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Parents as Partners Online.
This week’s videos cover practicing ideas, practical pointers for working with your teacher, and the broader power of music.
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News
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Register for Parents as Partners Online by Friday
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!
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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In Memoriam: Hannah Stieg
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…
In Memoriam: June Itami
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…
Suzuki E-News #42: Conference Registration, Journal Submissions Wanted, Parents as Partners Online
In this issue:
A Star for Victor
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…
Conference Registration Now Open
Registration for the 2012 Conference is now open online. Prices for members start at $225. Register by March 31 for the early bird discount!
Register Now for Parents as Partners Online! Starts January 30
Start your new year off on the right foot by registering for Parents as Partners Online!
The 2012 event will begin Monday, January 30
and run through the end of June.
During February and March, new talks on parent education and Suzuki-related topics will be posted weekly, as well as selected presentations from PPO 2011. What better way to nurture yourself and your own studio parents along the Suzuki journey than watching a short video at your convenience?
Read more of Register Now for Parents as Partners Online! Starts January 30 »
In Memoriam: Yasuko Joichi
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
A Star for Don
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…
Our Suzuki Footprints
“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?
Clinicians & Special Guests
Plans are well underway for the SAA 15th Biennial Conference, May 24-28, 2012, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mark your calendar! Don’t miss our 40th anniversary!
SAA Conferences are sentinel events for teachers, parents, and students. Expect enlightening sessions on Suzuki philosophy and pedagogy in general and for each instrument. Learn to run your studio and work with parents. Become adept in new technologies. Enjoy special topics of Bach and outreach. Share and learn from colleagues. Listen to master classes, performing ensembles, the 40th anniversary Kaleidoscope Concert, Suzuki Youth Orchestras, and professional artists. Connect with the Suzuki community. See old friends, and…
Suzuki Voice at the Aber Suzuki Center
What’s New at the Aber Suzuki Center?
The Aber Suzuki Vocal Performance Troupe
The Voice Program at the Aber Suzuki Center in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, has started an exciting new program offering for its students called the Aber Suzuki Vocal Performance Troupe. Last year, my older students asked me for a new performance opportunity. While my students enjoy singing on recitals, in the community, and for contests, they wondered if I could create an additional, different performance venue.
For several years I have had the idea of a performance troupe in mind, but was not certain whether I could add this…
Hotel & Travel
The conference is being held at the Hilton Minneapolis hotel in downtown Minneapolis, MN.
Special discounted hotel rates are available from May 23-30. Register early to reserve your preferred accommodations. Hotel reservations with Suzuki discount closes on May 3.
- 1 King Bed $103/night
- 2 Double Beds $103/night
- 1 King Bed Junior Suite $153/night
Or call the Hilton at 1-888-933-5363 to make hotel reservations. Reference the Suzuki conference (code SUZ) to get special SAA rates.
Chair’s Column
Thoughts on Governance, Customer Service and Ownership
The Suzuki Association of the Americas is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board has two essential responsibilities: (1) Crafting policies and ends statements (mission statements) that ensure an efficient, effective and visionary organization, one that is reflective of its ownership and that operates in a legal and ethical manner, and (2) evaluating the performance of the Chief Executive Officer against those policies and ends statements.
The Board of Directors organizes its activities around a mechanism known as Carver Policy Governance, which outlines the manner in which a board can be successful…
In Memoriam: Kristi Knecht
Kristi Ann Rassmussen Knecht, 61, of Gladstone, Missouri, passed away September 12, 2011.
Kristi was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was the second of seven children. At age five, her family moved to Northfield, Minnesota, where Kristi graduated from high school, and then from St. Olaf College in 1972, magna cum laude. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a degree in education in 2005. She was a Suzuki cello and bass teacher and was recognized as the MoASTA Studio Teacher of the Year in 2009. Kristi is survived by…
In Memoriam: Doris Koppelman
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of
Doris Koppelman, Piano Teacher and Trainer from San Diego. Doris was beloved by thousands of students, parents and teachers. A leader in the SAA, Doris was known for her wisdom, dedication and graciousness. She understood the heart of the Suzuki method and knew how to apply that knowledge in ways that have made a difference in so many lives. Doris was very special. We mourn her loss.
From Doris’ family:
Doris Koppelman of San Diego, California has died from complications of cancer. She was 85 and maintained an active personal and professional life until her final two months.
A Weekend at the SPA with Friends
Living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii residents are very aware of the high cost of bringing in experts and professionals for workshops. So when I read about the Suzuki Principles in Action (SPA) course in a Suzuki E-News bulletin, I immediately alerted my colleagues during the next Suzuki Association of Hawaii teachers’ meeting: “Look, the SAA will pay the airfare and teacher fee if we get ten people! Just ten people! Let’s do it!” Our SPA chairperson,…
Call for Submissions: 40th Anniversary Issue of ASJ
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 »
