Janos Starker, master cellist, educator, and member of the SAA Honorary Board of Directors, died Sunday in Bloomington, Indiana, at age 88.

In addition to serving on the Honorary Board, Mr. Starker was a guest at the first SAA Conference, where he performed and presented master classes.

For more about Mr. Starker’s life, read his full obituary in the New York Times.

Responding to requests from members, the International Suzuki Association began working with Alfred Music Publishing approximately a year ago to make the Suzuki recordings available as mp3 downloads. We are very excited to let you know that this summer recordings will become available at Alfred.com/downloads, beginning with the first volumes of violin, viola, cello, and bass.

The request is in to iTunes and Amazon to also carry the recordings, but Alfred has no control over when this will happen. For pedagogical reasons, the ISA made the decision that the recordings will be sold by book as albums, rather than as individual pieces. Alfred is pleased to make this option available.

Also working with new technology, these same volumes will be released as eBooks later in 2013 through the Apple store. This exciting format includes the audio, embedded on the page with the music.

Fourth in an Educational Series sponsored by Robertson and Sons Violin Shop

Have you ever imagined what the horse that donated its tail for your bow hair looks like? Where does it live? Is it a mare or a stallion? Here are some interesting facts that might help you get to know your horse:

• Horses that produce hair which meets the standards for use on bows live in very cold climates. The frigid weather causes the hair to be thicker and stronger. Most bow hair comes from Mongolia, Siberia, Canada, Argentina, and Australia.

• Most bow hair comes from natural blonds! Darker hair can be bleached, but it weakens the hair. Some cellists and bassists prefer brown or black hair because it tends to be coarser and create more grip.

• Odds are that your bow hair came from a stallion, so you may want to give your horse a boy’s name!

• There are different qualities of bow hair available. Hair can range from $160 to $400 per pound. The price is determined by characteristics of the hair as well as how many times the hair has been “picked.” Picking is performed by individuals who cull out the short, squiggly, and otherwise irregular hairs. Expensive hair is very consistent in appearance.

• Have you ever wondered how many hairs are in your bow? Approximately 150 hairs are required for a violin bow. Viola, cello, and bass bows require incrementally more hairs with the bass bow using in excess of 300 hairs.

• When horsehair is examined under a microscope, the surface of the hair looks very irregular with many crevices and protrusions. The rosin settles in the grooves and valleys of the hair shaft and provides traction for the hair on the string. Over time, the hair wears smooth and tone production wanes. Regardless of how much daily use a bow gets, it should be rehaired at least once per year. Professional players and avid practicers might prefer to get their bows rehaired two or three times per year.

• Nine out of ten horses surveyed prefer their tails to be clean. Therefore, DON’T TOUCH THE HORSEHAIR! Dirt and grime on the hair make it impossible for the hair to hold rosin. Please don’t ever attempt to shampoo your bow hair! If the hair gets dirty, take it to an experienced professional to have it rehaired.

• Breakage is another reason a bow might need to be rehaired. Breakage can occur during vigorous playing or when hairs get caught on other objects. It’s best to carefully cut broken hairs where they are attached at the frog or the tip. Yanking the broken hairs could possibly pull out additional hairs. If you notice that multiple hairs are mysteriously broken when you open your case, your case may have been invaded by carpet weevils. The larvae of this insidious creature dine on natural fibers and they find horsehair to be a delicacy. If you find evidence of an infestation, remove your violin from the case, clean your case thoroughly, and leave your case outside in direct sunlight for several hours. In order to dissuade the pesky creatures from taking up residence in your case, a container (with holes) filled with cedar chips is an effective deterrent.

• There is a plastic alternative to horsehair available, but it is a poor substitute for the real thing, even at the earliest stages of study.

At Robertson and Sons Violin Shop, Bryan Robertson daily bends over his workbench rehairing and restoring bows as he has done since he began serving customers in 1985. He began learning the trade long before that under the careful guidance of his father, Don Robertson. As a young teen, every Saturday after youth symphony rehearsal (he plays the double bass), Bryan would head for the shop to hone his skills. Now he rehairs somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 bows per year! His clientele consist of performers, pedagogues, and students from across the country. They regularly ship their bows to Bryan for rehair and restoration because they trust him to use the best hair and to install it with a practiced and steady hand. His customers know that bow rehairing is a highly refined skill and a bow can easily be damaged by someone without Bryan’s training and experience.

Over the years, Bryan has accumulated a vast body of knowledge regarding bows, bow makers, and of course, horsehair. His goal is to make each bow the best instrument for tone production that it can be. He takes great pride in his work. In the world of bows, Bryan is a virtuoso! He would be pleased to serve all of your bow needs. Robertson and Sons Violin Shop also has a wide selection of bows for all stringed instruments in every size and price range.

Now that you’re an expert on horsehair, do you see your bow in a new light? In your mind’s eye, can you imagine the strong, graceful animal that accompanies you with each stroke of the bow? Will the knowledge that your horse lived in an exotic far-away land inspire new richness in your tone? Perhaps , at least, you will have a new appreciation for the partnership between man and beast to create the beauty of music!

The clues had been hidden in plain sight for centuries. No one could deny that she was a beauty, and once smitten by her responsiveness and charm, it was difficult to summon the desire to challenge the story that had accompanied her long and prosperous life. All were content to believe the label that was so carefully placed, lo those many years ago, in the depths of her protected underbelly. No one had dared to seek the truth of her raw beginnings until…

Sometimes determining the credible identity of an instrument’s maker can seem like the plot of a detective novel full of intrigue and deception. In an age where scientific advancements are making it possible to solve crimes of yore through DNA testing, similar discoveries are taking place in the world of stringed instruments. Art meets science in the dendrochronology laboratory. Dendrochronology, also known as tree ring dating, is a method of dating items based on an analysis of patterns of tree ring growth. This technique of dating past events has been around since the early 20th century and current collections of data can help determine the origins of items dating back thousands of years.

Most trees in temperate climates make one growth ring each year with the newest growth ring next to the bark. In simple terms, wide tree rings are indicative of relatively warm wet years and narrow tree rings represent cooler dry years. Take a look at the top of your instrument and you will get an idea of the climate changes that occurred while the tree of origin was growing. A dendrochronologist might even be able to tell you in what region of the world the tree grew!

Dr. Henri D. Grissino-Mayer, director of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Science at the University of Tennessee, has hypothesized a dendrochonological explanation as to why the Cremonese instruments of the late 17th and early 18th century seem to exhibit superior tonal qualities as compared to more contemporary instruments. For one thing, the spruce trees used to make the tops of instruments probably came from nearby forests at higher elevations on north-facing slopes and growing in nutrient-poor soil. These conditions would have caused slow growth and the dense wood grain important to brilliant tone. Furthermore, from 1645 until 1715, Europe was gripped by an extended period of frigid weather that reduced tree growth even more. The narrow tree rings that this phenomenon produced would have increased the wood’s density, making the violins stronger, and thereby resulting in the superior tone and brilliance of the Cremonese violins of that period. Over the years, many explanations for the excellence of these instruments have been suggested, but perhaps we can all agree that these old treasures of the stringed instrument world represent a confluence of superior wood in the hands of practiced masters!

The application of the science of dendrochronology to assess the age of musical instruments, called “dendromusicology,” is gaining the attention and the acceptance of instrument appraisers, sellers, buyers, and players. To date, it has only been used when provenance (the origin and ownership history) of an instrument has been called into question. It is an unfortunate truth that many unscrupulous makers and dealers over the course of history have attempted to defraud buyers by inserting altered, fake, or fabricated label dates and/or maker signatures into more contemporary instruments. By studying the growth rings, dendrochronologists are able to verify or disprove the year of construction. Even though they cannot conclusively prove that an instrument was made by a particular person, they can prove that a maker could not have made the instrument if the tree rings post-date his death.

Two rather notorious instances where dendrochronologists were called upon to verify provenance yielded differing results. In 2002, the “Messiah” violin, considered by many to be Antonio Stradivari’s finest creation, was examined and compared to other instruments attributed to Stradivarius. The results supported the authenticity of its label. However, in 2004, an examination of a double bass, with a label date of 1611 and attributed to Antonio and Girolamo Amati, suggested that it was probably made by French luthiers in the late 18th Century. This particular bass exhibited a 317-year tree ring growth sequence!

When it comes to determining the value of an instrument, authenticity is of higher importance than the condition of the instrument, sound quality, or playing ease. This is why it is important to Robertson and Sons Violin Shop to supplement experience and expertise with science when the stakes are high. They have had occasion to enlist assistance from Dr. Grissino-Mayer. They feel that, when it comes to determining authenticity, it is important to do whatever is necessary to deliver genuine products and information. This commitment to honesty and truth is what builds trust with their customers and keeps people coming back to Robertson’s.

Dendromusicology is an intriguing new key to unlocking the mysteries of instrument lineage. Who knows what might yet be revealed?

Finally, the truth had been unveiled. There were no secrets to burden her; the harsh words of naysayers no longer clawed at her soul. The loving and masterful hands of her famous creator had indeed built her to soar into eternity. Her joy was evident as the final notes of her performance yet reverberated in the recesses of the great hall. The light waned and the case closed.

For more information about dendrochronology, visit http://web.utk.edu/~grissino/

To learn more about Robertson and Sons Violin Shop, visit www.robertsonviolins.com

Photo by Jez Page

Choosing the Right Equipment

Embarking on the journey to mastery of a stringed instrument requires a certain degree of courage, even when starting firmly entrenched in the belief that “every child can.”

Given the difficulty of playing an instrument where pitch must be selected from an infinite continuum, and where creating good tone is a challenge, it’s extraordinarily important to select an instrument and bow which will make the process as easy as possible. Although it might be tempting to buy that unbelievably low-priced instrument from eBay or Craigslist, consider how that choice might sabotage a student’s success before he/she even begins.

As a child’s technique develops and improves, it’s also wise to upgrade equipment in tandem with skill acquisition.

Size

Selecting an instrument that is of the appropriate size is of paramount importance. Playing in tune and with excellent posture is extremely difficult when the instrument is too large. It also can lead to injury. You should consult your teacher or a knowledgeable professional to help select an appropriately sized instrument.

Set-up

In order for an instrument to sound its best and to respond readily to the touch of its master, certain elements must be in place. Here are some things you can look for regardless of the size of the instrument:

• Pegs and fingerboard made of ebony rather than plastic or a soft wood painted black.

• Purfling that is inlaid to prevent cracking rather than a black line painted around the edges.

• Fine tuners on every string for smaller sized instruments. Your teacher will advise you when it is appropriate to selectively remove them.

• New strings that produce good tone quality.

• A bridge that is cut so that the strings are the correct distance above the fingerboard and spaced evenly.

• A soundpost that is cut to fit the instrument and seated properly.

• A bow that has real (not synthetic) horsehair that is clean and plentiful.

• For violinists and violists, careful attention should be paid to the selection of a chinrest and shoulder rest that suits the child’s physique so that the equipment promotes excellent posture and position.

• Generally, the smaller sized instruments come as a package which includes the instrument, bow, and case. The case should be of durable material that will protect your valuable investment.

Options

If you’re worried that all of this is going to cost you more than the value of your child’s excellent music education, there are many options available that are preferable to an online gamble. Robertson and Sons Violin Shop and other reputable dealers of stringed instruments will offer a wide selection in a variety of price ranges. Well maintained used instruments can be an excellent alternative to new. If the initial instrument purchase is daunting, consider a rent-to-own program where six months of rental fees can be applied to the purchase of an instrument. Look for a dealer that will give you full trade-in value for instruments purchased in the same shop so that you can move to the next size or upgrade instruments with no turn-around fees. Working with a reputable dealer also ensures that you will have a trusted source for maintenance and repairs when necessary.

Giving a child the gift of music is an important investment of time, energy, and money. Make the most of it by carefully selecting an instrument that will help you sail smoothly into a world of harmony and happiness!

Photo by Kathleen McHugh

Suzuki cello teachers at the 2012 Conference

More than 110 cello teachers attended the 2012 Conference in Minneapolis. They were treated to a buffet of stimulating cello sessions.

Thursday evening, Carey Beth Hockett presented a pre-conference class sharing with us a variety of group techniques designed to mentally engage every child for the duration of a group class.

“What should we do with the older non-Suzuki student who enters our studio?” Carolyn Mead and Carol Tarr reminded us that what we do best: “Teach the listening ear” is exactly the ability that the older student needs and will enjoy developing with some thoughtful guided questions to explore the capabilities of his/her ear. Heather Watson Hardie challenged us to reconsider our personal philosophy of using tapes as pitch aids. What about setting up the left hand for ease of motion and at the same time use many games and stories to help the child find good pitch? It takes much longer to learn Twinkle, but she feels the benefits far out-weigh the disadvantages.

One of the themes of our conference was exploring the music of Bach in and outside of our books. David Evenchick and Dr. Sera Smolen beautifully and humorously demonstrated the problems of original manuscripts and the succeeding historical editions. One great feature of David’s handout was an outline of Suzuki literature which will help prepare the student for the first suite. Dr. Timothy Mutschlecner and Barbara Balatero provided us with ideas to teach our students fingerboard awareness, note-reading ability, keys and key signatures from a cello fingerboard perspective. Pamela Devenport directed our attention to the fascinating inner workings of the left and right thumbs and how to build the flexibility and strength of each one.

Tanya Carey beautifully summarized the techniques of the right and left hands/arms that are taught in the Suzuki Books 1-3. When these techniques are well-learned, they will ably set up the student to play the repertoire in the rest of the books! Tanya also challenged us to look at each child not as “our student,” but as a child possessing an “artistic mind and spirit” whom we are nurturing over a long period of time, much like the Turkish women who painstakingly knot and weave each thread into a carpet full of rich colors and beautiful designs.

What happens to teens when they reach those busy years? Gilda Barston and Nancy Hair gave us interviews with students and parents and a list of helpful ideas to keep them mentally, socially and musically challenged. Renata Bratt suggested that we can start to teach the root of the chords of Book One songs soon after they have learned the melodies. Then, when they become intermediate students, they can learn the full chords. This way we can develop the ear harmonically as well as melodically and in addition, they will have fun accompanying other students.

Cello master class with Julie Albers

On Saturday, Julie Albers, our clinician, sensitively interacted with our six master class students affirming their strengths, demonstrating ideas, and asking questions to expand their expressivity, tone, or musical concepts. At noon Julie gave an absolutely beautiful performance of Bach’s Suite No. 3 for Solo Cello.

On Monday, Dr. Lisa Caravan and Abigail McHugh–Grifa addressed some significant questions:

Do our students (even the young ones) play expressively? Do they know what it means to play expressively? How can we help them understand and play musically early on? Lisa and Abigail demonstrated many practical techniques and ideas to achieve these goals.

I, and hopefully many others, went home richer for the experience of being in the sharing SAA atmosphere of beauty, creativity and imagination. If you missed the conference, you can go to the SAA web site and download the handouts of each of these fabulous sessions.

What are your plans for Memorial Day Weekend? You won’t want to miss the SAA Conference in Minneapolis, May 24-28, “40 and FORWARD.”

Hear William Starr on Visiting the Past, Revitalizing the Future.

Enjoy Julie Albers playing the Bach Cello Suite No. 3.

Watch Julie Albers as she works with 6 Master Class students, four of whom will be playing Bach and two of whom will be playing a Book 9 & 10 concerto movement.

There are 9 great cello sessions:

• All Thumbs: Left and Right Thumb Challenges with Pamela Devenport

• Bach to the Future with David Evenchick and Melissa Kraut

• Cello Book 4—Where Are We Now? with Tanya Carey

• Chords, Scales, Suzuki and the World: Teaching Music Theory While Teaching Cello with Renata Bratt

• Every Cello Hand Can with Heather Watson Hardie

• Integrating the Older Non-Suzuki Beginner into your Studio with Carol Tarr and Carolyn Mead

• Never Too Old: Keeping Teenagers Involved in the Suzuki Program with Gilda Barston and Nancy Hair

• Teaching Music Theory from a Cello Fingerboard Perspective with Barbara Balatero

• The Musical Bow with Abigail McHugh-Grifa and Lisa Rebecca Caravan

• Visualizations: Developing Fingerboard Awareness and Note-Reading Ability with Your Cello Students with Timothy Mutschlecner

There are over 100 other sessions. Here are a few:

• Introduction to Baroque Style Ornamentation and Improvisation

• Pop/Rock/Hip Hop Music with Suzuki Teaching

• Tried and True, Fresh and New: Pre-Twinkle 40 Years Young

Not to be missed: Cello social hour on Saturday evening after the concert. Meet old friends and make new contacts!

Learn more about the conference

Register now

Hotel reservations

If you are flying to Minneapolis and need to rent a cello, you can contact Natalie Zabezhinsky info@allstringsattached.com or Claire Givens cgivens@givensviolins.com

Amy Matherly

Charlton, MA
Violin

Nightingale Chen

Powell, OH
Piano

Priscilla Jones

Bainbridge Island, WA
Cello

Sharon Jones

London, ON
Suzuki Early Childhood Education

Haukur Hannesson

Uppsala, Sweden
Cello
ESA Level V Trainer, added to SAA Registry

We look forward to their service in this new and important capacity.

Looking for a Trainer? Search for Teacher Trainers by instrument or location.

Meet newly-appointed SAA Board of Directors Chair-elect Marilyn Kesler. Kesler begins her two-year term as chair-elect on August 1, after which she will become board chair.

How were you first introduced to the Suzuki Method?

I read John Kendall’s article “The Ten Stereotypes for Teaching String Education” when I was at Indiana University as an undergraduate and wrote a thesis paper on it. I wrote to John Kendall, and found out what Suzuki was compared to the normal teaching style. There was no one who was really doing Suzuki at that time; that was 1963. Then, I ended up in Alton, Illinois, and found out that John Kendall was teaching in Edwardsville. I went to him and enrolled in the master’s degree program and took night classes. I taught general music in Alton public schools, and I went to night school and got my master’s degree, and then moved to Okemos, Michigan, and I taught in Okemos for forty-two years. I was the first Suzuki cello teacher at the first Suzuki Institute, which was in Stevens Point. Through my work with the growing cello program at Stevens Point, we developed the Suzuki cello book.

I heard the Talent Education Tour Group when John Kendall brought them to Alton, and it was amazing. I had already started working on the cello books at that point—that was my master’s degree, adapting the violin method to the cello.

Have you always played the cello?

I started cello in the fifth grade. My father was a violin professor. My mother was a piano professor. I had private lessons, but I started in the public school. There was no such thing as Suzuki.

What did you like about being a public school teacher?

In Okemos, there is a lot of support for music education. I had wonderful students, and wonderful parents. I started a Suzuki program there. We had the longevity of students and the student-parent relationship with the school, because the students would start at the age of five or six. We developed a huge string program, a strong orchestra program; I can attribute a lot of the success of that program to the Suzuki Method. The Suzuki Method was taught through the community education program through the schools, and still is. I’m still the director of that. We had a lot of kids who felt music was an important part of their life and their education, so there was a lot of support.

The person who took my place is a former student, and the teachers who are teaching strings in the orchestra are all Suzuki teachers.

How has the SAA given you support over the years?

The growth of teacher training in the state of Michigan is a result of the SAA—teacher training, institutes, teacher training in trainers’ studios. We’ve developed quality string players and supportive parental backing. We couldn’t have done it without the Suzuki Association. Of course, I’ve been doing institute teaching ever since I was about twenty-three years old. It’s changed my life.

How long have you been on the Board?

This is the end of my third year. I also play in the Lansing Symphony, and I teach Suzuki cello students in a Suzuki program. I do a lot of guest conducting.

By being on the board, you remain current, you’re involved, and you see beyond your own neighborhood borders as to what is going on with Suzuki and the possibilities. That keeps you moving forward and not looking back.

What are some of those possibilities you see?

I see the growth of what’s going on in Latin America, and it’s terrific. I see the visions of trying to make Suzuki available to all the children in various parts of the country. That’s a vision we have, and trying to make that work is a pretty tall order.

Blake Brasch
Cello
Mount Prospect, IL

Timothy Durbin
Violin
Carlisle, KY

Sarah Salz
Piano
Miami, FL

We look forward to their service in this new and important capacity.

Looking for a Trainer? Search for Teacher Trainers by instrument or location.

On April 10, many students gathered to play together to benefit the Latin American Suzuki Scholarship Fund. Students played repertoire from Suzuki Books 1-6 in reverse order, beginning with the most advanced students, and adding on younger and younger students. The advanced and intermediate students were able to play harmony parts to the early Suzuki pieces, including a finale of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Students and audience members learned a lot about the pillars of the Suzuki philosophy as well as more information about the Latin American Suzuki Scholarship Fund. They learned about the Central and Latin American countries that have current membership in the SAA, and also heard many heart-warming stories of instrument donations to these countries in need.

Audience members contributed to a suggested donation for admission. Nearly $400 was raised in a single concert!

About the Latin American Scholarship Fund:

This fund serves to offer scholarships to students and teachers in Central and South American countries to further develop their study within the Suzuki method. These funds go far beyond benefiting individuals. Many thriving Suzuki communities have been created by enthusiastic festival participants.

Festivals are held in many different Latin American countries where students and teachers come together for intense study. Teacher training courses are offered along with a variety of student classes.

Many of these countries have 50% of the population living in poverty, with half of those living in extreme poverty. Through this scholarship fund, these events are made viable and accessible to all; otherwise they become the privilege of the elite. Dr. Suzuki clearly stated, “All children can learn.”

With your help we have come one step closer to the realization of Dr. Suzuki’s dream: a better, safer, and more peaceful world through music.

• Body Mapping with Constance Barrett
• Cello Ensembles with Jeanne Johanessen, Carol Ourada and Sally Gross
• Chording and Chopping with Renata Bratt
• Cello Group Class ideas for Pre-Twinkle through Book 4 with Tanya Carey
• In keeping with our Teamwork theme, Carey Beth Hockett and Annie Barley (former teacher/student team) will talk about flexibility and freedom with our students from the very beginning.
• In addition, there will be time for cello teachers to share their favorite ideas.
• Phyllis Young—Cello gruru, mentor and friend to all of us, will present: “A Tool Chest for More Expressive Music Making”
• Dr. David Littrell—”The Wonderful World of Etudes”

–Carol Tarr, Cello Coordinator

Bass: Paul Sharpe, Nicole Castleberry
Cello: Gilda Barston, Amy Barston
Flute: Bart Feller, Sara Traficante
Guitar: William Kossler, Adam Kossler
Harp: Elinor Niemisto, Angela Dastrup Willis
Piano: Doris Koppelman, Hikari Nakamura
Recorder: Patrick O’Malley
Viola: William Preucil Sr., Matthew Dane
Violin: Thomas Wermuth, Allegra Wermuth, Scott Conklin

SYOA Conductors: Marilyn Kesler, Winifred Crock
Special Guests: Bad Boyz of Bass Quartet

See Clinician bios >>

The cello committee for the 2008 Conference is pleased to announce that the master teacher will be Anthony Elliott from the University of Michigan. In addition to giving master classes, Mr. Elliot will participate in a panel discussion on preparing students for college auditions, and will also perform in the Clinicians’ Recital.

One of our high priorities this conference is making sure we have enough cellos in attendance (and, incidentally, enough cellists as well). With each succeeding conference we have seen a dwindling number of instruments in attendance due to the “unfriendly skies”. We are hoping that cellists arriving by car will bring instruments. We are also approaching vendors and schools in the area in the hope that we will have plenty of cellos available. We are confident that we will succeed—so we hope you will consider submitting proposals for sessions where we will actually use our instruments.

I’m sure many of you have ideas that you would like to submit (by October 30th!). We are hoping to have sessions covering everything cello and more! We would love to hear you ideas and suggestions.

Last, but not least, we are trying to schedule a social event for cello teachers where we can share our ideas with one another and “cellobrate” as a group.

We hope you will all plan to attend, and bring cellos if you possible can.

Barbara Balatero
Carol Tarr