Empowering Diversity Through Suzuki

With the division in politics, misinformation on social media, and the ongoing struggles of the pandemic, everyone has been challenged to analyze what is important to them, what they believe in, and what is worth fighting for. We have so much work to do, and not one person can do it all. But everyone can do something. I was doing some soul searching to try to find a way that I could contribute meaningfully. After reading Noemi Ferreira’s “Racism is Real” article in the American Suzuki Journal, my vision came into focus. She urged readers to create scholarships for students and teachers alike who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity. The Suzuki motto, “Every Child Can!” assumes that all students have access to instruction. However, with so many barriers to access, every child sadly cannot.

My 17-year-old twins have been brought up with the Suzuki Method as a major part of their lives. I have witnessed firsthand the power of music in their lives. They have flourished in school because of the hard work they have invested in mastering their instruments and the confidence they have gained from performing. The twins attend the most diverse high school in our town in northern Colorado, where we have a large refugee and English Language Learning community. The twins have come to know several students from around the globe through their classes and participation in the cross-country team. After doing some research, I learned that we have over 78 different languages spoken in our school district. I absolutely love the interactions that my children are able to have, and I knew that I wanted to give back to our community in a meaningful way.

As the 2020 election approached, many families in my studio were on edge. One of my adult students is also a dear friend. We decided to forgo a lesson one week so we could decompress and share our thoughts openly. I shared with her that I wanted to start a program increasing access to music education for the refugee community in my town but found it difficult to find a way to fit it into the Suzuki mold. I knew that the parent component, as well as daily practice, would be a challenge. Many of the parents in my town work multiple jobs and long hours, and many are still learning English themselves. The students often juggle keeping up in school, taking care of younger siblings, cooking, cleaning, and translating for their parents when they have appointments. Recognizing these barriers, I decided to take on one student for free and provided them with a flute of my own.

My friend, being a Lutheran pastor, knew exactly who to contact. Within three days, I met my new student, Ortance, on a Zoom call. I was overwhelmed with emotion when her face appeared on the screen lit up with enthusiasm. The following week, we had our first lesson, where Ortance said, “This is making my dreams come true!” My heart melted instantly! I have learned so much from this experience, and my life has never been the same.

In the fall of 2021, I had the honor of participating in the inaugural “Communicating Honor for Diversity” course offered through the SAA. The course made me reflect on my true intentions for starting this project. I have worked hard to not fall under the “white savior” title and to commit to long-term change. I try to empower my students by allowing them to teach me about their culture, including modifying the Suzuki curriculum as needed and giving them the musical skills needed to express themselves.

Because students can begin the Suzuki Method as young as age three and continue lessons through adulthood, we can often work with them for a decade or more. I wanted the same for all students in my studio, whether they could afford to pay or not. So when Ortance asked me how long she could keep the flute, I told her she could keep it until she was done playing the flute. She squeezed the case tight and said, “But what if I never quit playing?” The local refugee center told me how important long-lasting relationships are to this community. Ortance once told me, “Flute doesn’t make me feel so lonely. When I am alone, with nobody else, it makes me feel like I am with a friend.”

Ortance was so joyful, enthusiastic, and appreciative that it encouraged me to look for funding so that I could expand this opportunity to more students. I began with a GoFundMe and started making phone calls, talking with anyone who would listen about my project. After a journalist wrote an article in a local newspaper, checks began appearing in my mailbox. My current students also started donating their missed lessons to the project, which helped me expand the project further. Since November of 2020, I have received over $5,000 for the project. I have purchased a few flutes, music stands, and books, and have been able to cover the discounted tuition for additional students.

Around the same time that Ortance started lessons, a local band director called me up to ask if I would be willing to take on a very passionate, hard-working, and intelligent student named Karen who could not afford to pay for lessons. I told him I would, and we began a wonderful journey. Karen’s mom came to the United States from Mexico in her teens with her sister after their mother passed away. During Karen’s first lesson, she stopped playing, smiled at me, and said, “I cannot stop smiling!” I knew at that moment that music was her life, and she was meant to pursue it as a career. This young lady was recently accepted into the school of music at a local university and earned a $2,000 scholarship after performing in the Kiwanis Stars of Tomorrow competition. I am so thrilled that I have been a part of her journey and cannot wait to attend her first concert as a music teacher and see how she shares her passion with students!

Several months after I started teaching Ortance and Karen, I was able to take on three of Ortance’s nine siblings and her best friend, Niyat. Niyat is from Eritrea and was in a refugee camp for several years in Ethiopia. She lives with her brother and their single mom. Her mom invited me for coffee one day to teach me more about their culture. They dressed me in traditional clothes, fed me Eritrean food, and showed me lots of YouTube videos. I was transported to another country right in my own town, and I was so moved by this experience.

I have let this project guide me in my efforts to reduce barriers by letting go of some of the more formal Suzuki “rules.” The parents do not attend the lessons, but I do my best to interact with them as often as time allows and find out if they have any questions or concerns. Ortance’s mother let me know how important her religion is at a previous meeting, so Ortance and I spent her last several lessons learning her mother’s favorite hymns. She will perform a hymn at our next recital, first playing it on her flute and then signing it in her home language, Kinyarwanda. Niyat completes a 52-day fast in the spring that includes fasting from music. I do not have all the answers, but I know that we will work together and find a meaningful way to spend her lessons during her fast. The students work hard, and daily practice does not always happen. They practice when they can, and they learn what they learn at their own pace, in their own way, in their own time. There is no deadline, so we don’t need to be in a hurry. If we are truly going by Dr. Suzuki’s vision of “Every Child Can!” we must bend and flex to accommodate each family’s unique needs. Many people in our community provide transportation for these students to get to and from lessons. I have taken parents to recitals and concerts and have found it a meaningful experience for all of us.

I started this project with a single conversation. That conversation set in motion a project that has taken on a life of its own and will continue to grow and evolve. I urge every reader to start a conversation or make one phone call to see where they can make a difference in their community. It could change a young person’s life. Not every area has the same needs as mine, but there are students everywhere that need music in their lives and will never have the opportunity without assistance. I know in my heart that this project is supposed to be something larger than it is. I feel strongly that music unites people and I would like to extend this opportunity to as many students as I can.

I tell my students all the time that they are my teachers. My life is so much richer for knowing these young people, and I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities that I can share with my students, thanks to the generosity of others! I wish you could hear Ortance and her brother sing, smell and taste the amazing food they share, listen to their stories, and see their faces light up when they learn a song on the flute. Imagine how many lives would be changed if every Suzuki teacher taught just one student who may not otherwise be able to take advantage of this opportunity. Let’s make Dr. Suzuki’s mission of “Every Child Can!” a reality.

For more information, please consider joining our Facebook group for support. You can find us on Facebook at Access Suzuki or https://www.facebook.com/groups/299211132097365/?ref=share

References

Ferreira, Noemi. 2020. “Racism is Real.” *American Suzuki Journal *48.4: 55-56