Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong

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

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:

 

Camp, Institute, Conference, Festival?

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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.

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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.

Dr. Suzuki on Graduation

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The Heart That Feels Music Will Feel People

I think that must is the most wonderful one of the man-made arts. If we listen to the music of Bach or Mozart, we can feel the hearts of Bach and Mozart in their music. Maybe at first only the melody is understood, but after continuous listening it is possible to understand all of the religious, sensitive, overpowering personality of Bach. With Mozart, his loving personality is packed into his music. Even now, Bach and Mozart live in their works. This is the beauty and wonder of music.
If a child is raised on Bach from a young age, the noble soul, the powerful personality and the religious sensitivity of Bach will develop in the child. If a child is raised on Mozart, then the loving soul of Mozart will develop in the child. The life force in the child will absorb those traits to a high level. The heart that feels music will feel people.
In Talent Education, there is a kind of graduation test. The children study the graduation pieces, tape them and send the to me. None of the children sending tapes fail to graduate. Each has put much effort into the tape, and it is enough for them to be told how to improve their performance. This is at the National Concert.
I have my own kind of graduation present. At first, I chose about hone hundred of the best performances in the group and rewarded them with something I painted. Then I decided that method was a mistake. All of the tapes had been completed with great effort. Of course there were human differences of superiority and inferiority. But separating them was a mistake because all of the children had worked so hard. Now I give a prize to everyone of the graduating students.
This year there were 970 graduating students. Each one received a prize.

Speak to Each One

I have been listening to the graduation tapes sent to me. At the end of each tape I include some comments:
“Your right elbow is just a little too high. Play with it just a little lower.”
“The little finger of your bow hand is straight. Curve it.”
People wonder how I know. If I listen to the tone, I know the posture, the feelings, and the entire child. Sometimes I even understand the home situation.
“You are somewhat disobedient, aren’t you? You have been doing some practicing alone. Today you clearly said ‘I am a disobedient child’ through your music. Now practice being obedient three times a day. Practice saying yes instead of no. Make the next tape say to me, ‘I am an obedient child.’ It is in your hands!”
Some mothers ask me how I can understand so much. Various factors combine to show a result. The ability to now those factors when listening to the result develops after much experience.

Practice Understanding Others

On the graduation tapes of children who play quite well I say, “You can play quite well. Now here is some homework for you to practice everyday. Practice understanding others and be sensitive to their feelings.”
There are many insensitive people in the world and many people think nothing of wounding the heart of another person in public. When ugly words are said to someone, he will become angry. If a person could feel the hurt and anger in another, he would not say such ugly words.
I often tell children that their parents will be sad if they say ugly words. Ask children to try to understand how such a sad heart feels and to help their mothers silently. If this is done the mother’s thoughts will be happier.
“When you can delicately feel what is in the heart of another then you will be able to understand Bach and Mozart. The ability to feel music means understanding the human heart.”
At the end of the tape, I usually address the child who then follows my words faithfully. At home, the tapes I return are often heard by the entire household, and I receive letters of thanks from parents. This education deals not merely with violin technique, but with the advancement of human nature. I, also, develop along with the child and his parents.

from Ability Development from Age Zero   by Shinichi Suzuki

Suzuki Music Academy of Hong Kong believes:

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