Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong

"Music Exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart" ~Shinichi Suzuki

Intermezzo! Student Classes

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Intermezzo!  will offer students of all instruments and levels a variety of classes:

  • Masterclass ( meets 2 days; additional fee)
    • Masterclasses will be scheduled in the early afternoon for students whose school year has not yet begun
    • Masterclasses will be scheduled after the group activities for students who are already back in school
  • Group Activities
    • All group classes will be scheduled 3:00-7:00 Tuesday-Friday.
    • Depending upon level, students will have 2-3 hours of group activities each day
    • Classes will be some of the following, based on age/level/instrument:
      • Level appropriate group class
      • Dalcroze Eurythmics
      • Musicianship
      • Fiddling
      • Orchestra
      • Chamber music

Each student’s schedule will be unique, depending upon their instrument, level, age and whether or not their school year has begun.

 

Our Saturday schedule will be different, culminating in a closing concert at the Stanley Ampitheatre, followed by the chance to have big dinner celebration all together!

 

Here are some sample schedules for Tuesday-Friday:

Sample Schedule 1 (Book 3 student – no masterclass)

3:30    Dalcroze Eurythmics
4:30    Group class
5:15    Orchestra
6:00   Fiddling

Sample Schedule 2 (Book 3 student – not in school, with masterclass)
1:30  Masterclass
3:30  Dalcroze Eurythmics
4:30  Musicianship
5:15  Group Class

Sample Schedule 3  (Book 3 student – in school, with masterclass)
4:00 Dalcroze Eurythmics
5:15  Orchestra
6:00 Group Class
7:00 Masterclass

Sample Schedule 4 (Book 1 student – no masterclass)
3:30  Masterclass
4:45  Group class
6:00  Dalcroze Eurythmics

Sample Schedule 5 (Book 8 student – in school, with masterclass)
4:00 Chamber Music
5:00  Group Class
6:00 Dalcroze Eurythmics
7:00 Masterclass

 

Intermezzo! Guest Faculty

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In addition to our local HKSMI and KSMA faculty, we are excited to have special guests, authorised as Teacher Trainers by the Asian Regional Suzuki Association, to come to Hong Kong to work with our students and instruct the teacher training courses.

 

rsz_caroline_with_ryanCaroline Fraser, piano
Caroline Fraser is from Scotland. She graduated from Edinburgh University with a Bachelor of Music degree and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London obtaining diplomas LRAM and ARCM in piano and violin. She obtained an MM with Kodaly emphasis from Holy Names University. Caroline started to teach using the Suzuki method in 1974 in California. She pioneered the Suzuki method in Peru in 1981. From 1992 until 1999 she was a lecturer in music theory at HNU, where she continues to direct the Summer Suzuki Teacher Training Institute. Caroline is an ESA and SAA teacher trainer. She lives in Lima and is one of the Latin American liaisons for the SAA. She gives teacher training courses all over Latin America, and in the US, Canada, Europe and Taiwan.

 

Richard Mooney, cello
Rick Mooney grew up in a musical family where he began studying piano at age 5 and cello at age 8. He studied Suzuki teaching methods with Phyllis Glass at USC and traveled to Japan in the spring of 1976. As a specialist in the Suzuki method of teaching, Mr. Mooney has been a guest teacher at many institutes and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, England, Australia and New Zealand. He has been active with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, serving on the Board of Directors, on the Cello Committee and writing for the American Suzuki Journal. He is also the founder and director of the National Cello Institute which sponsors a Summer Institute, a Winter Workshop and publishes music for cello ensembles.

 

rsz_mark_mutter_fbMark Mutter, violin
Mark is a registered Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. He received his Bachelor and Master of Violin Performance studying with Walter Schwede, Angel Reyes and Camilla Wicks. Mark studied Suzuki pedagogy with John Kendall, Ronda Cole, Jacquie Maurer and Geri Arnold. He is the Executive Director of Suzuki Royal Oak Institute of Music and oversees 11 teachers that teach over 150 students. He has been a clinician at Workshops and Institutes throughout the U.S. and has led the SRO Tour Group “Camerata” on concert tours throughout Europe and Canada. Camerata made their Carnegie Hall debut in April 2010 as part of Manhattan Concert productions “Debut” series. He is presently on the conducting staff of the Wu Family Academy, the Detroit Symphonies youth orchestra program. He conducts the Concert Orchestra.

Teacher Training at Intermezzo!

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rsz_caroline_and_jason_2015

Units Offered:

Sunday, 14 August               9:00-16:30
Where Love is Deep   (6 hours)                   

  • Prerequisite for taking any instrument-specific unit
    • Registration of Every Child Can from Suzuki Association of the Americas can be substituted.
  • This foundation unit is open to all people interested in Suzuki Talent Education.
    • Parents are encouraged to register
  •  No audition required.

 

 

Monday, 15 August 9:00 – Monday, 22 August 17:30
Cello Unit 1 (36 hours)                       Trainer:   Richard Mooney
Violin (Viola) Unit 1 (36 hours)       Trainer:   Mark Mutter

Wednesday, 17 August 9:00 – Wednesday, 24 August 17:30
Piano (36 hours)                                  Trainer:  Caroline Fraser

  • Audition required for all instrument-specific training
    • Audition materials must be received by 20 May 2016
    • Materials can be sent
      • via email (preferred) to info@suzukihk.org
        • Subject: YOUR NAME-INSTRUMENT-INTERMEZZO
      • by mail to:   KinderU Suzuki Music Academy, 25/F Times Media Centre, 133 Wanchai Rd., Wanchai, Hong Kong

Our Suzuki Summer

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rsz_caleb_practicingby Caleb Chung and family

Last summer we spent a week in Rochester Vermont, attending the Green Mountain Suzuki Institute (GSMI).   We looked at a few institutes in the northeast but decided on Rochester for various reasons – easiest drive from Boston where we would spend our summer, very nice accommodation in a bed & breakfast inn, but most importantly, its smaller student body.  Our son Caleb, who was then 7 and just started on Gavotte in G Minor in Book 3, enjoyed it so much that we have decided to return to the institute this year!

Wonderful Location

Rochester town is located at the foot of range of mountains called Green Mountains. Little known to those outside of the northeast Green Mountain is a hiking and biking haven too.  Rochester itself has just a population of a few thousand and is unique in a sense that it has just one of everything – one park, one church, one school, one grocery store, one coffee shop, one bed & breakfast, one library etc – and simply self contained.  It can’t be more different from where we’re from and we instantly fell in love with it!

Great Scheduling!

GMSI is being hosted by the Rochester Community School, just 10 minutes walk from where we stayed and the school has a large soccer field, a playground and large gym. On arrival, we were greeted by a Suzuki mom who’s been bringing her daughter to GMSI for over 10 years (later we learnt that she has NEVER broken the golden rule of daily practice since 6)! Caleb was handed a customised schedule which featured his daily group, master classes & electives he chose when we registered (chorus, fiddling, music explorations).  We were quite impressed by how he’d be occupied with both serious & fun music endeavours on a daily basis and became really excited about our week.

Valuable and Fun Classes

In the group classes, Caleb was probably the youngest (& certainly the shortest) as he was the only student in Book 3, hence a combined book 3-4 class got him polished on his Gavotte in G minor.  Though he played less than listening to older students perfect their Seitz Concerto, both me and Caleb were so inspired that it got him to say to himself me: ‘I want to play like them’.  We also observed how well poised, serious & musical the students were & most importantly, all listening to the teachers instructions.  Meanwhile, in his private classes, his teacher Miss Casey gave him an invaluable suggestion to his posture that up to today we still use that ‘command’ to help him perfect it.

Good for the Whole Family

During the electives, I joined in the chorus with Caleb while Daddy joined in the fiddling with him. While one of us was busy with Caleb, the other one would be taking care of Chloe who was 2.5 years then – daily visits to the park at the Rochester School, the library and short walks around the town – she was just happy to being around us & new friends in the playground. The days passed by quickly though & before you know it, you’ll hear kids playing soccer either in the school grounds or the park, followed by an early picnic dinner at 530pm.  One of the highlights was that our entire family joined other Suzuki families in a community contra dance & my my, it was exhausting but totally enjoyable. Performances by both strings students & electives filled the afternoon s of the last two days but most surprisingly, the same serious, musical & well poised students in his group class all played pick up soccer & by the end of the week, they have all become buddies!

New Friends!

Perhaps the most unexpected yet pleasantly surprising experiences was one friendship Caleb formed with a 10 year old boy of the same name. They are also Barca fans & played soccer with each other everyday.  We got to know the family well who shared a similar philosophy in the way we embrace Suzuki in our lives.  Caleb remains inspired to play like the older Caleb who was already in Book 5, and now and again he’d say ‘I can’t wait to see the other Caleb again’.  Perhaps this is the real reason we are returning to GMSI this year after all!

Where should we go for a great summer Suzuki experience?

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rsz_mc_partner_play_in_matsumotoWe hope that all of our families will attend our own Intermezzo! summer camp.

Intermezzo! – REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED!

In addition, there are many chances to go to a Suzuki Institute or Conference around the world.

Here are links to some possibilities in Europe and Asia, as well as a link to the Institute page for the Suzuki Association of the Americas, where you can see information on many different Institutes throughout the Americas:

 

Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong believes:

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