XXIV Festival International, Lima Peru, January 4th-30th, 2009

Around 250 teachers and 500 students attended this year’s successful festival held in Lima, Peru. Participants travelled from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, México, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela to attend. The majority of the students and teachers came from all over Peru, many from remote areas, making arduous bus journeys to arrive in the capital city. Many of the students and teachers participated in the festival on scholarships thanks to our generous donors.

Our excellent teacher training faculty comprised of Beth Goldstein McKee, Marilyn O’Boyle, Nancy Lokken, MaryLou Roberts, Mary Halverson Waldo, Kelly Williamson, Fernando Piñero, Eduardo Ludueña, Virginia Dixon and Caroline Fraser. Practicum courses in piano and violin were received with great enthusiasm and we continue to offer a teaching practice component with every training course above unit one. This has become an indispensable part of our festival.

For the first time in Latin America, flute books 11 and 14 were offered. The teacher participant was Eugenia Aizaga from Ecuador.

Early Childhood Music courses included a teaching strategies component. The participant, Laura Maldonado from Buenos Aires, demonstrated creativity in her teaching, using singing as the means to communicate with the very young children.

During a day-long Mini-Encuentro for teachers, the decision was taken to organize the I Encuentro para Alumnos Suzuki de América Latina for January 2010. An organizing committee was formed by representatives of each country present.

A record delegation of 20 students, 3 teachers and several parents travelled from Huancavelica, a very remote and impoverished region of the country. The children played beautifully, demonstrating tremendous hard work and dedication on the part of both students and teachers. As a result, the VIII National Workshop of the Suzuki Association of Peru will take place in Huancavelica in May 09.

Our new and most successful course this year was a Kodaly Workshop: Sing with your children. The US master teacher was Lydia Mills, who like Caroline Fraser has her Masters in Music Education with Kodaly Emphasis from Holy Names University in California. Around 60 people were registered in the course. Everyone wants the course offered again in 2010 along with a follow-up workshop.

We received extensive television coverage during the festival. Take a look at the following links:

http://napa.com.pe/2009/01/23/reportajenapa87festivaldelmetodosusuki/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwZ0LtPOh0A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbF8o43N6ek

Many thanks to our main sponsors: the Suzuki Association of the Americas, Newton College, the US Embassy in Peru and the British Peruvian Cultural Association. Thanks also to the Latin American Fund donors from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Germany and Norway, and to the Suzuki friends and families in Peru who continue to support our cause. Your support is far reaching, benefitting economically and geographically disadvantaged communities all over Latin America and within Peru. Dr Suzuki always said that we must work together to change the world. There is a great deal of work to be done here, and with your help we are one step closer to the realization of his dream: a better world for all through music.

Muchíssimas gracias a todos!

Anunciamos el XXV Festival Internacional, Lima, Peru, Enero 4-27, 2010.
Nos vemos allá!
www.suzukimusica.com.pe