IV Latin American Suzuki Teachers’ Conference

“Unidos hacia un sueño común”
Lima, Peru
January 12-14, 2008

More than seventy-five teachers from thirteen countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, EEUU, Scotland, México, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela attended the IV Latin American Suzuki Teachers’ Conference held in Lima, Peru in January.

Learning to work together.

Leadership Conferences have taken place in Latin America every three years since 1999. The presentations this year were of exceptionally high quality and the discussions were lively and productive. With the exception of the presentations by Jeff Cox and a report on Teacher Training in Europe by Mary McCarthy from Scotland, all presentations were made in Spanish. Jeff Cox’s keynote address on Building Leadership Organizations with power point illustrations and group dynamics was avidly received by the participants. Other presentations and panel discussions were centered around “Reinforcing our national and Latin American ties,” “What we can offer as a region,” “Standards of excellence” “Festival (Institute) Organization” and “Vision for the Future” as well individual presentations on “Suzuki Philosophy and Ethics,” “Suzuki Philosophy and Piano Technique,” “Step by Step—It’s the little Details,” “Process to become a Teacher Trainer,” “Talent Education School in Tucumán, Argentina,” and “Latin American Music.” In addition, all Latin American countries in attendance presented individual country reports.

Excitement in leadership games with Jeff Cox.

From our work sessions, Pablo Torrealba from Chile took over the responsibility of the Latin American Suzuki web page: www.metodosuzuki.org where you can find more details from the Conference as well as country links and teacher lists. The three-day Conference ended with a joyful session of music making and dancing, accompanied by the national Peruvian drink, pisco sour. We are strengthening our ties, creating community, sharing our commonalities and our diversity as we work together towards the common goal of excellence in Suzuki education for teachers, parents and students in Latin America.

Teacher Trainers Eduardo Ludueña and Fernando Piñero

Trainers Eduardo Ludueña and Fernando Piñero, who both grew up Suzuki, talk about the process to become a Teacher Trainer.

IV Encuentro participants.

Roberta Centurion received her musical training at the Universities of Mansfield (PA) and Michigan and Suzuki Pedagogy training en Peru and the U.S. A charter member of the Suzuki Association of Peru, she was the guiding force in its early growth and development during her ten-year presidency. She has directed/co-directed 23 Suzuki Institutes and 4 Latin American Suzuki Teachers’ Conferences in Peru and has taught in Institutes in the U.S., Korea and South America. Roberta teaches Suzuki piano in her studio, has 35 years experience teaching music in schools, and gives seminars and courses about Music Education and the Suzuki Method throughout Latin America.

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