There s a xylophone, a glockenspiel, a drum (actually a bowl), a woodblock, a triangle and more.
With a bit of a glint in her eye, Meghan eyes the triangle.
But instead of grabbing for it, she sits with her mother, Kristin Jacobsen, on the floor, awaiting instructions from Sarah Mitchell, the instructor for the Strings infant/toddler program.
Meghan, a recent graduate of the program who has started the Pre-Twinkle program, is putting to use just a few of the concepts she learned during the two-plus years she spent in the introductory course.
Ask her what her favorite part of the class was, and she ll tell you without hesitation: Hickory Dickory Dock.
Ask her mother, and she will give an entirely different answer.
A musician herself, Jacobsen was raised playing classical guitar, but the more-disciplined method through which she was taught at a conservatory left little room for enjoyment of music education, she said.
The philosophy behind this method is not just about entertainment, it s about developing the spirit of the child, Jacobsen said.
Learning about music through the Suzuki method, which is based on the philosophy that all children are born with the same amount of potential and have the talent to learn if they are taught well by loving parents and teachers, Jacobsen believes Meghan will develop a healthy appreciation for music as well as a sense of self-worth.
This will give her something to be proud of, she said.
The program, although seemingly focused on music, actually delves into other areas of child development, said Mitchell, a Suzuki-trained instructor.
Moving slowly, step by step, the children are introduced to different concepts.
Dr. (Shinichi) Suzuki actually wanted to train the whole child, Mitchell said.
Music is just the vehicle through which he wanted to teach life lessons.
Described as very repetitive, Mitchell said the program helps build a nurturing environment in which the babies and toddlers can learn. The children hear the same songs, play the same instruments and participate in the same activities during the class weekly sessions.
There is no pressure, allowing children to gain skills when they are ready.
We go from what they know and build on to that with what they don t know, Mitchell said. Kids love what they know.
They love repetition. Repetition is how they build their skills.
Parents can enroll their infants as soon as child and mother are well enough to go out after delivery, Mitchell said.
In fact, the program s philosophy encourages parents to introduce their child to music before they re ever born, she said.
We know now that babies can hear music from within the womb and recognize it when they hear it after they re born, Mitchell said.
When the program s youngest students first enter the classroom some in baby carriers, others waddling through their first steps they depend on their parents a lot to hold them and help them through some of the tasks.
But weeks pass, they begin to develop all sorts of skills, Mitchell said. They learn how to hold a mallet, how to maintain rhythm, pitch as well as self-discipline, concentration and a sense of accomplishment.
And the older children act as a model for the developing minds.
They see how the older kids are comfortable coming to the teacher and letting the teacher help them, and eventually they will be comfortable with it, too, she said. And this will help them when they eventually go to school.
And with the class rolling enrollment, its students are at all different stages of development, Mitchell said.
I can keep an eye on what stage they re at during each class, she said.
The repetitive nature of the class allows parents and the teacher to spot the small steps and achievements each week.
We celebrate each small step, Mitchell said.
I help train parents to be observers and recognize the small achievements of their kids.
The small accomplishments of children are often overlooked by parents who focus on the major milestones.
For instance, I will point out to a parent at the end of class that their baby reached out for the mallet for the first time during class, Mitchell said.
She also keeps files on each student, tracking their progress and achievements.
You have to get down to the kids level to celebrate each step they take, Mitchell said. It can be a joy to do that.
But to keep the children moving along in their development, parents are encouraged to immerse their children in the music. Families are given a CD filled with the music used in the class each week. They re encouraged to play the tunes as much as possible.
That s like their practice, Mitchell said. They practice every day.
Saturating their environment with the music helps the children learn.
Meghan is a poster child for the method s potential.
At just 3, Jacobsen said the toddler exudes a maturity rare in children that age.
We cook together and we listen to WNED.
She will listen to that and pick out instruments or she will say, That was a beautiful piece. That s not something you expect to hear from a 3-year-old, she said. I attribute that to what she s exposed to here and other experiences she has.
The program has been a big stepping stone to creating the foundation of Meghan s character, Jacobsen said.
I love it. I m proud as a parent that I know I m doing something right for her, she said.
But I m more proud that Meghan s happy and enjoying herself while she s here.
But it s never too late to introduce a child to the method, Mitchell said. Some people start their children off as infants, and others bring in their children when they re 10.
Dr. Suzuki once had a man come and ask if it was too late for his son to start learning to play the violin he was 10, Mitchell said. Well, Dr.
Suzuki replied, Then we d better get started today before he gets another day older.
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