European Suzuki Association Quality SUZUKI Teacher Training Teachers’ Newsletter Volume 43 2023
2 European Suzuki Association Teachers’ Newsletter Volume 43 2023 Editor Sue Wimpeney editor@europeansuzuki.org Next publicaƟon date 1 November 2024 Deadline for copy 1 September 2024 Official PublicaƟon of The European Suzuki AssociaƟon Ltd (ESA) a Company Limited by Guarantee No 1476933 Honorary President MarƟn Rüƫmann Chair Anke van der Bijl Administrator and ESA Office Sue Wimpeney 45 Main Street, Upper Benefield, Peterborough PE8 5AN, England esa@europeansuzuki.org www.europeansuzuki.org Company Secretary & Registered Address MarƟn Wood, Gross Klein Wood, 26B, Tesla Court, InnovaƟon Way, Peterborough, PE2 6FL England The ESA Board of Directors Officers Chair Anke van der Bijl Deputy Chair TBC Treasurer MarƟn Wood Honorary Secretary KrisƤne Rāviņa Officer Patricia Rüƫmann Officer Juan Carlos Navarro Country Directors AUSTRIA Andrea Mugrauer-Beis BELGIUM Wim Meuris CZECH REPUBLIC Jana Hrabaňová DENMARK Camilla Holm Svanberg ESTONIA Karmen Kääramees FAROE ISLANDS Sámal Petersen FINLAND Niina Haapenen FRANCE Marie Velu GERMANY Flora Gáll ICELAND Sarah Buckley IRELAND Trudy Byron-Fahy ITALY Marco Messina LATVIA Sallija Bankevica LITHUANIA Déja Aukštkalnyté NETHERLANDS Monique Dowgwillo NORWAY Mona Anita Nesse POLAND Bartosz Henrych RUSSIA Elena Sterelyukhina SOUTH AFRICA Sonnika Maritz Venter SPAIN Lucia Bellido SWEDEN Päivikki Wirkkala-Malmqvist SWITZERLAND Patricia Rüƫmann TURKEY Müge Eraydin Yegin UKRAINE Olha Bykanova UNITED KINGDOM Helen Brunner ZIMBABWE Catherine SƟrling Page 2023 Board MeeƟng & AGM Summary 3 Chair’s Column 4 2023 InternaƟonal Suzuki Teacher Trainers ConvenƟon, Japan 5 2023 European Suzuki Guitar ConvenƟon, Italy 6 2023 BriƟsh Suzuki Gala concert, UK 7 2023 Teacher Trainer Appointments 10 In Memoriam 15 Suzuki - Myths and Magic 16 2024 European Suzuki Teachers ConvenƟon, Denmark 18 2024 Suzuki Flute Teachers Workshop, Denmark 19 2024 European Suzuki Viola Gathering, Netherlands 20 Extract from the Diary of Bernard Leach 1952 21 A NaƟonal Program for Child-Rearing 22 2023 Czech Suzuki Summer School, Medlov 24 2023 Aarhus Cello Expo, Denmark 25 10th Anniversary of Austria - ASiOM 26 10th Anniversary of Latvia - LvSA 26 2023 Give a Child a Teacher 27 Suzuki Teaching Trust 28 Table of Contents Future ESA Events The huge success of the European Suzuki Children’s ConvenƟon in 2022 demonstrated the vitality of the SUZUKI Community when they come together and the energy that is generated by that. This is what will propel the ESA into the future and grow the SUZUKI Method throughout the region. Regular events will nurture this growth and renew moƟvaƟon. The plan is for ESA to have a schedule of regular events - • ESA Teachers’ ConvenƟon every 2 years • ESA Teacher Trainers’ ConvenƟon every 4 years • European Suzuki Children's ConvenƟon every 4 years This will give - • Teacher Trainers their own regular event • Teachers the opportunity to aƩend something 3 years in every 4 • Children their own regular event The schedule for the next five years is - 2024 European Suzuki Teachers’ ConvenƟon, Aarhus Denmark 2025 European Suzuki Teacher Trainers’ ConvenƟon venue Lithuania 2026 European Suzuki Teachers’ ConvenƟon venue TBC 2027 European Suzuki Children’s ConvenƟon venue TBC However, maintaining this programme does enƟrely depend on the willingness of naƟonal Suzuki associaƟons to host these events and provide an Organising CommiƩee to work with ESA Admin. The CommiƩee would be responsible for finding a venue, geƫng a quote, deciding on a theme, drawing up the programme and selecƟng the Faculty. ESA Admin would be responsible for all financial maƩers, publicity and registraƟons. For the European Suzuki Children’s ConvenƟons, the Organising CommiƩee would be responsible for the whole project, including finding sponsors to help with funding. Please contact the ESA Office if you would like to help your country host an ESA ConvenƟon on esa@europeansuzuki.org Engage, collaborate and share. THE MISSION of the European Suzuki AssociaƟon (ESA) is to further Dr. Shinichi Suzuki's approach to educaƟon. The organisaƟon's area of operaƟon is Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as decided by the InternaƟonal Suzuki AssociaƟon of which the ESA is a member. The cornerstone of maintaining quality in Suzuki teaching is the provision of quality Suzuki Teacher Training.
3 2023 Board Meeting & AGM Summary RESIGNATIONS Country Directors Anne Dorte Laub Busk DENMARK Svetlana Surodina RUSSIA APPOINTMENTS Country Directors Camilla Holm Svanberg DENMARK Elena Sterelyukhina RUSSIA DIRECTORS’ REPORT & ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2022 Available on the ESA Website INSTRUMENTS Brass A Brass CommiƩee was appointed - Ann-Marie Sundberg, Brass TT SWEDEN Haukur F Hannesson, Violoncello TT SWEDEN MarƟn Rüƫmann, Violin TT SWITZERLAND An ongoing excepƟon was granted to enable Level 3 Brass Teachers to apply for Instructor to assist the development of Brass in the ESA region. The CommiƩee will explore the possibility of Conversion Courses from one Brass instrument to another. Harp With the passing of the only ESA Harp Teacher Trainer, Gabriel Bosio, the only Harp Instructor, Tiziana Loi has been approved to conduct Level 1 to 5 Teacher Training Courses to help the conƟnued development of Suzuki Harp in the ESA region. Mandolin The Mandolin Development CommiƩee have put together a survey to be sent to all ESA Countries in order to establish the potenƟal for Mandolin in the region. Organ The Organ Development CommiƩee are looking at the pracƟcal challenges in different countries regards teaching organ to children - for example the cost and availability of pracƟce organs. Accordion SUZUKI Accordion Project conƟnues with many new successes. Interest in other countries and among many famous musicians and insƟtuƟons is growing. The ISA has been provided with all informaƟon as requested, including Teacher Training plans for Accordion and a decision from ISA is awaited on the recogniƟon of Accordion as a Suzuki instrument. CHANGES to ESA MANUALS TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL Teacher Training Courses In-person courses are the preferred choice and a key element of the SUZUKI Method. In order to offer the flexibility that is needed to conƟnue the development of the Method in the region, the opƟon of a hybrid course (part in-person, part online) is available. Hybrid courses should have at least half of the course content given in-person. EXAMINATIONS MANUAL C. Conduct of Examinations 3. Examiners ExcepƟons for COVID are removed from the ExaminaƟons Manual and the Post Covid Exam procedures as approved at the last Board MeeƟng are effecƟve from 1 June 2023 There must be three Examiners of the instrument being examined present, including the Home Examiner. EITHER Three Examiners present in person OR Two Examiners including the Home Examiner present in person and the third Examiner present via an online connecƟon. The Home Examiner then has the opƟon to choose which format suits the circumstance of their exam best. Different instruments will have different requirements as will the locaƟon of the exam. APPOINTMENTS MANUAL Appendix D Appointment of Instructors and Teacher Trainers Significant changes to the procedures for Appointment of Instructors and Teacher Trainers have been made. These changes are made with a view to ensuring that teachers undergo a more thorough preparaƟon for their applicaƟon for Instructor where previous experience of training teachers is concerned. This is proposed by introducing a preparatory period with a Mentor before applying for Instructor. A detailed report from the Mentor and videos of training teachers is proposed for the Teacher Trainer applicaƟon. Appendix D1 item 3 No more than two CommiƩee Members from the same Country can be elected to an Instrument CommiƩee. Teacher Trainers cannot be members of more than one Instrument CommiƩee at any one Ɵme. Appendix E1 and E2 Changes have been made in order to clarify the ESA RecogniƟon process and make it clear that – · an applicaƟon without a PracƟcum does not fall into the ‘approved accreditaƟon’ category and is not automaƟcally approved · it is for the Instrument CommiƩee to decide if an ‘AlternaƟve to PracƟcum’ is applicable Board MeeƟng and AGM April 2023 London UK 2024 ESA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 14.00 hrs Friday 26 April 2024 Aarhus, DENMARK All A & B members welcome Please confirm aƩendance with the ESA Office by 26 March 2024 esa@europeansuzuki.org ESA ANNUAL MEETINGS The ESA is taking its Annual MeeƟngs around the region to a different country every year. The Board of the ESA are keen to have the opportunity to invite each NaƟonal Suzuki AssociaƟon and its members to: - aƩend the AGM - organise a students’ concert - meet the ESA Directors The ESA Administrator will work closely with the NaƟonal Suzuki AssociaƟon to select a venue and organise the meeƟngs and concert. If your country would like to be the next to host an ESA meeƟng, please contact the ESA Office on esa@europeansuzuki.org or through ‘Contact ’ on the ESA website. Latest editions of ESA Manuals are available on the ESA website www.europeansuzuki.org/esa/ Ʃexamappointments-manuals/ · Teacher Training Manual · ExaminaƟons Man al · Appointments & AccreditaƟons Manual
4 Chair’s Column Anke van der Bijl frequent communicaƟon via email and knowledge of the ESA Manuals will ensure that all Teacher Trainers and Teachers will be aware of these regulaƟons. The ConvenƟon topic “InternaƟonal CredenƟals” seeks to define what these changes mean for the Teacher Training systems now and in the future. InternaƟonal GraduaƟon System All regions presented their current form of GraduaƟon. In PPSA a uniform system is in place, based on a no failure for each pupil. Pupils enter GraduaƟon only when they are ready. Success is celebrated during a GraduaƟon Concert in the Sydney Opera House. ARSA has GraduaƟon systems in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, Korea and Thailand with slight variaƟons between the countries. Technical exercises and local songs are someƟmes added to the core GraduaƟon repertoire. In SAA different GraduaƟon systems are in place, varying to suit the circumstances - i.e. someƟmes the geographical distance calls for a different approach. In TERI the GraduaƟon system is well established and has been in place for decades. In preparaƟon for this convenƟon a survey was conducted amongst all Japanese Suzuki Teachers. 96.8 % were very happy with the current GraduaƟon system. In 2022, 3358 Japanese pupils graduated. As for our own region : Several countries have a system in place. SomeƟmes technical exercises such as scales and arpeggios are required. To stress the importance of GraduaƟon system, the Conference Organising CommiƩee distributed a hard copy booklet with the GraduaƟon chapters of the Manga Story of Shinichi Suzuki. Fears I recently read that fear brings people into acƟon, usually unƟl a sense of security is re-established. In other words, fear brings people temporarily into acƟon. Whereas desire can change our behaviour permanently. Compare it to the carrot and the sƟck. Regions can fear that an InternaƟonal CredenƟal System or a uniform Teacher Training system will affect the quality of their Teacher Training, or fear that the number of parƟcipants and potenƟal teacher members of the associaƟon will decline. Regards an InternaƟonal GraduaƟon System, Teachers someƟmes fear evaluaƟon of their student’s graduaƟon tapes by other Teacher Trainers. The BriƟsh Suzuki Music AssociaƟon even offer a CPD Course dealing specifically with formulaƟng graduaƟon evaluaƟons in a respecƞul way. Desires In spite of any fears, all regions have the desire to respect each others’ credenƟals. A first step will be the posƟng of all Reciprocity systems on the ISA website. Thus, every teacher can clearly see what is required when moving to a different region which might help them to feel more welcome in their new environment. More discussion is needed, but there is mutual desire amongst regions to find a system to recognize each other’s training. All regions agree that GraduaƟon is a very powerful tool to moƟvate our students and unite our teachers and trainers even if systems differ. As a first step here, it was decided to start with one uniform cerƟficate/sƟcker for Twinkle GraduaƟons. A first draŌ of this TwinkRing (Twinkle + Ringing tone) design was presented at the end of the conference. Belgium was a country where, unƟl now, it was felt there was no need for a GraduaƟon system. However, at one of the convenƟon dinners, Belgian Teacher Trainers could be seen to be involved in lively discussions on how to implement a GraduaƟon system in their NaƟonal Suzuki AssociaƟon where all Teacher Trainers could be included. The conclusion of discussions on both topics of this convenƟon? One size does not fit all. However, where fear is transformed into desire, much can be accomplished! One Size does not Fit All ReflecƟons following the InternaƟonal Suzuki Teacher Trainer’s Conference, Matsumoto, Japan F rom 13 to 15 October 2023, teacher trainers from the enƟre globe gathered in Matsumoto to commemorate Dr.Suzuki’s 125th birthday and to discuss two important topics - An InternaƟonal CredenƟal System An InternaƟonal GraduaƟon System InternaƟonal CredenƟal System The SUZUKI Method is a global method. People move from one region to another (and someƟmes back again). In order to conƟnue their work as Suzuki Teachers, it is necessary to have their credenƟals recognised in the new region. Teacher Training systems vary widely across the five regions - from short term book courses without any form of assessment, to recogniƟon as Suzuki Teacher only when a candidate has graduated in all repertoire for the chosen Suzuki instrument. Since the pandemic, people have discovered online training. Remote training via the internet has had a tremendous impact on the nature of Teacher Training. ISA has made a statement about Online Training Courses - “In-person individual approaches to training and mentoring teachers are foundaƟonal to the Suzuki Method and are an essenƟal component in Suzuki Teacher Development. ISA recognizes that online teacher training may be an appropriate opƟon in certain circumstances.” ESA therefore decided that at least 50 % of any Teacher Training Course needs to be in person. It is hoped that
5 International Suzuki Teacher Trainers Convention Christophe Bossuat T he first word is a big ‘Thank You’ to our Japanese colleagues who organised this event so beautifully! I encountered a lot of kindness, good organisation and thoughtfulness concerning the process of thinking and speaking about the different topics we had to deal with. We also had very nicely organised social events which took place allowing long-time colleagues to be together and enjoy each other’s company. I appreciated how each topic was first presented with a moderator then discussed in different smaller groups where many of us could voice our point of view. This ended with the topic being summarised by the same moderator, sometimes with an added perspective. There was a further development regarding discussions which had already started at the last conference in Madrid. Each of us was given a good opportunity to see clearly how each region organises itself with Teacher Training, Tonalisation and the growing topic of Early Child Development. We saw different ways of doing things, particularly with Teacher Training and Tonalisation. Obviously, people in each region had to find a way that suits them best. There was no question that quality Teacher Training is important or that Tonalisation is important, but that there was more than one way of doing it. These differences can make us think whilst being still united and valuing the same things. On the topic of an International Accreditation, we approached the subject thinking on what basis such an accreditation could be validated - it is a start. There is still a long way to go here, and I will say that, unless we elect a special team with representatives from each region to deal with this topic, we cannot expect to see much happening. Let us repeat what has already been talked about—it is not about changing anything; it is first about each region positioning itself on this issue knowing precisely how the other regions function. Last of all and but not least, we could witness how much our Japanese colleagues cherish and value the work of Shinichi Suzuki Sensei. It is important for all of us to know and respect where our movement comes from. These are our roots, it has helped us to become who we are in our work, it is an immense legacy. However, if Man is the Son of his Environment, we are also responsible for creating a good environment for the children around us and for ourselves. On the first page of Nurtured by Love, the work is clearly defined - roll up your sleeves and stop blaming society, bad times, your parents, or anybody. The form of the environment we create will evolve with time and we should not always stick to old ideas or models. Shinichi Suzuki Sensei demonstrated this clearly himself - new old ideas! Yes, let us find new ideas, new models, continue the way with new perspectives, in harmony with our roots. The perspective is to elevate the children and ourselves at the same time and be together. There is no end to life’s movement. Shinichi Suzuki was the archer and we were the arrows with the destiny to become archers ourselves who can throw more arrows. I saw many archers in this conference - it was a good feeling!
6 European Suzuki Guitar Convention, Italy 2023 Elio Galvagno I n telling you something about these thirty years of Chitarrissima and thirty-six years of the Suzuki School in Saluzzo, I do not intend to celebrate or underline something of its history, but only to offer sincere thanks. Sincere thanks can be felt, perceived, recognized, and disƟnguished from those of mere convenience. ‘Thank you’ is a word with a high impact - it has real power when it reaches us. This is, then, the thanks I address to those who have accompanied and helped us over these thirty years. How lucky to have spent these years with the children! Every day before starƟng the lessons, Dr. Suzuki would meditate to raise his level of sensiƟve, emoƟonal, and creaƟve ability - in a word he tried to connect to the sense-ability of children. For him they were his true teachers. Giacomo Leopardi in Zibaldone states: ‘Children find everything in nothingness, men find nothingness in everything’. From this quote by Leopardi, we can beƩer understand the general vision of the path indicated to us by Dr. Suzuki: ‘Create beƩer ciƟzens, thanks to music’. Over the years, I have gradually learned how to focus on this objecƟve, how to be able to see in every lesson that behind the guitar, first, there is a child. Today, I believe that proposing music to young people as a lens through which to observe the world can contribute to their future, consƟtute a point of reference and a possible source of hope. Indeed, can a human being resign himself to accept the world in which he lives., if every day, thanks to music, he experiences beauty, dialogue, listening, comparison, paƟence, harmony, and concord? At the same Ɵme, is this lens of music sufficient to guide us in everyday challenges? Unfortunately, not, even if its indispensable presence in our lives is now underlined by everyone, it is not enough! '"First character, then (musical) ability'" stated Maestro Suzuki who noƟced this by listening to the various performances of his students, asking them to start including acts of generosity in their days and making themselves useful in some way. He wanted them to learn to give without any reward. Only with such a sensiƟve and renewed heart would they be able to get to the heart of Mozart and Bach's music and perhaps become good ciƟzens! Thirty years ago, with these intenƟons we dropped anchor on the ‘beach’ of these lands which today are called ‘Terres Monviso’ and among which there is also Saluzzo - an extraordinary territory which welcomed the parƟcipants of Chitarrissima coming from many Italian regions, many European naƟons, and the United States. This territory is ready to give even more wonders.
7 British Suzuki Gala Concert, UK 2023 Helen Brunner N early 2,000 performers from all over Europe and beyond travelled to London to participate in the British Suzuki Music Association’s Gala concert on 9 April 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall (RAH). Teachers and children came from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam. Everybody knew that this would be a once in a life-time experience. Planning started more than two years earlier with finding the right date; Easter Sunday was chosen to embrace most of the European school terms. Then we had to book the venue, but the RAH has an 85% full house policy and children’s concerts, surprisingly, do not usually fill the hall, so I had to persuade them that with our young Suzuki performers, typically the whole family comes along too; in fact we quickly sold out. Then the programme manager was alarmed that our children were playing the entire concert from memory. How is that possible? No music, no stands, no chairs, no single conductor and only one day of rehearsal? And behaviour was a huge issue. I had an email saying they thought that in proposing to put on a gala, I ‘had not quite understood the aesthetic of our hall’. We patiently explained the process behind the Suzuki method: how students are trained to memorise everything as they go, and how these thousand children learn about good concert behaviour right from the beginning. (The youngest child was five years old.) Of course, we also depended on the 174 highly-trained Suzuki teacherleaders who created the musical magic of each performance, and the 108 teacher-helpers, who stayed with the children in the hall throughout the concert. Detailed organisation, a pencil and paper effort of ingenuity, was masterminded by Suzuki teachers Juan Drown and Mona Kodama. Registration for a mammoth event like this needs professional help. The process of registering every player was done off-site in the old Baden- Powell House, Queens Gate and took two days. “The programme manager was alarmed that our children were playing the entire concert from memory.” Children were not auditioned to take part in the Gala, (except a few pianists, because of keyboard limitations) but they had to be a minimum of Suzuki Book 2 standard. Rarely have I witnessed such clear evidence of the power of music to break down the barriers of language, race, religion,
8 British Suzuki Gala Concert, UK 2023 Helen Brunner disability, gender and nationality. The young musicians rehearsed together for only one day, next door to the RAH at the Royal College of Music. At least half of them did not speak English, but our Suzuki teachers know how to lead without words, and the results were electrifying. Stage management was nothing short of miraculous. The RAH creates a custom stage for every new client and our team were on site with the builders at 5am on the day of the concert. Tech rehearsals began at 9am, making space for a Steinway concert grand, 1,300 children, 300 adults, 20 pianos, and 20 orchestral players. Some of the programme was instrument-specific, such as the Bach double violin concerto, Massenet’s MéditaƟon and the Mendelssohn concerto for violin, the Haydn concerto for cello, and Mozart’s Rondo alla turca for piano. Some of it was played tuƫ, with the music arranged by the amazing Timothy Murray for all our instruments to play together. Tim was also commissioned to compose a new Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’ for the occasion, which was breathtaking. The whole concert was backed by world-class piano accompaniment and a formidable professional string ensemble made up of former Suzuki students. A planned Gala Concert in April 2020 was cancelled at the last minute because of COVID-19. The RAH reimbursed all Ɵckets, then BriƟsh Suzuki had to rebate all the registraƟon fees. We had already organised thousands of Gala 2020, merchandise, expensive soŌware and extra professional administrators and were nearly bankrupted. This Ɵme, we hoped to make a profit, but as a charity that is not our raison d’être. Every single musician, teacher/ leader, compère and helper aƩended without a fee. We had a home-stay scheme for those who wished to stay with Suzuki families, but hundreds of Suzuki teachers paid their own air fares and hospitality. This extraordinary generosity is only possible because of each individual’s graƟtude to their teacher, Dr Shinichi Suzuki, the founder and inspiraƟon behind the Suzuki Method. He changed our lives for ever. His vision was to use music to bring people together and make the world a beƩer place. Personally, I feel incredibly lucky to have been born on the same planet as Suzuki, in his life-Ɵme. Unfortunately, there is sƟll systemic prejudice against the Suzuki Method in our professional schools and conservatoires. One of my own violin students was awarded a place at the Purcell School last year and at her first violin lesson was told, ‘we don’t have anything like Suzuki here. We regard the Suzuki Method as
9 British Suzuki Gala Concert, UK 2023 Helen Brunner “cheaƟng educaƟon”.’ My pupil spoke with other former Suzuki students at the school: they told her they never dared menƟon the word Suzuki in their lessons… She decided to leave.! In 2023, is there a UK Conservatoire brave enough to include a Suzuki Junior Department, where parents are welcomed into the lessons, recordings are listened to at home, and regular group lessons enjoyed, as they are at the Juilliard School, CurƟs or Eastman in USA? Where are the UK universiƟes with Suzuki Teacher-Training departments, where graduates can do post-grad in-depth study to become trained Suzuki teachers, as in the University of Antwerp, Belgium? Suzuki students typically become Suzuki parents, as evidenced in my own studio. Some become Suzuki teachers and professional violinists, some become skilled Suzuki Teacher Trainers; BriƟsh Suzuki Music AssociaƟon has excellent Teacher Training programmes in the UK for violin, viola, cello, piano, flute and recorder. It is a long training, but a powerful one. In Suzuki Method we are trained to find the potenƟal and finest quality in every child, and in their parents. We start with rapid notes on one pitch unƟl they sound good. The students have listened to recordings of the music they will play so many Ɵmes that the sound has been internalised and is now absolutely part of them. With careful teaching, students match what they are playing to the music which is inside their head, forever self-correcƟng. Music is a performance art. It exists in the transference of beauƟful sound from the heart of the composer to the heart of the listener. The Royal Welsh College of Music announced recently that every undergraduate will now have three solo concert opportuniƟes a year. In Suzuki Method children concerƟse all the Ɵme. We rejoice that our recording arƟst for Suzuki Violin Books 1, 2 and 3 is Hilary Hahn, another grateful former Suzuki student. I travel a lot with my violin for my work, so I am a siƫng target for people who want to tell me how they used to learn the violin/ guitar/piano/harmonica and then gave up. When I ask why, it is usually the same: ‘I was rubbish’; ‘my Dad said I was no good’; ‘the teacher asked me to leave’; ‘the noise was horrible’. The number of students who learn an instrument in the UK, give up and never play again is a shameful and wasteful aspect of this country’s music educaƟon. It is almost as if teachers and families expect that to happen. Why? Photography by Bill HiskeƩ First published Summer 2023 issue of Music Journal by the ISM
10 I consider myself very fortunate to have grown up in small town New Zealand as a Suzuki child. Having been surrounded by music since day one – a “loving and nurturing environment” was seemingly already firmly in place. My father would sing all the Bass Solos from his Oratorios as my bedƟme lullabies, and my mother pracƟced her organ solos in the lounge every day. The radio was playing constantly in the background, and my father collected LPs like precious jewels. It was Mother Tongue method from day one. My first lessons with my teacher Margaret Crawshaw though were fundamental to everything I hold dear to me in music to this day. Of course, she taught me how to “play” the piano using the Suzuki method, but it was much more than that. Now I realise that she taught me not only to listen and to fully express myself at the instrument, but also to listen and then listen and observe some more. Playing the piano was never simply about playing the correct notes, it was always ‘Character before Ability’. My further performance studies and degrees in NZ, the USA and Germany were testament to my solid and grounded upbringing in the Suzuki method. I was fortunate to have had teachers who understood how Suzuki students learn, and I contribute my overwhelmingly posiƟve experiences to the Suzuki life values that have been insƟlled in me since I was liƩle - aŌer all ‘Where love is deep much can be accomplished’. Just recently I heard a professor tell university students ‘Whatever you do, do not listen to recordings of this work’. Firstly, his reasoning shocked me to the core, and then it reminded me how lucky I have been in my musical upbringing. Finally, it made me rethink how mindful we must be as teachers in preparing our students to leave and move on - it is imperaƟve we insƟl in them the values and tools they need to succeed and help them remain true to themselves and their hearts. My training as a Suzuki Piano teacher began all the way back with Mrs. Crawshaw when I was sƟll at high school – she supervised my first teaching with a few of her ‘excess students’ and, with that, she developed my love of teaching which has remained with me ever since. I am very grateful to both Ruth Miura and Grant Mead for conƟnuing this work with me as my Suzuki Teacher Trainers here in Europe, helping me develop into the Suzuki teacher I am today. My goals now as a Suzuki Teacher Trainer in Switzerland are the same as they have always been - to conƟnue to give my best to my students and their parents in each lesson and to work with the parents to help their children become the best version of themselves they can be with whatever they bring to the lesson. It is a wish of mine to help bring together a new generaƟon of Suzuki Piano Teachers in a harmonious manner as I imagine Dr Suzuki would have wanted, perhaps even bringing a liƩle Kiwi style to Europe…. We all know learning from one another never stops and, with the possibiliƟes to exchange new ideas these days, this will only benefit all of our students - it is, aŌer all, for them and their precious souls that we do this. ‘Perhaps it is music that will save the world’. 2023 Teacher Trainer Appointments Michelle Post PIANO, SWITZERLAND
11 I grew up in 1980s Poland in a 33 sqm concrete block apartment with my family and a PIANO, which four heŌy men struggled to bring up the stairs to the first floor and, in the end, had to wedge sideways between a wardrobe and the bedroom door. My dad, an accomplished engineer, was a huge opera lover and the whole block of flats was constantly shaking to the strains of either the stereo playing 'Tosca', 'Madame BuƩerfly' or the sound of my dad singing in the shower like Caruso (much to the embarrassment of my mum who had to face the neighbours on the staircase when leaving for her late hospital shiŌ). Dad always said that if his parents could have afforded to buy him a harmonica, he would have become a virtuoso. My whole musical beginnings are a huge credit to my parents who never gave up on me, although I gave them so many reasons to. I thank them for the moral compass and sense of compassion for all, for the love of Nature, and for my educaƟon. At the state music school (primary and secondary) I was a liƩle compeƟƟon horse who was wheeled out whenever an occasion to entertain or win something, arose. I conƟnued through with a piano performance degree course at the music academy, but already sensed that something was not quite right about the way we were raised, or the only two alternaƟves we were given in all those years - either winning or losing. As Dr. Suzuki said, we are all shaped by our environment, and you don't quesƟon it unƟl you are really challenged. And the challenge came years later when I moved to the UK and my son was born. As my husband is a jazz musician, music was always around and our son was strangely interested in humming things in tune. This convinced us that he must have ‘the musical gene’. I had heard about this ‘Suzuki Method’ that worked with young kids and wanted to see what they fed the children on in order to play an instrument. I had read ‘Nurtured by Love’ and knew I was on to something amazing, but aŌer I went to see the BSMA (former BSI) NaƟonal Children's Workshop in London and met Grant Mead, I knew it was the beginning of something incredible. Only Grant knows how many stupid quesƟons a pianist can ask, but being on the course literally changed my life. I will never be able to do enough to show all my graƟtude to Grant for his kindness, inclusivity, paƟence, and incredible talent at passing on his immense knowledge, but above all, for inspiring us with the Suzuki philosophy, a true love and caring for children and great vision. He has lit a flame in my heart which will remain with me for the rest of my life. As a Teacher Trainer, I hope to be able to inspire and pass on the vision of Dr Suzuki and Grant's knowledge and inspiraƟon. I hope I will never stop learning from the children and from my colleagues. Working alongside amazing musicians who are also wonderful human beings and being able to call them colleagues is a very humbling experience. I hope we can create a new quality of cooperaƟon between us, truly inspired by this wonderful philosophy that unites us around the same goal - to create people of noble minds and noble hearts. ‘What is man's ulƟmate direcƟon in life? It is to look for love, truth, virtue, and beauty’. Dr. Suzuki truly believed, as Casals said, that ‘perhaps it is music which will save the world’. 2023 Teacher Trainer Appointments Anna Sibley PIANO, UK
12 I was born in the north of Italy, in the city of Turin, and although my ancestors were from the very north of Europe, Eastern philosophy and culture have always played a major role in my life. However, unƟl I came into contact with the figure of Dr Suzuki, I had no idea about how to pracƟcally transfer that philosophy into my acƟvity as a music teacher. When I finally became involved with the Suzuki world, I was struck by the great possibiliƟes that such a system could have on my work. I sƟll remember the first Ɵme I aƩended a Suzuki children’s concert, where I met guitarist Elio Galvagno with whom, years later, I began training to become a Suzuki teacher. In looking back, I have to thank more than one person, first of all my teacher at the Conservatory, the guitarist and music historian Mario Dell’Ara, as well as the fluƟst Marlaena Kessick, and tenor Francesco Sai (known for his collaboraƟon with the renowned “SolisƟ VeneƟ” ensemble). Studying with them and performing with the laƩer two allowed me to acquire a solid musical base. Of course, I soon discovered that the necessity to put into pracƟce daily the philosophy which permeated Dr. Suzuki’s enƟre life, was so simple, yet, at the same Ɵme, so difficult - it was something which went far beyond the teaching of music to children. I gradually began to realise that if I seriously wanted to fulfill Dr Suzuki’s expectaƟons of any teacher who used his name, I needed to do more than just concentrate on the musical side of the method, I needed to improve myself and my everyday behavior and not just when teaching. I feel incredibly lucky to have met some wonderful people over the years who are deeply rooted in Dr. Suzuki’s high ideals and philosophy of life - humble people who have dedicated their lives to puƫng into pracƟce those ideals, regardless of their own interests and from whom I have received great examples, mainly about what a real Suzuki teacher should be. Among them I would like to menƟon Ruth Miura, one of the first two ESA Piano Teacher Trainers, for her fairness and unwavering devoƟon to Dr. Suzuki, and also TERI senior Violin Teacher Shozo Matsumoto, for his wonderful sense of musical interpretaƟon. All these fantasƟc colleagues, together with others like Violinists Koen Rens and Christophe Bossuat, just to menƟon two, as well as the community of Guitar Teachers and Teacher Trainers from Europe and abroad, have all helped me to become a Teacher Trainer myself. I am grateful to all of them. Now for me, it is Ɵme to look ahead and to try and share the modest knowledge I have acquired with any future guitarists for whom I might eventually become Teacher Trainer on their path into the Suzuki world. 2023 Teacher Trainer Appointments Mauro Bianco Levrin GUITAR, ITALY
13 I n 2003, five years aŌer obtaining my Master's degree in Violin at the conservatoire in Antwerp, I came into contact with the Suzuki method for the first Ɵme at the naƟonal Workshop in ReƟe (Belgium). At that Ɵme, I was mostly acƟve in orchestras, but also started teaching in several music academies and gave private lessons to 4-year-old children whilst seeking out which methods I could use - and I kept on looking for the 'right' method. The interest in teaching young children has always been there, partly thanks to my mother who was a kindergarten teacher. As a teenager, I was someƟmes allowed to help in her class and once I told her that, later on, I would like to work with small children in combinaƟon with the violin… One day, a friend took me to the naƟonal Suzuki workshop in ReƟe. What I saw there was a completely new world for me - I was totally unaware that this Suzuki method existed in Belgium. And so, in 2003 (as a mother of two liƩle daughters), I started Suzuki training with Peter Nys under the direcƟon of Mrs. Jeanne Janssens. She taught us the philosophy, the technique, the teaching points, the repertoire and encouraged us to observe as many lessons from colleagues as possible. I felt that this was what I had been unconsciously looking for for years. In 2008, Peter and I reached Level 5 and, thanks to our Belgian colleagues, we had already had a lot of beauƟful opportuniƟes. The Suzuki method and the philosophy really changed my life. In 2006, as a Suzuki mother of my youngest child, An-Sofie, I joined the Violin classes in the studio of Koen Rens in Turnhout. For 14 years in his class, I was able to learn from his experƟse and experience, his enthusiasm, his philosophy, his way of trying to let the child's soul speak. Also, the group lessons led by Wilfried Van Gorp were a source of inspiraƟon. A few years ago, Peter and I were asked if we were interested in becoming an Instructor. At first, we both thought that this step was too early for us because training teachers requires another level of responsibility to being a Suzuki teacher. However, this certainly appealed to me because, with the opportuniƟes and experience I have gained myself; I thought it must be a privilege to be able to transfer this to (younger) colleagues. Colleagues who, just like myself in 2003, also want to be open to discovering this method with its philosophy and to offer this to as many families as possible. And now, aŌer a wonderful period of being an Instructor I am very grateful to be a Suzuki Teacher Trainer. During my Instructorship, I observed exams and learnt through listening to teacher trainees and watching their learning process. I also saw how excellent Examiners/Teacher Trainers help trainees to progress with posiƟve advice, respect for the human being, and philosophical and technical support. I realise this learning progress is not yet complete, but I believe I am ready to share my 20 years of experience as a Suzuki Teacher and 14 years of experience as a Suzuki mother with the next generaƟon of teachers. I would like to build on what Dr Suzuki said, ‘It is in our power to raise all the children of the world to become a liƩle beƩer as human beings, a liƩle happier’. 2023 Teacher Trainer Appointments Griet Wytynck VIOLIN, BELGIUM
14 I have always thought about the wonderful and curious way in which my passion for teaching began. For me, being a teacher is an absolute vocaƟon that I have felt since I can remember. I also believe that it is an outstanding debt to all those teachers who have been on my path and who dedicated their Ɵme and effort to teach me this wonderful profession. They all did it with love and enthusiasm - how lucky I am! My first childhood memories of wanƟng to teach are that every aŌernoon, when I returned home from school, I would show my dolls everything I had learned that morning. I would sit them down with a small blackboard and we would repeat and repeat my lessons. That was to be the first seed of everything that would come later. The second would be at the age of 7 when I started playing the violin. That's where my Suzuki adventure began without me knowing it. I have been very lucky that, in my musical life, I have always been surrounded by great musicians and, above all, great people who taught me with passion and were generous with their Ɵme. I had a tradiƟonal conservatory educaƟon and, during that Ɵme, I remember some wonderful group classes, my mother taking notes and studying with me at home and a casseƩe that played at home every day. AŌer each pracƟce at home, I would teach my dolls everything I had learned with the violin. To the quesƟon: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I answered: ‘a violin teacher’, that was always very clear to me. The years passed and those magnificent group classes conƟnued. Some Ɵme later, when my professional life began, luck struck again and I found a colleague, and now a great friend, whose curiosity had been aroused by the Suzuki world. We started to work together in the Suzuki way. Today we sƟll remember those years and those huge group lessons that we taught together. Thanks to her, I began my training with Ana María SebasƟan. With her, I discovered that this ‘tradiƟonal teaching’ was actually a wonderful Suzuki teaching and there all my memories began to come together. Later I conƟnued my training in Lyon with Genevieve Prost, Joanne MarƟn and Christophe Bossuat. With all of them, generosity, wisdom and love conƟnued to be present in my life. I remember those years full of personal and professional magical experiences. All that Ɵme was a source of conƟnuous inspiraƟon in my life. While I was doing the training, luck struck again for the third Ɵme. María Jesús Cano offered me a job at ‘4 Cuerdas’, the oldest Suzuki school in Madrid, and my life changed. The trust she placed in me has been another giŌ from the great Suzuki family. With her and a team of fantasƟc teachers we have celebrated our 25th anniversary. I am also part of a lot of fantasƟc families who I always remind of the great giŌ that they are giving to their children with their musical educaƟon. A few years ago, when I began my Instructorship to become a Teacher Trainer, I rediscovered this world from another point of view. In teaching the Suzuki pedagogy we are passing on the immense love that Dr Suzuki brought to our lives. It is the love that I have always felt from all my teachers and from all those teachers my Suzuki training has put in my path. None of this would have been possible without the support of my family - my husband who supports and helps in all my decisions and my daughters who make me be a beƩer person and a beƩer teacher. With them I try to share all my trips and experiences in this wonderful world. As I began by saying, I dedicate myself to this beauƟful profession because it is the way to give back and be grateful for everything my teachers did for me. I firmly believe that together we can make a beƩer world if we fill it with love, respect and music. That's what I want to do - share my Ɵme, knowledge, passion and deep love for what I do. I'm certainly very lucky! 2023 Teacher Trainer Appointments Carlota Alonso Jarơn VIOLIN, SPAIN
15 Piano Teacher outside the associaƟon. As a person, Sirje was cheerful and humorous. She supported and noƟced the people around her. Her home was always open to guests! Big thinking and flying ideas were very characterisƟc of her. The last wish - to become a Teacher Trainer - was unfortunately not fulfilled. As Suzuki's first Piano Teacher in Estonia and by further developing Suzuki Teacher Training and Teaching, Sirje has leŌ an important legacy for EstSA. We remember her as a great colleague, Suzuki parent and very good friend. skills; her fluent communicaƟon skills made her the perfect communicator with the outside world. As a teacher, she parƟcipated in the NaƟonal Suzuki Summer Camps and Workshops in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and in Switzerland She was also a valued In Memoriam S irje was one of the founders of the Suzuki AssociaƟon in Estonia. From 1997, in the early years of the associaƟon, Sirje was a great help in organising Suzuki Violin Teacher Training courses. Sirje was also a Pianist and translator. Together with her husband Eino, who was a lawyer, she draŌed the statutes of the Estonian Suzuki AssociaƟon (EstSA). Later she also translated it into English for the European Suzuki AssociaƟon. Sirje also translated into Estonian S. Suzuki's book "Nurtured by Love" (2001). Sirje was involved in the Suzuki Method at first as a parent and then trained as a Suzuki Teacher from 2002-2022. She possessed excellent Swedish and English language Sirje Subbe-Tamm (1962 - 2023) by Karmen Kääramees A Tribute to Gabriella Bosio by Elio Galvagno ‘What is it that I can do for hours without geƫng Ɵred?’ Talent, like any precious thing, must be taken care of and culƟvated. You cannot think of living on talents without ever taking care of them. Talents require commitment. Do we dedicate Ɵme and space every day to our talents and passions? Our human experience requires deep dedicaƟon in every aspect, parƟcularly to ourselves. When will we learn to someƟmes say ’no’ and set aside Ɵme for ourselves? Every day we should try to - · improve something · learn something new · experiment with something Even when we understand what our talents are, it doesn't mean that their realisaƟon is smooth and painless. We will sƟll need to know how to integrate conƟnual opposing trends into our daily life - Thinking of Gabriella Bosio and her legacy, moƟvated me to write this leƩer to all Suzuki teachers and parents. However, it is also addressed to myself and my daily task of facing the flow of life’s conƟnuous changes. Talent and the Environment We are usually focused on children's talents. When and how do we think about our own talents? Everyone has many talents, and they manifest our life’s purpose. Our talents are unique and they require specific and parƟcular aƩenƟon. Those who thrive on their talents stand apart from the crowd - they are independent and do not have to account to anyone; they do not consider work to be work because they do what they do with passion in their hearts. To discover and find our talents at any age, we need to answer this quesƟon - AcƟon and ContemplaƟon Joy and Seriousness Abundance and Scarcity Welcome and Firmness Introversion and Extroversion Night and Day Light and Shadow In any case, at this point in our life, it will be necessary to manifest them with courage and without falling into false modesty or arrogance. It will be important to remain humble, with our feet on the ground, with the absolute certainty that we need to conƟnuously work and nourish our talents, without feeling we have arrived or finally made it! To remain humble also means that we cannot assume we always know the specific needs of others and how to help others. Maybe what we are doing is not necessarily addressing the needs of those we are helping.
16 Suzuki - Myths and Magic Jenny Macmillan I was recently invited to write an arƟcle for Piano Professional, the journal of the European Piano Teachers’ AssociaƟon UK, addressing criƟcisms that are oŌen directed towards the Suzuki approach. In it, I explain that many of the criƟcisms are no more than myths, and that the results of the highly logical process of Suzuki teaching are magical: every pupil is shown to have potenƟal, all develop perseverance and stamina, and many become fine musicians. For this ESA NewsleƩer, I have edited my original arƟcle to be relevant to Suzuki teachers of all instruments, and also to reflect welcome and construcƟve comments from several Suzuki piano teachers and Suzuki parents. The myth of poor sight-reading skills There is a belief that Suzuki children don’t learn to read music because they play by ear – that the Suzuki approach relies primarily on rote learning and memorisaƟon. Dr Suzuki discouraged note reading at the instrument for very young children, because they learn through their senses – through hearing, listening, watching and feeling – rather than their intellect. He wanted them to listen carefully to the sounds they produced and create a beauƟful tone. Suzuki-trained children in Japan reached advanced levels of violin playing when very young. Also, in the mid 20th century in Japan, children learned to read music at school, so it was not necessary for Dr Suzuki to include the reading of music at the instrument in his philosophy. When the Suzuki approach spread to the West, teachers not fully trained in its philosophy thought Suzuki children shouldn’t learn to read music even when older. There was a failure to differenƟate between postponing music reading at the instrument versus introducing music reading concepts through acƟviƟes away from the instrument. Nowadays Suzuki teachers understand that learning to read music is essenƟal. As soon as children start their individual instrumental lessons, they join group lessons with other children of similar age and level for musicianship games – learning, in effect, the early stages of reading music – playing games with flash cards, rhythm and listening games, singing and moving to music. Good instructors teach wriƩen theory, too, when children are ready for it – perhaps around the age of 6. As with learning their mother tongue – first listen, then speak, then read, so the same with music – first listen to the sounds, then develop the technique to play, then learn to read the score. Having the musical language first in the ear is an essenƟal preparaƟon for music reading. If focusing on reading the notes in the early stages, it is not possible to focus also on the sound and the technique. We teach each aspect of musicianship when the child is ready. This means a young pianist aged 10 or 12 may be performing Bach minuets, ClemenƟ sonaƟnas and even a simple Beethoven sonata very musically. However, in common with most children of that age (who may have been learning non-Suzuki for three or four years), their sight-reading skills are sƟll at an early stage. Because their listening is very well developed, and because they are learning to pracƟse well, in their early teens their reading abiliƟes usually improve rapidly to catch up with their musical abiliƟes. This is a benefit of sound before symbol – reading is delayed unƟl the child is ready for it, but the magic is that it then develops quickly. The myth that imitaƟon produces unmusical, roboƟc playing All Suzuki pupils follow a common repertoire. This means children can play together easily and, combined with a shared manner of playing, can make it appear as if their performances are mechanical. Some argue that pupils may become overly reliant on imitaƟon rather than developing their own interpretaƟve skills, leading to a lack of musical creaƟvity and expression. However, one could say: imitaƟon first, innovaƟon second. It’s much easier to become innovaƟve if the basic techniques are in place first. And, parƟcularly at the higher levels, Suzuki teachers acƟvely seek to nurture musical creaƟvity rather than mere imitaƟon. Suzuki children learn through their hearing – by listening regularly to the music they are studying. In the early stages, there is much demonstraƟon by the teacher of the sound required and the movements needed to produce that sound. The child will copy the sounds and movements. Young children are soon able to pick out the notes of the next piece for themselves, but they will conƟnue to watch and listen to the teacher’s demonstraƟons. As children grow older, they will develop their sensiƟvity of touch and quality of tone. There will be more discussion of the theory and how to play with style and character. Well-taught Suzuki students learn to listen well and to play musically, arƟsƟcally and creaƟvely. Listening to recordings has been a source of criƟcism on the grounds that it discourages individual interpretaƟon of the score. However, even the ABRSM now produces recordings of examinaƟon pieces, so clearly this Suzuki pracƟce has become mainstream. At the intermediate and higher levels, Suzuki teachers recommend pupils listen to several different performances of each piece they are learning, and to other pieces by the composers they are studying, so as to raise their sensiƟvity and awareness of alternaƟve interpretaƟons and to develop their own creaƟve responses. Suzuki instrumental repertoire The Suzuki repertoire has been criƟcised for its limitaƟons. But for each instrument it has been carefully chosen by panels of highly experienced musicians to introduce technical and musical issues in a progressive way from the simple to the more sophisƟcated. There are many advantages, not least that teachers are fully familiar with the repertoire for their instrument and can therefore concentrate on teaching each child rather than having to focus on the score. Also pupils are easily able to parƟcipate in group music making. Good teachers will assign addiƟonal non-Suzuki music as appropriate, such as tradiƟonal regional music and ensembles. This broadens pupils’ exposure to different musical styles and develops their reading skills. In the case of the piano repertoire, when it was selected in the late 1960s there was an emphasis on music from the baroque and classical periods because, in Japan, young children with small hands who were not yet ready emoƟonally for romanƟc music were playing at a high level. However, in the early 2000s, the repertoire was broadened significantly, and now includes music by composers such as Chopin, Debussy, Bartok and Villa-Lobos. Advanced level children listen to performances by the finest musicians. It is important to be aware that the Suzuki approach is not the repertoire! Unfortunately some teachers follow the Suzuki repertoire without having undertaken Suzuki training or understanding the principles and philosophy. Others state: ‘I teach Suzuki but I also teach other method books’. Cases such as these have, unfortunately, detracted from the reputaƟon of the approach. ‘Suzuki children are all taught in groups’ – another myth! There is a myth – a misunderstanding – that Suzuki children are taught only in
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