Shinichi Suzuki devoted his long life to early childhood education, and it was one which almost covered the entire 20th century. By the time of his death in 1998, many children throughout the world had been educated according to his method. Central to it is the idea that every child has musical ability, and that great talent comes from nurtured training, commencing at an early age. 

Many fine musicians, particularly violinists (for example, Kyoko Takezawa, Joshua Bell and Hilary Hahn), have gained much from his method. However, Suzuki firmly believed that his method, starting at home, should be adopted in all forms of education. These wider ideas have remained under-resourced though there is much to be gained from his philosophy. A passionate humanist at heart, Suzuki was less interested in the creation of prodigies than learning and the skills, support and confidence-building that goes with it.

Suzuki was a man very much like his father, who was a successful yet obstinate instrument maker, turning from the production of traditional instruments to the violin during the latter half of the 19th century. Equally obstinate and more unworldly, Suzuki took up the violin when he was...