European Suzuki Association - Teachers Newsletter Vol 36 2016

6 Salla Ahokanto VIOLIN, FINLAND Mervi Sipola-Maliniemi VOICE, FINLAND Michaela Zirnbauer VIOLIN, GERMANY Dorte Rolff-Petersen VIOLONCELLO, DENMARK Applied Sciences and in 1997 graduated from Helsinki Conservatory of Music with the highest degree in singing. Her teachers were Professor and Opera singer Liisa Linko-Malmio and Opera singer Seppo Ruohonen. Mervi has sung in several operatic roles in productions of opera classes at Conservatories, op- era ensembles and the Finnish Chamber Opera. She has also performed as a lied singer, given several church and oper- etta concerts around Finland and abroad in Estonia, Belgium, Austria and Hungary. Mervi has worked as a vocal pedagogue In Madetoja Upper Secondary School of Music, the Oulu Conservatory of Music, Raahe Music School, the Community College of Espoo and the Finnish speak- ing Community College of Helsinki. Be- fore her graduation as a singing teacher, Mervi worked as a church organist in the parish of Raahe, among other loca- tions. In addition she taught music in secondary school. Mervi Sipola-Maliniemi has taught on international singing courses in Vienna (projects arranged by the city of Espoo 1996, 1998, 2000). She has worked as a leader and teacher of the master course on singing and performance in Music School Virtus since 2005. She is annually responsible for organizing, script writ- ing, directing and training her students for various concerts and performances. Music School Virtus in Helsinki was founded by Mervi in 2003. Her students are aged from 0-18 and they have per- formed in many productions such as the annual Father’s Day concert at The Finnish Parliament; Noah´s Flute by Britten and The Magic Flute by Mozart at the Finnish National Opera to name but a few. Many of Mervi’s students are accepted by the Finnish National Op- era´s Children Choir. As well as stage performances, Mervi’s students also sing for those in sheltered homes, re- tirement homes and hospitals and per- form solo concerts in various churches in Helsinki. and I want to pass it on, here in Finland. The Suzuki life is in me forever. I live it and I breath it every day with my chil- dren, my students, my friends and my fellow teachers. It is simply overwhelm- ingly brilliant method and philosophy. I want to continue the great work of Marja Olamaa and Hannele Lehto. Without them, we wouldn’t have this wonderful education in Finland!’ M ervi Sipola-Maliniemi ESA Suzuki Voice Teacher Trainer since February 2016. In 2003 Mervi was accepted to study the Suzuki Voice Program and became a fully qualified Suzuki Voice Teacher in 2009, continuing her studies as an ESA Voice Instructor from March 2014 to February 2016. Mervi is the mother of two girls and a boy who are all are Suzuki Voice students as well as Violinists and Cellists. Mervi has a Master of Music Degree from Helsinki Metropolia University of 2016 Teacher Trainer Appointments S alla Ahokanto is a Violin Teacher and ESA Teacher Trainer in Finland and also a Suzuki mother of three children - Oskari (16) Violin, Ina- Linnea (13) Piano and Aida (9) Cello. Salla studied to be a Suzuki Violin Teacher and a University Teacher and her dream came true last December when she was appointed an ESA Violin Suzuki Teacher Trainer. Since child- hood, Salla has always wanted to be a Suzuki Teacher—she made her own Violin studies book with her best friend when they were only 9 years old, giving careful consideration to how and at what stage things should be taught when starting to learn Violin at the age of 3 or 4. Salla began her Violin stud- ies with Tuomas Pulakka, professional Violinist, Finland at the age of 4, so the Suzuki approach was very familiar to her. Salla played with Dr. Suzuki at Finlandia Hall in the 80’s—Salla writes ‘I will never forget the joy that I was feel- ing. That is the feeling I want my stu- dent’s to have too’. In 1998 Salla founded the Keski-Vantaa Music Institute and held the position of Headmistress and, of course, a Violin Teacher. ‘I was very happy to have the opportunity to guide new young teach- ers and I felt the task was very impor- tant. I tried to guide them to be very child-centred, safe, kind, gentle, happy, open and easy to approach.’ Now Salla teaches children and trains Suzuki teachers at Käpylän Musiik- kiopisto with Hannele Lehto, ESA Violin Teacher Trainer and Marja Olamaa, ESA Violin Teacher Trainer and President of the Finnish Suzuki Association. ‘I have been raised with the Suzuki philosophy