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In this issue:
Calling all teachers and parents!
You must register by this Friday, January 14 at noon in order to receive the welcome PPO email on Monday, January 17. Please note that late registrants will not have access to the PPO sessions until later in the week, when the welcome email can be resent.
So far, we have 1,480 people signed up from 160 studios. We encourage you to join the six weeks of inspiration! With over 50 sessions and many opportunities for dialogue, you won’t want to miss this special event.
Teachers: If you’ve already signed up your studio but have additional parents to add, you can go back to the same registration page to add them.
Register for Parents as Partners Online
Suzuki Community Mourns the Loss of Leader and Mentor, John Kendall
John Kendall, 93, a violin pedagogue widely known for his role in introducing the Suzuki method of music education in the United States, died at Arbor Hospice in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on January 6. Mr. Kendall’s health had been in decline after he suffered a mild stroke in November 2010.
In 1958, Mr. Kendall and several other American violin teachers saw a film of 750 small Japanese children, students of Shinichi Suzuki, playing the Bach Concerto for two violins. Impressed and curious, Mr. Kendall applied for and received a grant to spend three months in Japan observing Mr. Suzuki and his young violin students. Following Mr. Kendall’s return from his path-breaking visit to Japan in 1959, he laid the groundwork for implementation of the Suzuki method in the United States, publishing the first English-language edition of the method books and helping to organize a 1964 concert tour by Japanese Suzuki students that captured the attention of audiences across the United States.
In his more than fifty years of teaching at the university level, Mr. Kendall became a notable influence in violin pedagogy, training violin teachers who came from all over the world to study with him, and offering workshops and master classes in almost every state and in countries throughout the world. He continued to give lessons and master classes until shortly before his death.
Donations in Mr. Kendall’s memory may be made to:
Nature Preserve Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 843
Edwardsville, Illinois 62025
Or to:
John and Catherine Kendall Memorial Teacher Development Fund
Suzuki Association of the Americas
PO Box 17310
Boulder, CO 80308
Read John Kendall’s obituary and share your tribute with the Suzuki community
SAA Board Corner
We welcome a new monthly feature to SAA E-News: the SAA Board Corner.
This month we are hearing from two Board members:
Marilyn Kesler, “SAA: A Communication Center”
Patricia Purcell, “Why the SAA?”
SAA: A Communication Center
If you are like I am, I become excited when a brand new teaching tool pops into my head and it actually solves a student’s playing problem. The next thing I want to do is call a friend and tell them about the success. It could be just the opposite experience; I might call a Suzuki teacher friend and ask for help when I can’t seem to find a solution to a problem.
This is what the SAA means to its members. It is a place where we all can communicate with each other. A Suzuki teacher can share new ideas through writing an article for the Journal or the website, attend a conference or a workshop, or find colleagues with similar interests through the SAA network. The SAA is a family of friends communicating their ideas to each other. In this manner we collectively celebrate Dr. Suzuki’s vision and philosophy.
—Marilyn Kesler, SAA Board
Why the SAA? Watch video: Why the SAA?
2011 Summer Institutes
Full information on 2011 Summer Institutes is now online. This includes student program descriptions and pricing. All this Summer Institute information will also be printed in the next issue of the American Suzuki Journal in March.
Many Institutes have early registration deadlines in the next two months, so start planning your summer now!
Newsletter Naming Contest Winner
Our new email newsletter name is Suzuki E-News, as you can see at the top. The SAA Board selected from 13 the contest entries at the board meeting last weekend. Thank you to everyone for their great name ideas!
Congratulations to guitar teacher MaryLou Roberts for submitting the winning name! She and her teaching studio have won a free enrollment in Parents as Partners Online.
Our galaxy of twinkling stars has now reached 119! We’re still “counting our lucky stars.” You can help our Suzuki galaxy expand. Choose a star from our virtual night sky and add a tribute to someone/something special.
Add your star
See who has been “starred”
Ask the Experts 19 & 20
19. How can SAA raise awareness about the association?
In order to answer this question, I think it is necessary to make two clarifications. First of all, the SAA is its membership. Secondly, I think recognition of the SAA as an organization is secondary to raising awareness of the Suzuki method. Without the method, there would be no reason to organize those who adhere to the philosophy.
20. Can you give advice on marketing for newer teachers trying to build a program or studio?
Marketing your new studio or music program is similar to marketing any other business that focuses on personal and professional services. In essence, you are the product—you, your expertise, your skills, your experience, your education and specialized training. Parents will bring their children to be taught by you (and pay you to do it!) because they trust you.
Continue reading the answers from Sue Baer and Dan Browning
Upcoming SPA Courses
Upcoming SPA Courses
Feb 11-12, Winnipeg, MB
Feb 19-20, Harrisonburg, VA
Feb 26-27, Atlanta, GA
Mar 19-20, Edmonton, AB
More about Suzuki Principles in Action, including how to host a course in your area.
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