Student Perspectives: Suzuki Piano
By Úna O’Brien
Participating in the SAA Conference was a really magical and memorable experience. I started piano when I was three. I thought that it was just a hobby and then I realized that I really had a passion for it. I started auditioning for a couple of big things, including this conference and an honors recital with my local Suzuki chapter of the SAA. I got into both of them and I could not have been happier. I felt like I had achieved something big, and I felt so happy. I love traveling, but I never thought that I would travel somewhere for anything piano related. But this conference changed that, and I think I really grew as a musician during those three days.

I performed in a piano master class with the guest artist Dr. James Goldsworthy, and I played in a concert with my ensemble group. We played a waltz for six hands by Rachmaninoff on one piano, which meant that it was very crowded! I have performed in several master classes before, but none was like this one with Dr. Goldsworthy. Instead of each of us playing one by one and working on parts of our piece (like, “measure 16 is too loud,” or “bring out the left hand in measure 9”), we all played at the beginning of the class, and then together we focused on general things like tone, the beat of the piece, getting set at the piano, bowing, and making sure posture was good. In preparation for the conference, I had a few classes on my solo piece and my head was crammed with different interpretation ideas from each of these classes. This class with Dr. Goldsworthy was so different and such an amazing and fun experience. My ensemble also had a master class with Dr. Goldsworthy on the Rachmaninoff, and it was mostly the same as the master class on my solo piano piece, in that it included stories, the beat, bowing, and posture. I’m really happy that Dr. Goldsworthy focused on those ideas because they helped everyone overall rather than only one person with their specific repertoire.
I met about 10 new people, including Dr. James Goldsworthy, the guest clinician, the other pianists, their siblings, and their parents. I also met Gail Lang and Joan Krzywicki, who gave my ensemble a coaching. All of these people were so nice and inspirational and have made lasting impressions on me.
In addition to my performances, I attended two sessions. One was Suzuki Stories with Dr. Goldsworthy, and the other was Nurturing the Desire to Learn with Christina Tio. The Suzuki Stories was more like a lecture, but it was overall very fun and I really enjoyed it. It was so interesting to learn about the time Dr. Goldsworthy spent watching Dr. Suzuki teach. For me, it has always felt like Dr. Suzuki is an ancient piano god, but then, actually meeting someone who has watched him teach live was really cool. It was a weird moment for me to realize that Dr. Suzuki didn’t live that long ago after all. I think the session with Cristina Tio was meant for teachers as well, but as a student, I was still able to enjoy it. It was really fun to see the way her teaching is both similar and different from my own teacher, and I will remember the tips she gave to the teachers in case I become a teacher when I’m older.

My favorite thing overall during the conference was my master class with Dr. Goldsworthy. It was just so magical and fun. I also really enjoyed having my friend Ella there. She was in my ensemble, and it was nice to hang out with her a bunch and also to know somebody so that I didn’t feel lonely. I also made a couple of new friends, which was a great bonus. I feel so happy and lucky that I got to have this experience.
Before the SAA Conference started, I had no idea what it was going to be like, and if I was going to like it or not. Looking back on it now, I would no doubt do it again if I had the opportunity.

**Úna (12) **has been a musician since birth; participating in Suzuki ECE classes for 3 years, beginning piano studies at age 3 with Sara Stephens Kotrba, and violin studies at age 6 with Sally O’Reilly. A confident performer, she has given dozens of recitals: Suzuki book graduations, honors recitals, COVID-era Zoom recitals for audiences around the world, and frequent outreach concerts at senior living residences. She is a member of Trio Inverno, a piano trio with her professional musician parents, and has been a member of several student chamber music ensembles as well. In 2021 and 2023 she combined her love of music and Girl Scouts and composed “Cookie Jingles”: original songs celebrating each of the Girl Scout cookies. Most recently, she was selected to perform in solo and ensemble masterclasses with Dr. James Goldsworthy at the SAA National Conference in Louisville, KY. Úna also loves swimming, Irish dancing, and traveling.