We are lucky that there are so many wonderful opportunities for us to go with our children to join together with other Suzuki families from all over the world.   Participation in these events is something that can enhance your family’s Suzuki Talent Education experience in immeasurable ways.

As a child, teacher and parent, I have been fortunate to experience many, many different institutes, camps, conferences, festivals…and more!    Some of my closest friends as an adult are friends that I made at age 9: the first year of the first-ever Suzuki institute in the U.S.   Another is a friend I made when my mother, sister and I (age 12) were among the “pioneers” who ventured to San Diego, CA to help them found their institute.    The Second International Suzuki Conference in Hawaii was held the year after my mother, sister and I spent the summer in Matsumoto.   How I loved spending time with my Japanese friends – rather than staying in the nice hotel with my family, my 14 year old self chose to go stay in the college dormitory with the Japanese (college age, but well-supervised) kenkyusei…I looked forward to these opportunities to reconnect with my friends of the heart.

I’ve also loved experiencing International Suzuki conferences from Hawaii to Dublin, Berlin to Matsumoto, Edmonton and beyond – experiencing a new culture, new friends, new teachers in such a huge celebration of our shared philosophy and learning.   What an opportunity!

Each of the opportunities is somewhat unique.   There are some shared benefits to each type of experience, and also some things which you will experience more with one than another.   Here are some ideas of what to expect:

Institute

• usually around 5 days of classes
• held in the same location every year (on similar dates)
• faculty has a lot of consistency from year to year
• when families find a “good fit”, they tend to return every year
  • see the same friends year after year
• students usually have a masterclass with the same teacher/combination of students every day
• other classes can include small group (technique), large group (repertoire), musicianship, dalcroze eurythmics, choir, orchestra, chamber music, other enrichment courses
• parent seminars happen on a daily basis
• student and faculty recitals happen each day
• informal “play-in” often opens the institute
• final celebration concert at the end
• often held on university campuses
  • community is built through shared living experience

Conference

• Usually sponsored by a country or regional association
• Do not happen every year.   More often, every 2, 3, 6 years
• For Regional and International conferences, the location varies each time
• International attendees
  • chance to make new, different friends each time
  • some friends from other countries will attend each time, but not as much “return” attendance as with institutes
• International faculty, usually with a “headliner” famous teacher for each instrument
• Most classes are group classes, smaller and larger
• Parent seminars
• Opportunity for some students to have one-time masterclass
  • sometimes decided by level and registration
  • can be decided by audition
  • other times determined by teacher recommendation
• Artist level recitals
• Final Concert with all participants

Festival

• Often a one- or two-day event
• Gathering of students and teachers from a similar geographic region
• All classes are group classes
• Final celebration concert
• Often parent seminars
• Sometimes guest “headliner” teacher

Our own Intermezzo! summer camp will most closely resemble the Summer Institute, although masterclasses for this year are an optional “add-on” available to all students.

Looking back, I can say that I have really valued all of these types of experiences.  However, the one that carried the most meaning throughout every year was my attendance at a yearly Suzuki institute.   Knowing that I had friends from around the world with whom I would get to spend time in the same place every summer was both motivating and comforting, particularly when I reached adolescence.   I always knew that my Suzuki friends were there for me, even when I felt my family wasn’t.   Yes, I grew up in a great Suzuki program.   Some of my “local” Suzuki friends were also “summer” friends  – but my constant circle was so much broader than it would have been had we stayed home during the summer.    Today, with technology giving us Facebook, and so many more easy ways to stay in touch, I am beyond grateful to continue to “see” these childhood friends of the heart.   Some are not involved in music in any way; I share my profession with others; still others are performers as their primary profession.    Still, we share the unbreakable bond of childhood Suzuki summers…priceless, even today.