Business: The Naperville Suzuki School
Address: 32 Foxcroft Road, Naperville
Phone/website: 630-420-9309, www.wsste.com
Owner: Edward Kreitman
Year opened: 1998
What does this business do? The school instructs students in the Suzuki method of learning the violin and other instruments. “Suzuki teaching is different than traditional methods because we believe all children have talent,” Edward Kreitman said. “Our method is based on the mother tongue approach. We model the music after the way children learn to speak a language so, in the beginning, it is through listening and through imitation and through exploration through their instruments. Everything is played by ear with a very high standard excellence for the technique and sound quality. And later, just like with language learning, once they are proficient at playing them we introduce music reading.”
What was the impetus for starting this business? “I was a clarinetist, studying to become a music teacher, and was fortunate to meet with one of the pioneers in Suzuki method, Doris Preucil. She was just doing amazing work, and I realized that’s something I want to get involved in. So I switched, very unusual as an adult, to violin so I can teach this method. And then I went to Japan to study with Dr. (Shinichi) Suzuki, and I came back here and started the (first) school in Western Springs (36 years ago).”
What is the best thing about being in Naperville? “The quality of the families we meet here. They really are committed and really support the school.”
What is the biggest challenge? “I was very naive when we first opened this location, thinking it would be like a satellite location to the Western Springs school. And we very quickly found out that people who live in Naperville do not leave Naperville. And people basically said they wanted a first class Suzuki music school here in Naperville, with every group class, with every program, with everything just like Western Springs. So that’s what we created. We have duplicate everything in both schools.”
When is your busiest time of year? “Now.”
What is the most popular program? “The school supports three performing ensembles. The first is (for) intermediate violin students, and that’s called Allegro. It’s like a show choir but with instruments. So the children dance and play at the same time, in a theater with lighting and videos, and it’s a whole production. That is the most popular. From there the kids can move onto the more advanced ensemble and that’s really for the student that are post the Suzuki repertoire, and that is a group of about 20 violinists, most in high school and some in junior high, and that is the group that tours internationally.”
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What is the thing you most like to do as part of your business? “That’s hard to say because I like it all. I like the administration. I love the teaching. I love doing the teacher training, and I really love working with the Allegra group because it allows for the most creative aspect.”
What is your least favorite thing to do? “Pay the bills every month. Balance the checkbook.”
What is the best thing about owning your own business? “The freedom and the flexibility. And the ability to have an idea of something and have the ability to carry it out without any restrictions, boards or anything.”
What is the biggest downside ? “People do not understand that I take out the garbage. … When the air-conditioning goes out at two in the morning, I get the call.”
What is one of the misconceptions you face? “I think it’s maybe an old one, but we still fight it in some circles, which is that Suzuki students can’t read (music). I think maybe in the early days of Suzuki people got excited about what they could do without reading. But nowadays we realize we are developing very well-rounded musicians. … (Also that) Suzuki has expanded to piano, flute, voice, guitar and recorder on top of violin, viola, cello, bass and harp. Eventually there will probably be a curriculum for all instruments.”
How would you describe your business philosophy? “I like to think of myself as a benevolent dictator. … No, honestly, I think the key to success at this school is that I’m good at hiring and training faculty. I think we have the best Suzuki faculty in the country. They are just absolutely amazing across the board. We are exceptional, and we intend to be exceptional.”
Do you have any future plans to expand? “Nope, no other campuses. Two is more than enough. And partly it is because one thing I’ve learned over the years, it is important for me to have contact with all of the children here. And so I teach all the group classes in Western Springs and here. I teach four times a week, and so I see all the children until the more advanced levels. … And I can’t be in more than two locations.”
What advice would you give someone starting a business? “I was actually given some really good advice. I have a really wealthy and very successful uncle who owned his own business. … He said, ‘For the first five years, that’s when most businesses fail, so for the first five years, don’t give yourself a salary, not a penny. Put everything back into the business.’ And I did that and we’ve been here for over 35 years. And I thank him. That was better than a loan.”
Daina Saleh is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.