2005 was another very successful year for
Suzuki Guitar in Victoria.
Autumn Festival again received excellent
feedback from the 35 guitar students in
attendance. The advanced program was
well supported with 8 students taking full
advantage of Frank Longay's tutelage.
Frank extended his stay to conduct the first
Book 6 teacher-training offered in Australia
and commended the ongoing growth in
student performance standards across all
book levels. Ken Murray was guest tutor at
Pluckerama enjoyed by 28 students with
our largest-ever Book 4/5 group of 12
students. The opportunity to present an
ensemble performance at the Grand
Annual Concert also attracted a larger
number of more advanced students. The
emergence of a strongly supportive peer
group amongst these older students has
been a delight to watch and is providing
the critical mass for positive growth into the
upper books, as well as much-needed
modelling for our younger students.
16 students graduated in 2005: 6 at Level 1
(youngest aged 9), 7 at Level 2 (youngest
aged 11), 2 at Level 3 (youngest aged 15)
and 1 at Level 4 (aged 15)
Positive networks continue to be forged
between Victoria and Suzuki Guitar
teachers in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane,
Sydney and New Zealand. Zeah Riordan
continues to provide highly valued
professional development support and
Victorian teachers have been invited to
teach at workshops in many of these
locations during 2005. Teachers from
Brisbane, New Zealand and Sydney
traveled to Melbourne during the course of
the year
to receive professional
development - one joining a Victorian
trainee in the Primary Course. While Suzuki
Guitar begins to take root more firmly in this
region and the qualitative standard of the
local program continues to grow each
year, teacher numbers in Melbourne have
dropped to their lowest in ten years.
The Guitar Committee has continued to
function very well in spite of the reduced
numbers. Many thanks to Charlie Steventon
and Tracey O'Brien for their years of highly
valued input. Thanks must also go to Eddie
Markovican for his continuing effort, support
and enthusiasm and to Zeah Riordan, for
her passionate commitment to the Suzuki
philosophy and its ongoing growth in this
region.
Rob Turton
CHAIRPERSON,
GUITAR COMMITTEE
Guitar
Piano
The social high point of the Pianos year was
a Cabaret Night held in September. Unlike
people from other instrumental groups, who
gather regularly to share the joy of making
music together, piano people have to
make a special effort to get to know each
other. Piano playing is largely a solitary
occupation!
At this evening we were entertained by the
irrepressible and hugely talented Mr Peter
Hurley and also by our own wonderful
Nehama Patkin. There was a Red Faces
segment with a cringe factor of 10, a
challenging quiz and many other
attractions. The piano committee (Margaret
Bland, Julia Kaplan, Cindy Chen, Fiona
Silby, Nehama, Angela Mosca, Maureen
Charles, Denise Pratt and myself,) worked
extremely hard to make it happen. We
agreed that it worked well in building up
the social capital of the Suzuki Piano family
in Melbourne. But we still have a long way
to go!!
The annual Playathon, which raises money
for the Malcolm Sargent cancer Fund, was
also very successful. Students performed at
Caulfield Plaza, Malvern Central, Northland
and The Glen. This is a superb way to
advertise the Suzuki approach in the
community. Children love performing in this
environment and they love to know that
through music they can make a tangible
difference in the lives of children doing it
tough.
Suzuki Music Annual
Report
2005 8
