Suzuki Music Annual
Report
2005 9
Our program for advanced students
continued with four Friday evening
workshops (laced with pizza!). The
workshops covered the Classical Period
(Nehama), the Twentieth Century (Glen
Riddle), Jazz Improvisation (Peter Hurley)
and Composition (Sonny Chua).
In order to help teachers prepare students
for graduation, new guidelines for
assessment were launched and distributed.
These guidelines clarify and systemise all the
criteria
necessary
for
a
polished
performance.
Faye Adams was our guest lecturer for the
Autumn School. We all benefited from her
practical advice, her personal warmth and
long experience.
At the final gathering of the Autumn
Festival, we read out children's responses to
their experiences in workshops and classes
in the previous week. This was well received
by all and was a positive conclusion to a
very successful School.
Fiona Dodds
CHAIRPERSON,
PIANO COMMITTEE
Prenatal and Baby Music
Since the training course was pioneered
here in Victoria, we have grown from
strength to strength. There are now 26
`active' Suzuki Prenatal and Baby Music
teachers throughout Australia. Seven of
these are Melbourne teachers while most of
the others (11 from NSW, 5 from WA and 3
from QLD) have already visited Melbourne
for part of their training.
The Suzuki Prenatal and Baby Music
teacher training course is offered in
Australia to all interested accredited Suzuki
teachers with at least three years of Suzuki
teaching experience.
In September, Canadian teacher trainer
Dorothy Jones visited Australia to deliver
teacher training for the fourth consecutive
year. Most of the training was conducted
in Perth, and many Victorian teachers
made the trip. A two day seminar was held
in Melbourne and was attended by
teachers from Melbourne, country Victoria,
NSW, ACT and SA.
A successful Suzuki Baby Music program
was offered at Autumn Festival for the fifth
consecutive year.
Suzuki Prenatal and Baby Music
presentations were for the first time
included in the Professional Development
program for teachers at Autumn Festival, as
well as in the lecture series for new Suzuki
teachers.
This AGM sees the establishment of a Suzuki
Prenatal and Baby Music subcommittee,
with representation on Council.
Lucy Adeney-Tasker
ASSISTANT TEACHER TRAINER,
PRENATAL & BABY MUSIC
Voice
This year Voice students and teachers were
very lucky to have Dr Paivi Kukkamaki, the
founder of Suzuki Voice, attend our Autumn
Festival in April. We were very privileged to
hear the beautiful voices of Paivi and her
daughter, Petra, at the opening concert.
Seven teachers enrolled in the festival,
including two from Perth and one from New
Zealand. Teaching examinations were held
and a new Victorian teacher, Kate
Freeman, was accredited at Primary Level
(Stage One). Also Dinah Wright (New
Zealand) and Laura Bernay (Perth)
completed examinations.
Katrina Pezzimenti has now become the first
Teacher Trainer for Suzuki Voice outside
Finland and is preparing to train new
teachers in the Primary course in 2006.
Voice students performed at both "all
instrument" concerts. As Voice students
start very young often learning from birth
