STUDIO CITY, Calif. – Music is for everyone and the best time to learn an instrument is right now. It doesn’t matter how old you are, but it does help to have a head start.

Brothers Kevin and Armando Anto started the Suzuki Academy of Los Angeles and they teach students as young as 2 years old. Kevin is the CEO while his brother Armando teaches violin.

What You Need To Know


  • Brothers Kevin and Armando started the Suzuki Academy

  • Teach nearly 150 students

  • Had to pivot from in-person to online teaching

  • Teach children as young as 2 years old

“I think children have way more potential than we even think they do and we’re aware of how much potential they have,” said CEO of Suzuki Academy Kevin Anto. “You absolutely can teach a child that is 2 years old, sometimes even younger, how to play the piano or the violin and train them classically.”

Kevin and his brother Armando were both born and raised in France and trained at the French National Conservatory. Their parents didn’t play any instruments, but having each other helped them excel at their craft. Armando was already teaching music using the Suzuki Method so when they both moved to L.A., they decided to open their own academy.

“When you start a child as young as 2 in any instrument, by the age of 5, that instrument feels like it’s a part of their body,” said Anto. “And so a big thing the Suzuki Method loves to preach, interests are created.”

 

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Kevin and Armando opened their academy one year ago and teach nearly 150 students, but when COVID-19 hit, they had to pivot and teach what has traditionally been taught in-person to online.

“Virtually, you know, is just not the same. You don’t have the teacher there to hold your hand, to point at the keys so it came with a lot of complications, but there’s actually been a lot of pros that come with it and it’s come to the point where some families are actually preferring this version and want to stay on it once the quarantine is lifted,” said Anto.

 

 

Grace is 5 years old now, but started at age 2. Now that she has started taking lessons online she hasn’t lost step with her progress.

“Music is what art sounds like. It’s what feelings sound like,” said Anto. “So children when they have all this time on their hands, I’m not even shocked that the majority of our students are progressing faster than we’re used to.”

Children, take a bow.