“All the teachers who have worked with our daughter have a deep understanding of music, but also of children. Ellen, Karolyn, Sage and Reenat bring joy and love to their students along with great seriousness about the work. We are in awe of how, because of this, our daughter has given herself over to the violin, the music, and to her friends at Silver Music. At home, we rarely put her violin in its case anymore, and she hardly ever passes it by without picking it up and playing it. Listening to and playing music has become an essential part of her life and ours. It’s with great anticipation that her 4-year-old sister now picks up the cello and begins her musical journey. We are indebted to Silver Music for what it’s giving to our girls and us.”
“This is the third year that my daughter has been taking lessons at Silver Music (first, pre-twinkle class; now, at five years old, she’s in her second year of Suzuki violin). Her teacher, Karolyn, is terrific: kind, patient, energetic, passionate about music…and,best of all, FUN. She can be a stickler about technique (which is appropriate), but she balances it out with creativity and humor, and she reads kids really well. If music lessons were like this when I was a student, I might still be playing..”
“Ellen Silver is probably the most gifted teacher I have ever encountered, at any level of musical training. Her rapport with the students, her intuitive grasp of their needs and capacities, her enormous range of techniques and her straight prowess, both as a teacher and as a professional musician, place her and her program far ahead of the field. The children learn amazing amounts of actual musical skill and have a terrific time doing it. In my opinion, what they learn about learning, and the many strategies one can apply, in the hands of such a patient, caring, creative and attentive person is the most valuable lesson of all. I am a professional musician who has studied with experts all my life and all over the world. I completed my Doctorate at the Juilliard School and do a lot of teaching myself. My own son has been in Ellen’s class and loved every minute of it. Observing her at work is an enlightening experience for any parent.”
“Our daughters have been playing violin with Silver Music for several years. Having been involved with other highly regarded Suzuki programs both in NYC and out, I can honestly say that this is the best Suzuki program (and music school for that matter) in the city. The children progress extremely quickly. The teachers are incredibly committed and enthusiastic, and truly, both as to violin and cello, they among the best teachers in New York. It is an intimate place of learning, and it is growing, so it is still a small, personal environment. But qualitatively it’s the top private music school in New York, by far.”
“Silver Music is a gem in the bust of the city! It provides for such a nurturing and familiar environment to children, where music happens to be the way to go. The founder, Ellen, is a true lover of children education–and of music, as are the teachers. My daughter has taken violin lessons there for two years and she loves going every week, especially to group class with Karolyn and when she gets to have fun with both music and friends. Violin teachers keep on regular training of their pedagogical skills. They are energetic and have different styles and personalities. They, along with Ellen helped us find the best fit my daughter. Communication among the teachers and with parents is fantastic, easy and very productive. I have known other Suzuki schools around, and this one much better carries the idea that music should be enjoyed and nurtured naturally, but also worked at hard and with high standards. Go Silver Music!!”
“The creativity and support in this program are off the charts!!! Kids flourish, bringing their own talents and originality to the fore. Seriously, this is the best teaching I’ve ever seen!!”
“Our daughter wakes up every morning and just wants to play. Today we woke up to perpetual motion at 6:10 AM. She loves playing the violin so much, and I can just only thank you all so much for inspiring such a love of music in her. . . the way you have taught her and encouraged her and nurtured her is just so wonderful, it makes me happy every day to see. It is so incredible to watch, and we are so grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”