Established in 1970...
Louise Behrend started a small Suzuki Program in Manhattan, a rigorous course for training Suzuki teachers and an oasis for nurturing young children in the art of music. Within three years, that Program expands and develops into what is today The School for Strings.
Miss Louise Behrend
Miss Louise Behrend’s career in performing and teaching spanned over 70 years. Her contributions to music education received both national and international recognition. She was one of the pioneer musicians who introduced the educational philosophy and teaching concepts of the violinist, Shinichi Suzuki to the United States. Her love of the violin, contagious enthusiasm for music and teaching, and her unshakable belief in every child’s potential are at the heart of the legacy she leaves behind at The School for Strings. We are fortunate to inherit her spirit and to be entrusted with her vision, so deeply affected by the work of Dr. Suzuki.
Shinichi Suzuki was a violinist, educator, philosopher and humanitarian. Born in 1898, he studied violin in Japan for some years before going to Germany in the 1920s for further study. Suzuki based his approach on the belief that “musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed.
"Tone has a living soul" -- Shinichi Suzuki
A leader in Suzuki education in the United States, The School for Strings encourages and challenges students, parents and faculty to achieve beyond their own expectations: Each expectation becomes the gateway for the next one, a continuous reach for improvement.
"We are convinced, with Shinichi Suzuki, that through the study of music, as organized according to his principles, we can help create better human beings and, through them, a better world in which to live." -- Louise Behrend
The School for Strings is a School for everyone whose family is ready to make a serious commitment.
We make a promise that every student whose family follows the teaching principles of the School will experience the joy of shared music-making by performing a chamber music/ensemble composition with technical competence and appreciation for the music’s style by the time he/she graduates.
The School believes that children learn powerfully from each other and that the garden that produces the most beautiful flowers has a gardener that takes care of all the flowers with equal love and respect.
"Nurturing, hard work and encouragement are irreplaceable ingredients." -- Louise Behrend
"Music is more about communication than technical achievement." -- Alexander Yudkovsky
"Music is a nonverbal language of emotion and as such will incalculably enrich and change for the better the lives of those who pursue its study in depth." -- Alexander Yudkovsky
Musicality requires even more repetition than technique" -- Louise Behrend
"It is our conviction that every student, whether avocational or professionally oriented, is entitled to the advantages of instruction at the highest possible professional level, leading to accomplishment which comes as close as possible to realizing the student’s potential." -- Louise Behrend
