Shinichi Suzuki Quotes

Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.

Tone has the living soul.

Every child grows; everything depends on the teacher.

Music exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart.

Knowledge is not skill. Knowledge plus ten thousand times is skill.

Perhaps it is music that will save the world.

If he or she really goes about it in earnest, anyone can cultivate ability in ten years, I believe. Even in one year, shortcomings can be changed into good points if only we set our aims high enough. Continuing for ten years, we can become outstanding indeed ... There is no limit to our shortcomings. Until we die, we should spare no time or effort in changing our weaknesses to merits. To do so can be pleasant and interesting. We can become like the horse that starts last and yet outruns the field, reaching the wire first; it is the same fun.

It is necessary to be concerned about the importance of educating a really beautiful human spirit.

To make a resolution and act accordingly is to live with hope. There may be difficulties and hardships, but not disappointment or despair if you follow the path steadily. Do not hurry. This is a fundamental rule. If you hurry and collapse or tumble down, nothing is achieved. DO not rest in your efforts; this is another fundamental rule. Without stopping, without haste, carefully taking a step at a time forward will surely get you there.

Wrong education and upbringing produces ugly personalities, whereas a fine upbringing and good education will bring forth superior sense and feeling, as well as nobility and purity of mind.

It is in our power to educate all the children of the world to become a little better as people, a little happier.

Man is a child of his environment.

The heart that feels music will feel people

Anything you think of doing, however insignificant, should be done immediately. Spur yourself on and carry it through without becoming discouraged. If this becomes an ingrained habit, things you thought were impossible will become possible, and closed doors will open, as you will discover in many ways.

First character, then ability.

I play with children so that I can learn from them.

I cannot live without children.

Art is not in some far-off place. A work of art is the expression of a man's whole personality, sensibility and ability.

Beautiful tone, beautiful heart.

Art exists for the human species. I think that all of the people who love art, those who teach art, and all of you should burn with the obligation to save the world.

Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. The potential of every child is unlimited.

To deceive oneself is worse than to deceive others. These harsh words pierced me to the core.

Any child can be developed, it depends on how you do it.

If a musician wants to become a fine artist, he must first become a finer person.

I have come to the definite conclusion that musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed.

What is man's ultimate direction in life? It is to look for love, truth, virtue, and beauty

A child's slowness in any subject indicates a deficiency in his environment, educational or otherwise.

Talent is no accident of birth. In today's society a good many people seem to have the idea that if one is born without talent, there is nothing he can do about it; they simply resign themselves to what they consider to be their fate.