Welcome to our SAO Community Events page! If you have an event in your Suzuki community you’d like us to advertise for you here, please let us know by contacting us.
August 7 to 15, 2021: Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute (SOSI)
Have you ever thought of coming to the Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute but just felt too overwhelmed by all the things you needed to arrange to make it happen? Well, this year’s online SOSI 2021 will come directly to you, no matter where you live! No need to worry about travel or accommodation costs. Just wake up, have a hearty breakfast, brew a fresh pot of coffee and join us in the comfort of your own home.
The directors of SOSI have created an innovative online program for all levels of piano and string students from Suzuki Book One all the way up to our Young Artist Program. For one set fee, each student will participate in a core program of classes. Students of all instruments will get a daily master class and the chance to participate in a solo recital.
The remainder of the core string program consists of a pre-reading class for the junior level, repertoire/technique classes for the junior, intermediate and senior levels, and a practice seminar for the intermediate, senior and YAP students. And YAP string students get an extra course at no extra charge this year — Advanced Analysis with theory expert Catherine Molina.
Of special note are the new courses that make up part of the core piano program. Pianist/performer Clayton Scott has a mesmerizingly enchanting way of making music history come alive and will be delighting intermediate and senior piano students with a Piano Through the Ages course. She will also be teaching a Practice Seminar for the YAP piano program focusing on the unique challenges of pianists. Junior piano students will participate in either a group repertoire class or a pre-reading class. Finally, Catherine Molina will be rounding out the core piano program at all levels with a fun-filled approach to theory. YAP piano students will get the benefit of her theory expertise in the Advanced Analysis course.
Students may also choose from a selection of diverse options if they want a fuller SOSI experience. Get those sedentary pandemic muscles stretching with our Yoga with Zachary option or get those vocal chords warbling in our Broadway Baby or Folk Music of Africa choirs. Just composed your latest symphony? Well, then sign up for tech guru Ken Gee’s course Music Technology: Making and Recording Music. This special evening seminar presents an overview of hardware and software used to create sheet music and audio recordings on computers and iPads. Or learn to understand your body and how to use it naturally and without pain by signing up for Amber Ghent’s illuminating seminar Body Mapping. But there is so much more! You’ll just have to go to our website to check it all out. (See below.)
In addition we are offering a variety of Teacher Training Development courses in piano, violin, cello and bass, as well as, the Every Child Can course. Teachers are welcome to observe lessons and group classes at no extra cost if they have students enrolled, and for each student enrolled they will get a reduction in their teacher training tuition.
The institute will take place from August 7 to August 15, 2021. A typical day will start at 8:30 a.m. and will finish around 4:00 p.m. depending on the program a student has signed up for. During the evenings, the inspiration continues with a faculty concert, a parent talk and more throughout the week.
The timing of our institute is ideal. Enjoy the outdoors all of July and part of August. Then in mid-August let SOSI come to you and we will help teachers, parents and students get energized and inspired for the coming year of lessons in September.
Don’t delay and sign up today! For more information check out our website at http://mysosi.ca.
We look forward to “seeing” you at SOSI 2021!
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
The Directors
Elayne Ras, violin & viola director
elayner6@gmail.com
David Evenchick, cello director
evenchickdavid@gmail.com
Silvija Abols, piano director
sosisuzukipiano@gmail.com
Music Auction
Don’t Miss your chance to view this exceptional resource for Music Teachers AND Professional Musicians:
- An impeccably maintained Yamaha Grand Piano and VALUABLE printed music!
- A CF3 Yamaha grand piano (6’1″) AND a collection of classical music is soon being auctioned ONLINE on Rapid-Sell.ca.
Proceeds from the music sale will be donated to music organizations in Guelph.
Click on the link below to start planning your bids today!
https://mooreandassociates.hibid.com/catalog/326382/music-auction-for-piano-teacher-gail-lange—guelph/
Bidding opens on November 28!
With music suitable for the youngest student right up to the professional musician, this outstanding collection of music consists of primarily piano music.
Special note to string colleagues: Please check lots 043-047 to view a wide selection of chamber music for piano and strings: duos, trios and more
If you do not live in Guelph or within driving distance of Guelph, mail delivery of music purchases can be arranged.
From Elizabeth Sherk, SAO Member, NYSSM:
Announcing
The Second Annual Online Piano Practice Challenge
“Suzuki Piano Tour, Online International Practice Challenge”
Sunday, February 27 to Sunday, March 27, 2022
(INCLUDING CANADIAN and US MARCH BREAK WEEKS)
During those weeks the organizers will present daily challenges on ways to practice without a piano.
The Organizers hope to have students, teachers and parents register from
- All ten provinces and three territories of Canada
- All fifty states and seven territories of the USA
- Countries of Central America and South America.
The organizers who are designing this Challenge are a host of enthusiastic Suzuki Piano Teachers from all parts of the South and North American Continent. We are doing this to MOTIVATE and ACTUALIZE some to the noble aspirations of the International Suzuki Learning Community. We are offering additional benefits for teachers who register 5 or more students, such as participating in a summit featuring enriching and inspiring speakers, and participating in a fun community building activity called “Escaperoom”, sharing with other piano teachers of the Americas.
Each participating student will be paired with a “Practice Partner” from another part of the Americas. A Daily Practice Challenge and a Cultural Capsule will be sent to each practicer every day for at least 25 days. The Challenges will be geared to three levels of practicers: Beginners, Intermediates, and Advanced Players. The closing activity will be student online recitals.
We expect each student to practice his or her Suzuki Piano School Repertoire. In addition some participants may select a “Quick Study” Piece. One of our Canadian teachers, Maureen McReynolds has already compiled a great list of Canadian repertoire, which we will include in the Quick Study component. We are hoping to include repertoire from all our cultures. It will be fun to learn to play music from another country.
The Organizers are planning to create a “Private FB Group” and to use the Gurucan App again as was used last May. In the FB Group students and teachers can post video recordings of their daily practice for the whole community to enjoy. The Gurucan App will be used to send out the daily practice challenges and the Cultural Capsules.
The Registration Cost will be between $19 and $25 US dollars. There will be EARLY BIRD registration benefits, (November, December) ORDINARY registration, (December, January) and LATE REGISTRATION PENALTIES (January, February).
This team longs for and invites many more in our community to volunteer:
- We need creators of “Cultural Capsules”
- We need recital hosts.
- We need good ideas for practice challenges.
- And we need people to inspire Suzuki Families to participate in great numbers.
ORGANIZING TEAM AS OF OCTOBER 24, 2021:
Gail Gebhart, 28594 Venice Circle, Framington Hills, MI 48334-4145, 248-986-7736
Leslie Mizrahi, Pallacio de Versailles 245-2, Lomas Reforma, Mexico DF 11930, 525 552 517 394
Jacqueline Block, 3324 N 22nd St., Tacoma, WA 98406, 253-441-5222
Gail Lange, 8 Crawford, Guelph, ON N1G 1Z1, 519-821-2273
Vicki Pautz, 203 Felps Drive, Blanco, TX 78606, 830-833-5164
Elizabeth Sherk, 108 Confederation Dr., Scarborough, ON M1G 1A5, 416-431-7264