Ballance Talent Education

Ballance Talent Education

    Ruth Marie and Jared Ballance currently direct their own Talent Education studio in Kent, Washington!   

     Ballance Talent Education follows the philosophy of Japanese music educator Shinichi Suzuki, who believed that every child can learn if parents and teachers create the right environment for them, and incorporates the approach of Swiss music educator Emile Jacques-Dalcroze.  Suzuki was amazed to think about how every child learns to speak their native language, by being immersed in it and taking small steps toward mastery with all kinds of encouragement.  He wanted to harness that amazing aptitude of children and use it to educate them in music.   His goal was, through music study, to develop more noble human beings with disciplined minds and honorable character.  At Ballance Talent Education, your core study will consist of a weekly private violin or cello lesson and a Tuesday group class.  Parent meetings and student performances will also be on Tuesdays.  Enthusiastic parent involvement is essential to the success of Talent Education, and we will strive with you to create a compassionate, supportive, high-achievement, and nurturing atmosphere for your child.

    The key elements of Suzuki’s method of education follow the way every child learns to understand and speak their native language.  Although based on how young children learn and master a spoken and written language, these principles of acquiring and mastering new skills are effective with learners of all ages.  
Every Person Can Learn 
Environment and Listening From Age Zero
Learning in a Positive Environment
Repetition and Accumulation of Skills
Learning With Parents
Learning From Other Children
Small, Incremental Steps Toward Achieving Goals
Learning Through Speaking a Shared Language
Learning to Read a Language Already Understood and Spoken

    For more information on Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy, please visit www.suzukiassociation.org.

    Mrs. Ballance has taught private violin lessons since 1997, and has been a registered Suzuki teacher since 2006.  She has been on the faculty of a number of institutions and taken Suzuki teacher training courses with nine different trainers.  In 2011, she earned the Suzuki Association of the Americas Certificate of Achievement.

    Mr. Ballance has taught cello, Dalcroze, and music theory at a number of institutions as well as privately.  His Suzuki teacher training so far has been with Edmund Sprunger, Jean Dexter, Dr. Beth Cantrell, Gilda Barston, and Tanya Carey and he holds the Juilliard School’s Dalcroze Teaching Certificate.  

  We would love answer any questions you might have about the Suzuki and Dalcroze methods or Ballance Talent Education.  Please just email us at jballance AT gmail DOT com.

To print out your application form: Ballance Talent Education Application Form.pdfhttp://www.suzukiassociation.orgBallance_Talent_Education_files/Ballance%20Talent%20Education%20Application%20Form.pdfBallance_Talent_Education_files/Ballance%20Talent%20Education%20Application.pdfshapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_1