Be sure to register for Parents as Partners Online by this Friday, January 27 so you can start viewing the inspiring talks first thing Monday morning, January 30.

We encourage you to sign up now to maximize your time to take advantage of the fabulous 2012 Parents as Partners Online program!

Register Now

You can still register after Friday, but if you do there may be a delay in receiving your welcome email on Monday.

Parents as Partners Online 2012 features more than 30 new inspirational talks, plus selected presentations from PPO 2011.

Aimed to provide a dose of parent…

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Hannah Stieg, daughter of Linda and Roger Stieg, has passed away at the age of 23 after a 5 1/2 year battle with cancer.

Hannah grew up as a Suzuki child, attending many institutes with her parents. Suzuki piano became her main instrument which she studied from pre-school until graduation from high school. She then went on to pursue a degree in music, began training to become a Suzuki piano teacher and loved teaching Suzuki piano. She was a beautiful girl, both inside and out, and a true Suzuki star in her courageous spirit throughout her illness. She has left…

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We are sad to inform SAA members and friends of the passing of June Itami of Nampa, Idaho, on January 14, 2012. She was one of the pioneers of the Suzuki violin method in North America.

June’s first of many trips to Japan was in 1967. She became a close friend of Dr. Suzuki and was well known in the Japanese Suzuki community. June was especially instrumental to the development of the Suzuki method in the western U.S. She was beloved by her community and will be remembered throughout the Suzuki world for her contributions to Suzuki education.

To learn more…

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Read more of Suzuki E-News #42: Conference Registration, Journal Submissions Wanted, Parents as Partners Online »

Some years ago, following a performance of which the details have long faded, someone from the audience approached me and, among other things, said, “You’re so gifted.” Responding dutifully according to my performance etiquette training, I graciously thanked the woman. But I remember thinking, “Gifted! What do you mean gifted? This was no gift. I practiced hours and hours for years and years in order to be able to do this. A gift is something that’s given to you, and if this is a gift, it sure isn’t free!”

It was several days later that I had the revelation. It didn’t…

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We are saddened to learn that Yasuko Joichi passed away on December 28, 2011. A memorial service is planned as follows:

Saturday, January 07, 2012
3:00 p.m.—03:45 p.m.
St. James the Less Episcopal Church
550 Sunset Ridge Road
Northfield, Il 60093

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I’m a sucker for a good old American dream story. That’s the kind where somebody starts with nothing, and through determination and hard work, creates something fabulous. It makes me happy to be part of a society that values that sort of thing. The story I’m going to tell is particularly intriguing because it’s about two entities, once unknown to each other, and how they became entwined based on their common values—and dreams.

The first character in this story is the Suzuki Association of the Americas. This year will mark the fortieth anniversary of the organization. Started by a small group…

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“Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

These words are so poignant. Longfellow reminds us that, if our lives are to have meaning, we are obligated to accomplish something worthwhile while we inhabit this earth. He invites us to ponder: How will our actions benefit mankind? What will be the essence, short of carbon, of the footprints we leave for the next generation?

Read more of Our Suzuki Footprints »

In celebration of its fortieth anniversary, the SAA would like to collect untold stories about the Suzuki experience and the growth and impact of the Suzuki method in the Americas that fill gaps in our story and contribute to a richer and fuller understanding of our history.

We invite members to submit for publication a story that enlightens, inspires, or informs readers and at the same time, helps in some way to document Suzuki history in your part of the Suzuki community.

Is there a narrative, story, anecdote or memory you didn’t take…

Read more of Call for Submissions: 40th Anniversary Issue of ASJ »