Greetings!

Welcome to the first edition of “Chapter Wise,” the newsletter by and for the leadership of the Affiliated Chapters of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Content is gathered from your own annual reports, newsletters, and work with the SAA. Thank you!

We aim to be a succinct newsletter arriving to you every other month—not crowding your inbox, but giving you a boost of info and inspiration a few times a year. This bi-monthly newsletter is here to link, inform, and inspire Chapters in their goals to connect, educate, support, celebrate, and respect within their organizations.

Have an especially exciting item to share, or a quandary you would like help to solve?

Send to affiliates@suzukiassociation.org
Or post a question on the Chapter Affiliates forum under “Discussion” tab on the SAA Homepage.

	SAA News

Chapter Logos on SAA Member Pages

New! If you have looked at your member page on the SAA website recently, you now see your chapter logo featured! We hope to encourage more SAA members in your area to join your chapter by highlighting who has access and is connected to the great resources and experiences offered from your organization.

Also, as families are looking for a new teacher, or as colleagues are researching peers, they will see clearly who is a member of your chapter with your logo prominently displayed on their member page.

We have done the first step of entering the members from your lists into the website to create this change. In the future, you can add and change your own member lists on the SAA website.

Access: The new section can be edited after you log into the SAA website: go to the “More” menu (the last tab on the right in the main navigation), go to “Institute/Workshop Admin,” and finally go to the “Members in Your Chapter” link under the “Advertising” heading of the left side menu (different from “Members in your area”).

Gather, Respect

	Spotlight

GPSA

The Greater Philadelphia Suzuki Association had numerous events through the year, but held a unique Enrichment Workshop in the spring.

“Our spring workshop, chaired by Gloriana Sewell, was a great success, with 163 total participants in piano, violin, viola, cello, and guitar. The day included enrichment classes including Dalcroze, Orff, Interactive Journey through Music and Art, World Music and Drumming, Harpsichord, Multi-Keyboard Duets, Jazz Improvisation, Recording Live Instruments, Ornamentation, Triolets and Chamber Music.”

This one event hit many goals of the Chapter at the same time; it connected people in their community, educated teachers and students about the broader musical world, and celebrated the current musical skills the students have in order to begin to explore different genres. Thank you, GPSA!

Connect, Educate, Celebrate

	Solution Finder

SAI

The Suzuki Association of Indiana knew that it wanted to more strongly connect its members, and create a community to help assuage the sense of isolation that can come from teaching music. To address this issue, it scheduled a few meetings a year of “Teacher Talks.” Here’s a description from Jillian Chrisman.

“The teacher talks are for teachers only. There is no topic. It is simply a time for teachers to get to know each other. We always have plenty to discuss, whether it is family, music or students. I can tell you with assurance, that each teacher talk has been a wonderful time for connecting. It allows us to take a moment in our hectic schedules to breathe and enjoy! Although only a few of us meet, it is definitely a time of building relationship, or rather, association! I came up with this idea because I still felt a little isolated. It seemed odd to me to be part of an association but not actually associating! I also believe that the teacher talks will build bonds so that when we work together through differences and voting that we’ll have a better understanding of each other. These bonds will create a stronger future for our association.”

Thank you for sharing, Jillian! It was good to hear your solution to and the importance of creating connection, even when the numbers are small.

Connect, Educate, Respect

	Leadership Link

The Toilet Whisperer?

Vicki Whiting is a professor of business at a small liberal arts college, and a leadership coach. Here is a guest post on her blog about what leadership is, based on observations of a preschool teacher. Enjoy.

“What does it mean to be a leader?  Some argue that leadership comes with confidence and a prestigious title.  While others believe that leadership skills, like wisdom, come naturally with age.  There is a lot of confusion around what leadership means, and what type of individual fits the leadership mold.  Instead of pouring over an obvious leader whose cup runneth over with confidence and prestige, I decided to share the story of Miss Rita, a teacher at my son’s preschool…” Read more.

	End Note

Everyone in your chapter leadership (board, officers, chairs, vice presidents, coordinators) should be on the mailing list to receive Chapter Wise. If there are potential leaders waiting in the wings, former leaders you would like to keep informed, or (horror!) people in your leadership we have missed, they can add themselves.
Access: They can to their own member page on the SAA website, click the yellow button “Edit Web and Email Settings,” scroll down under “Email Settings,” and click “yes” next to “Chapter Wise.”

We would love to hear from you about info you would like to see highlighted, solution-finding suggestions, and what is working for you.

Thank you for the work you do to strengthen the Suzuki community!

• Connect: Build community among all students, parents and teachers.
• Educate: Provide resources and/or support to teachers and parents, new and current, concerning Suzuki teaching and ideals.
• Support: Financially benefit teachers and students for further enrichment (conferences, institutes, workshops).
• Celebrate: Arrange concerts, graduation, celebration, cross instrument recitals, honors recitals to rejoice in music together.
• Respect: Support the Suzuki name/ brand/legacy by assuring SAA Membership for Chapter members, growing membership, and providing grassroots feedback to the SAA.

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Suzuki Association of the Americas
PO Box 17310, Boulder CO 80308
Phone:1-888-378-9854
https://suzukiassociation.org