History & Timeline

1958

• Film of 1955 Talent Education Concert shown to Clifford Cook by Japanese student, Kenji Mochizuki.
• Cook shows 1955 Talent Education film at OSTA. Film seen by Robert Klotmann and John Kendall.
• Cook article on Suzuki appears in the Music Education Journal.

1959

• John Kendall visits Matsumoto, returns to write Listen and Play books.
• Time interview with Kendall in Japan.
• 1959 NSOA presentation by Kendall.

1963

• Clifford Cook begins Suzuki program at Oberlin with 30 children and 2 young Japanese teachers.

1964

• Japanese Tour Group comes to the US with 10 students; historic MENC/ASTA conference performance.
• Suzuki is first recipient of ASTA International Award.
• Thomas Rolston begins first Canadian Suzuki program in Edmonton.
• Bill Starr begins Suzuki program at the University of Tennessee.

1966

• Project Super begins with Anastasia Jemplis at the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Suzuki comes to do training.

1967

• Suzuki program in Cordoba, Argentina.
• 55 American teachers go to Japan for a month long study tour.
• Talent Education USA formed.

1968

• William Starr’s sabbatical year in Japan.
• Mrs. Suzuki’s English translation of Nurtured By Love is published by Exposition Press.

1971

• American Suzuki Institute begins at Stevens Point, WI.
• Constance Starr introduces American teachers to Suzuki piano at a California workshop and American Suzuki Institute.

1972

• SAA formed.
• William Starr, President.
• Harriet Mogge, Executive Secretary 1972-1974.
• Dues—donations only!

1973

• Five Institutes underway.
• Membership structure developed.
• Suzuki to Brazil.
• First American Suzuki Journal published.
• Dues set at US $15.
• Clifford Cook publishes Suzuki Education in Action.

1974

• John Kendall, President.
• Glenn Pannell, Executive Secretary 1974-1981.
• First membership count: 912.
• Seven long-term Teacher Training locations published in ASJ.
• Suzuki Pre-School opened by Susan Grilli at the School for Strings in New York.

1975

• Sixteen institutes.
• Suzuki method comes to Costa Rica and Columbia.
• First International Teachers Conference in Hawaii.
• Mary Kay Waddington begins to adapt Suzuki ideas to harp.
• SAA Teacher scholarship program started.
• SAA services include teacher location service.
• SAA AV library set up.

1976

• Sanford Reuning, President.
• First SAA Directory.
• Board expands to 30.
• Teacher scholarships started.
• William Starr publishes The Suzuki Violinist.
• SAA Membership: 2087.

1977

• Focus on Teacher Training.
• Registration of courses provided by SAA.
• Suzuki recorder instruction begins.
• Membership is 2469.

1978

• Mark Bjork, President.
• Active dues set at $15/year.
• Suzuki flute begins.

1979

• Teacher Support: Group medical and instrument insurance available.
• SAA logo developed and registered.
• Teacher Trainer syllabi developing.
• Suzuki teaching comes to Puerto Rico.
• SAA membership—$20 US.
• American Suzuki Journal register with Library of Congress.

1980

• Yvonne Tait, first woman president, first cellist president.
• Toshio Takahashi comes to US for flute Teacher Training.
• Parent issues receive increased attention.
• Institute guidelines and approval process under development.
• Marge Aber receives first Distinguished Service Award.
• European Suzuki Association formed.

1981

• Robert Reinsager, Executive Secretary 1981-1991
• Suzuki teaching comes to Peru.
• SAA dues set at $32 US.
• First SAA Flute Committee established.

1982

• Doris Preucil, President.
• Institutes number 31.
• First SAA Teacher Trainer Registry set up.

1983

• SAA Board reduced to 9 members.
• International Teachers’ Conference in Japan.
• 25th Anniversary of the 1958 showing of the Talent Education film at Oberlin.
• First Parents’ Column added to ASJ.
• International Suzuki Association established.

1984

• Norma Jean Seaton, President.
• First SAA National Teachers’ Conference in Schaumburg, IL.
• SAA membership: 4463.
• Suzuki gives preliminary approval to harp approach developed by Mary Kay Waddington.
• Dr. Suzuki receives honorary doctorate from Oberlin College.

1985

• New application requirements adopted for Teacher Trainer Registry.
• Teacher Trainer Review Committee appointed.
• First conference for Teacher Trainers and Institute Directors, Denver, CO.
• $70,000 raised for Save the Children Fund.

1986

• Paul Landefeld, President.
• Second SAA Teachers Conference in Chicago.
• Tour Group to South America co-sponsored by ISA and SAA.

1987

• Ties with Japan fostered.
• Suzuki Harp, Vol. 1 published.
• Over 60 Institutes taking place.

1988

• Dorothy Jones, first Canadian SAA President and first pianist as president.
• Focus on public outreach.
• Third SAA International Conference in Chicago—Gingold gives master classes.
• First viola column to appear in the ASJ.

1989

• Second Conference for Teacher Trainers and Institute Directors, Boston,
• Suzuki Piano School re-editing/re-recording begins.
• 50 Brazilian students, teachers, and parents participate in the 9th International Conference in Matsumoto.

1990

• Tanya Carey, President.
• Fourth SAA International Conference in San Francisco.
• Restructuring due to financial crisis.
• Jim Maurer brings SAA books up to date and new fiscal policies set.
• First Teacher Trainer Handbook published.
• Suzuki Bass School, Vol. 1 published.
• Suzuki Viola School, Vol. 6 published.
• Network with MENC & ASTA officially established.

1991

• Pam Brasch Executive Administrator, 1991-1996.
• May 1991 fiscal year closes just barely in the black!
• SAA offices move to Boulder, CO.
• SAA Active membership dues set at $35 US.
• Premier Business Memberships established.

1992

• Jeff Cox, President/Board Chair.
• Fifth SAA International Conference in Chicago claims record attendance.
• Conference includes the first joint meeting of the SAA and ISA.
• First Suzuki program developed in Ecuador (Quito).
• Marilyn O’Boyle establishes liaison with South America.

1993

• Analysis of mission, goals, and objectives for SAA
• Ten-year strategic plan and fund raising strategies established.
• Third Teacher Trainer/Institute Directors Conference, Estes Park, CO.
• Dr. Suzuki is nominated for Nobel Peace Prize.
• First Suzuki guitar group performance at an international conference (Pan Pacific Conference in Australia).

1994

• Sixth SAA International Conference, Chicago.
• A lawyer, a parent, and financial advisor added to the board.
• First summer for Board-led Institute Focus Groups.
• First Annual Fund Campaign.

1995

• William Preucil, Board Chair.
• SAA Honorary Board established.
• SAA receives Kellogg Foundation grant for leadership training.
• SAA President becomes the Board Chair.
• SAA membership reaches 6,245.
• First Biennial Leadership Retreat, Estes Park, CO.

1996

• Pam Brasch, Executive Director 1996-2021
• Fund raising continues to be a major responsibility for the board.
• Seventh SAA International Conference celebrates 25 years of the SAA.
• Film Nurtured by Love released.
• SAA dues set at $45 US.
• SAA becomes a Regional Association of the ISA.
• Suzuki’s former home becomes a City of Matsumoto museum.

1997

• Pat D’Ercole, Board Chair.
• SAA Mission and Vision stated the spring of 1997.
• Second Leadership Retreat, Estes Park.
• Guitar at Hartt Suzuki Institute, largest Suzuki Guitar gathering in the World.
• 25th Anniversary ASJ issue published.

1998

• Dr. Suzuki dies, Jan 26, 1998.
• Eighth SAA International Conference celebrates Suzuki’s 100th year.
• Suzuki Centennial Celebrations.
• Fall of 1998, SAA Board meets in Canada (London, Ontario) for the first time.

1999

• James Maurer, Board Chair.
• Third Leadership Retreat, Estes Park (Teacher Trainers, Institute Directors, State Association Officers).
• First Latin American Teacher Conference (Encuentro) in Lima, Peru.
• SAA staff adds first Development Director.
• Code of Ethics adopted.

2000

• Waltraud Suzuki dies, December 24, 2000.
• Practicum units begin summer of 2000.
• 9th SAA International Conference, Cincinnati, OH.
• Koji Toyoda becomes President of Talent Education Research Institute.
• SAA website expanded.

2001

• Gilda Barston, Board Chair.
• Chapter affiliation program initiated.
• 4th Leadership Retreat, Broomfield, CO.
• SAA Active dues set at $52 US/Associate dues—$30 US.
• First Annual Report (for 2000) published.

2002

• SAA Membership: 7,776.
• 10th SAA International Conference, Minneapolis—30th Anniversary of the SAA.
• Second Latin American Encuentro in Lima, Peru.
• First groups become SAA Chapter Affiliates.

2003

• Joanne Melvin, Board Chair.
• 5th Leadership Retreat held in Broomfield, Colorado.

2004

• 11th SAA Conference “Excellence from the Start” held in Minneapolis.

2005

• Paul Salerni, Board Chair.
• 6th Leadership Retreat held in Asilomar, California.

2006

• 12th SAA Conference “Always with Excellence” held in Minneapolis.

2007

• Diane Schroeder, Board Chair.
• “Creating the Future Together 2007,” SAA’s seventh Leadership Retreat held in Alliston, Ontario—the first conference or retreat in Canada.
• Revised Suzuki Violin School Books 1 and 2 published.

2008

• 13th SAA Conference “Expanding the Vision” held in Minneapolis. Children from all over Latin America come to participate in the Latin American Suzuki Ensemble.
• Revised Suzuki Piano Books 1 through 3 published.

2009

Video conversion in progress.

• Suzuki Guitar School Book 9 published.
• First ever Virtual Leadership Retreat.
• Certificate of Achievement program launched.
• Teri Einfeldt, Board Chair.

2010

• Suzuki Principles in Action teacher training course launched.
• 14th SAA Conference “TEAMWORK” held in Minneapolis.

2011

• Parents as Partners Online, an online event for Suzuki parents and teachers, held January 17—February 28.