The Talent Education Code-Part 1-Myelin

This is the first in a series of blogs which will be an in depth analysis of Daniel Coyle’s book The Talent Code as it relates to the "Talent Education method" developed by Dr. Suzuki.

When Dr. Suzuki named his school the "Talent Education Institute" in 1946, using the words "talent" and "education"  together was basically considered a contradiction of terms. Talent was considered inborn and you either had it or you didn't.  Education was for learning - reading, math and other subjects. Even as late as the early 1990's when I was traveling to Japan I read in a guidebook about the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto as "education for the talented". Dr. Suzuki  used the term "ability development" to help with this misunderstanding.  When he was asked in an interview with Isako Itano in the book Where Love is Deep about the word talent he says:

"I used the word in the sense that talent is something to be nurtured, but since it's inconvenient if we are misunderstood, in the future I would like to eliminate the word talent and simply call it education, when common sense changes enough to allow me to do so." (1)

Recent research about learning continues to support Dr. Suzuki's belief in "ability development" through the right environment.  In particular Daniel Coyle's book The Talent Code:  Greatness isn't born. It's grown. Here's how.  details how the brain develops, and how to maximize the learning process.  The book is based on neurological research about how myelin forms in the brain, and what it's function is to learning.  "Revolutionary", Dr. George Bartoklis, professor of neurology at UCLA  told Daniel Coyle: "Myelin is 'the key to talking, reading, learn skills, being human."(2)
About that Daniel Coyle says:

"The revolution is built on three simple facts.  (1) Every human movement, thought, or feeling is a precisely timed electric signal traveling through a chain of neurons - a circuit of nerve fibers.  (2) Myelin is the insulation that wraps these nerve fibers and increases signal strength, speed, and accuracy.  (3) The more we fire a particular circuit, the more myelin optimizes that circuit, and the stronger, faster, and more fluent our movements and thoughts become."(3)

Dr. Suzuki says:  "Ability equals knowledge plus 10,000 times." (4)  Knowledge is the mental aspect of acquiring talent.  Talent is the ability to do  in the present moment that which one knows. Through "10,000 times",  the myelin wraps around the neural circuits and creates ability. Again Daniel Coyle says:

"Skill is myelin insulation that wraps neural circuits and that grows according to certain signals."(5)

When myelin wraps around the neurons with each repetition to develop pathways, or skills is exactly what Dr. Suzuki parallels in his statement: "Ability develops ability"(6)  and gives the example of lanquage aquisition in babies. Once the pathway is developed, through intended repetition the skills become easy and fast.

Actions are electrical impulses sent along chains of nerve fibers  that are connected together by synapsis. When you intend a movement the brain sends a signal through the chains of nerve fibers to your muscles.  Different skills have specific pathways -"sort of like a string of Christmas lights".(7)

The next important concept about skills is that the more we develop a skill circuit, the more "automatic" or without conscious thought it becomes. The more we can process in our subconscious minds automatically the more complex skills we can do.

Myelin or "white matter" is the phospolipid membrane or dense fat that wraps around the nerve fibers preventing the electriacal impulses from leaking out.  Since around the year 2000 many studies have come out with research regarding the role of myelin in the brain, and the increases in myelin linked with increases in various skills.

"Myelin quietly transforms narrow alleys into broad lightning-fast super-highways...Tennis players, singers, and painters don't seem to have much in common but they all get better by gradually improving timing and speed and accuracy, by honing neural circuitry, by obeying the rules of the talent code- in short by growing more myelin."(8)

Myelin grows.  It can be nurtured and directed to develop talent. This is Dr. Suzuki's "law of ability".
Next, is to figure out how to optimize this process.

1. Where Love is Deep-The writings of Shin'ichi Suzuki, p. 111
2. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle p.32
3. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle p. 32
4. Every Child Can produced by the Suzuki Association of the Americas, p. 9
5. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle p. 33
6.  Ability Development from Age Zero by Shinichi Suzuki p.6
7.  The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle p. 36
8. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle p. 41...p.7

Other Blogs in this series:

The Talent Education Code Part 2
The Talent Education Code Part 3
The Talent Education Code Part 4

Every Child Can

Suzuki Philosophy is based on this important fact: Virtually all children learn to speak their native language.

It is by being immersed with language that children begin to imitate sounds, repeat sounds, understand sounds, and begin to communicate. Children can learn the language of music the same way that they learn to speak, which is first and foremost through listening.

Dr. Suzuki called this method the “mother-tongue approach”. He named his school “Talent Education” because of his realization that all children with the right environment can learn music and develop “talent”, or ability.

“Every Child can be educated, but children are not born with education. Knowing this fact will become the basis for insights regarding the nature of mankind.” (1)

There are enabling factors that must be considered when researching how every child can be successful in achieving high ability. There is a sensitive period for language acquisition. It is also true that infants are absorbing musical sound from birth, and even before birth. Beginning early is one of the principals Dr. Suzuki purports in all of his writings:

“The earlier talent development is begun, the better” (2)

Therefore creating an environment of listening to music is important from the very beginning of life in the same way that it is important for babies to hear language. After the child has internalized the sounds of the pieces they are ready to begin to speak music. When the young child learns to play their instrument, it becomes a natural integral part of their learning, their life, and their abilities. Dr. Suzuki said:

“If a three year old child starts practicing the violin, his little finger will be as strong and agile as his other fingers. He will be able to do splendid fourth finger trills. Such a small child may only need to train a thousand times while an adult will not be able to achieve such a skill after training even one hundred fifty thousand times. “(3)

Older beginning students greatly benefit from studying through the Suzuki Method as they have the freedom to focus on the aural/physical connection in playing their instrument. However, the visual connection may be at an earlier stage with older students. The Suzuki method is a flexible natural learning method that can be uniquely suited so that every child can be successful.

Children learn naturally from everything in their environment without any specific instruction. Absorption of the pieces the child is learning to play is a daily diet of listening. In the same way that children internalize the accent and tone of their parent’s voice, they will absorb the sound on the recording. The listening environment is the most fundamental concept derived from the mother tongue approach and a critical factor in success for the student.

All of the factors that affect the child’s learning and development physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually are important to consider when providing an optimum environment. Thus the parent’s involvement is integral to enabling the child to be successful.

“The destiny of the child lies in the hands of his parents.”(4)

Dr. Suzuki often talks about the importance of the parent’s role in the child’s emotional development:

“As the saying goes: ’The knack of fostering is the parents skill. ‘ In fact, ‘the parents smile is the child’s smile.’ Education while scolding and clashing is the least skillful way. I would like you to think as a parent about ‘how one can be skillful or clumsy at inspiring the desire to learn.”(5)

It is the responsibility of the teacher to nurture and educate the parents to understand the philosophy of “Every Child Can”, and help them develop the skills to work with their child.

An important aspect of success in language acquisition is repetition. Consider the amount of time a baby hears familiar words like “mama” before speaking, and how many times the child repeats that word after learning it to develop ability. Therefore in the mother-tongue approach, the child continues to play pieces after they are learned, while refining skills.

“Raise your ability on a piece you can play”(6)

Recognition of what is correct guides the repetition/practice to develop ability. This feedback to the student comes first through internalized sound so that the child is seeking to reproduce. Next,the teacher’s affirmations connect the physical aspect of what the child is doing with the aural sound that is produced, as well as with the feeling the sound makes: “When you move your fingers that way the sound is a beautiful legato.” The parent continues nurturing the child in the same way with the repetitions at home. The child is encouraged by the affirmations and the parent is empowered to help with the knowledge that this practice will lead to improvement and the development of ability.

“I hope that you can now understand that great talent and a deep, beautiful feeling in the heart are closely tied together. “ (7)

The Suzuki repertoire is the language spoken by the students in the Suzuki piano studio. Discs, observation, recitals, and groups create motivation to play those pieces. The teacher also creates an individual studio repertoire in addition to the core curriculum that may include Christmas pieces, improvisation ideas, and post book 7 repertoire. Overall, the core curriculum along with the evolving repertoire creates the aural environment, which enables students to learn pieces naturally.

Children who begin lessons early have the language of musical sound as part of their primary language. After children can play songs with fluency the “picture” of that sound is introduced. This is developmentally appropriate reading. The musical score represents a picture of the sound the child has already internalized. Group classes focus on the application of concepts so that the aural, visual, and kinesthetic concepts are directly linked.

Advancing students become aural readers. This ability to read can be developed by linking the sounds with visual symbols in the same way students learn to read words. The visual picture of the sound enables the student to retain detailed information about making changes to what they are playing. Ultimately students memorize the aural sound/visual picture as a whole. This way they can play by heart.

All of the enabling factors for learning the language of music are derived from the mother-tongue philosophy. Every child can benefit from the abilities that are developed through learning the language of music. Learning how to communicate through music with beautiful tone is a wonderful life ability. It is a way that we can feel that which is beyond words. By researching how children learn naturally we can learn now to provide the best environment for optimum learning. We are empowered with the responsibility of enabling every child to be successful.

Bibliography

1. Ability Development from Age Zero, Page 6

2. Ability Development from Age Zero, page 55

3. Ability Development from Age Zero, page 55

4. Nurtured by Love, page 12

5. Where Love is Deep, page. 44

6. Where Love is Deep, page 51

7. Ability Development from Age Zero, page 61