John Kendall, longtime advocate of Suzuki music-teaching system, dead at 93

Posted on Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 9:30 a.m.

John Kendall, longtime advocate of Suzuki music-teaching system, dead at 93

By James Dickson

The music world lost a renowned teacher on Jan. 6, when Ann Arbor resident John Kendall, widely credited for popularizing the Suzuki music teaching system in America, died of complications from a stroke at the age of 93.

As Kendall’s obituary in the St. Louis Beacon explained, the Suzuki method, named after Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki, is “based … on the once controversial educational belief that all children, if properly trained, can develop musical ability, just as all children develop the ability to speak their native language.”

John Kendall championed the Suzuki method of music teaching for more than 50 years. He died on Jan. 6 at the age of 93.

Courtesy: Suzuki Association of the Americas

The Suzuki method, explained the New York Times in its obituary, “lets children begin studying an instrument years earlier than was previously thought possible; it has since been extended from the violin to other instruments, including the viola, cello, flute, harp and piano.”

That belief found few takers in America before Kendall began spreading its gospel. It’s estimated that Kendall taught thousands of students in his more than three decades as a college professor at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

"It was once thought that you had to have innate talent to play the violin," Pam Brasch, executive director of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, told the Wall Street Journal. "John used Suzuki's ideas to change music training in general," she added.

In a statement, the Suzuki association — which Kendall founded and lead at one point — said they would be forever grateful to Kendall for his contribution to music education.

Kendall's son, Christopher Kendall, is the dean of the U-M School of Music, Theatre and Dance.

Christopher said he and his siblings were actually trained by John prior to 1959, when he returned from Japan after studying with Suzuki. While he and his siblings did well creatively, Christopher said, the real impact came in the second generation among Kendall's seven grandchildren, all of whom are talented string artists and 3 of whom are accomplished string artists.

Kendall will be memorialized on April 23, at 2 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Road.

John Kendall requested that any rememberance the family held in his honor feature the musical contributions of the Dryden String Quartet, composed of Kendall's grandchildren Nicolas and Yumi Kendall and cousin Daniel Foster, along with Nurit Bar-Josef.

John remained an educator after moving to Ann Arbor to be with Christopher and his wife in 2005. He held master classes of local Suzuki musicians and their students, "Tuesdays with John" — sometimes at the Kendall home, sometimes other places. John was still teaching until around Thanksgiving, when his health started to deteriorate.

James David Dickson can be reached at JamesDickson@AnnArbor.com.

Comments

DFSmith

Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 6:34 p.m.

RIP, Prof. Kendall.