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People become the child of their environments
This Painting from Suzuki Sensei means (in my translation) “People become the child of their environments” or as it is more often translated, “Man is the son of his environment”
This has been my shikishi forever. Every time I received a painting from Dr. Suzuki, it said that phrase out of the hundreds of quotes that he made, this was always mine.
“Repetition is important!” as we all know from working with these amazing, loving children.
A few days ago, while at my parent’s beautiful home, I asked my Mother (who is a Suzuki Teacher Trainer of Great Note, hee hee) whether or not she had any spare shikishis (or paintings) from Dr. Suzuki. You know, greedy child that I am, I wanted more and … particularly, I wanted a NEW one…
with a NEW saying. Only at this very moment is the full import of this hitting me as I am in tears.
You see, she found one in her stack, all signed and dated the the very year of my Graduation. It is protected beautifully in a lovely silver and gold holder. And, you guessed it. It has painted so nicely and beautifully
Hito wa
Kankyou no ko
Nari
With mountains in the background and a lovely tree… the tree of life.
And so this morning as I pondered… (as I am wont to do in the early morning time) I remembered… I remembered my first concerts in the huge auditoriums wearing my scratchy petticoats and stiff satin dress, patent black leather shoes and dangling my feet on the nice cushy chair while watching and listening to beautiful music. We listened. We watched beautiful ballets, orchestral performances – almost any cultural event meant that we would be in attendance. I remember my very first Nutcracker performance. I remember hearing and watching Issac Stern perform at the Capitol Theatre as I sat in the mezzanine and studied him closely. I remember making the audio tape of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to send to my Grandmother and Grandfather so far away, and later, i remember playing Bach Adagio for him in the Jackson Lake Lodge …. at his request, his only request as an exchange for the beautiful Vaillaut Violin that I now own. I remember. I remember.
I know for a fact that we only listened to classical music and musicals at home. A bit of Disney. My mother taught piano all day long because she loved to do it and also, in order to help pay for my violin lessons which I began at age 5. I distinctly remember her asking me as we were driving along, “Would like like to learn how to play the violin?” Of COURSE I would. I remember thinking for only split second and saying,
From my first violin lessons
YES!
When I was 5, my Mother was getting her Master’s degree in Piano. I used to color quietly (I hope) in a corner and listen to even more beautiful music. (Hito ha kankyou no ko nari) I thought all Mommy’s in the world when to school and sang in the Hallelujah Chorus. When I was 17 and Graduated from Realms High School, there was never any question about what I would do upon Graduation. It was fervent desire to continue to study the violin at Graduate levels.
I remember the very day that my Mother got out her scatchy old violin in the basement (by the piano). She showed me the Green Zen-On bookand we found the old fashioned RED plastic record of Suzuki Sensei playing Twinkles, Lightly Row etc. in the back of the book. How excited we were because then we knew, I could learn it too! (If I could hear it/listen to it, i could play it) Incidentally, she was dreadful at the violin and we are all very blessed that she sticks to the piano. 🙂
And on through the years…. To my first Institute at age 10, then all around the country to see Dr. Suzuki in San Francisco and to have thousands of lessons… Ms. Dorothy Delay, Aspen Music Festival, Isaac Ostrow, Miss Yuko Mori, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, Andrés Cárdenes, Won-bin Yim, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Dr. William Starr, and Dr. John Kendall, Nick’s Grandpa. …
and it has just never stopped. My Mom ran the Institute here for 15 years where I began to not only teach, but to study HOW to teach. And later I had so many opportunities to rehearse and perform with amazing symphonies.
Of course.
Of course.
Even a few days ago, there was my Father with his camera and my Mother my video camera, videoing not only my Students, but my Grandstudents (students of my older students) during their recital as I held my precious violin (A gift from Grandparents, my Mother and my Father, please bless his heart 100,000 times for kindly listening to my early squeaks and squawks). She needed to video them because I needed to hold the violin “just in case” any one student needed a note prompt. Just in case – to pave the way for their success as Beth Titterington taught me so long,long ago 😉 Or sometimes I simply walked to the very back of the auditorium as Suzuki Sensei often did, and I “Air Bowed” with them for spiritual support.
And so, back to the fact that we are ALL children of our environments. Suzuki Sensei has given us a gift. You see, my Parents and Grandparents love me SO MUCH. They gave me the gift of music! My Mother paved the way for my success. For life. For the Present. And then, they let me go to Japan at a very young age for a very long time. They let me grow. And grow. And we all continue to study.
And now, at more than twice the age that I was when I first went to Japan, I am only just now beginning to understand the importance of the prophetic words of Suzuki Sensei…”Hito wa Kankyou no ko nari” …. Thank Goodness that he kept handing those beautiful paintings to me to me! This is because people DO become the children of their environments. We become tone. In Suzuki Sensei’s words- “You Become tone.” (one of his highest praises). What kind of tone will we become? What kind of tone are we offering our student and children and the people who surround us? The start determines the destiny.
I nod and smile. Sensei, Arigatou Gozaimashita. ありがとう ございました
Stay Tuned 
