Letter from the President

Happy end-of summer! I hope that this letter finds you relaxed, refreshed, and revitalized for a new year of teaching and spreading the love of music-making to your studio families.  This past Spring has challenged many of us to adapt to a new style of online teaching.  It has been heartening to see the ways that music teachers across the world have come together to share their ideas in order to make online-learning successful for our students.  We have also embraced opportunities to learn about building a future of equality and community in our studios.  No one knows what the coming months will bring, but we do know that we can rely on each other to help ensure that we are providing a safe, nurturing, and optimistic environment for the young musicians in Colorado.  I look forward to stepping into my new leadership role with the Suzuki Association of Colorado and discovering the ways that our association can serve you, our valuable Suzuki teachers!
 

As we approach the Fall, please mark your calendars for an exciting opportunity to learn from Ed Sprunger, who will be sharing his endless wisdom with SAC members through an online seminar to be held on Saturday, October 17th.  I have had the pleasure to attend more than one of Ed’s seminars in the past, and each time have emerged inspired and excited to teach.  I find myself thinking about his ideas years after hearing him speak.  We are excited to provide you with this opportunity.
 

Thank you to Kat Fritz and all of the SAC board members for their countless efforts to make our association the best that it can be.
 

Here’s to another great year of teaching and music-making! Happy Reading!

Anna Salmon

When the Teacher’s Feelings Hurt
Students sometimes seem to dismiss our best attempts to help them learn. They play when we’re talking, ignore simple directions, roll their eyes, sigh, or mention that elephants are the only animal that can’t jump. Parents face these same stumbling blocks in home practice. Teachers can also feel disregarded by parents, who attempt to teach from the sidelines, get their children to lessons late, or tell us we aren’t motivating enough. This session presents ways to understand these behaviors, and useful ways to react to them—including using them as a springboard for character development. The format of this workshop will be a combination of lecture, discussion, and breakout rooms. 

Edmund Sprunger has taught violin for more than 30 years, including over 300 workshops and master classes throughout the world and has presented sessions at numerous state, national, and international conferences.  Prior to his study with Shin’ichi Suzuki in Japan, Sprunger earned a BA in music from Goshen College, where he studied violin with Lon Sherer, and piano and piano pedagogy with Marvin Blickenstaff.  As a trained psychotherapist, he holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan and has done post-degree training with the Michigan and St. Louis psychoanalytic institutes.  He has served on the Board of Directors of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and as Chair of the American String Teachers Association's [ASTA] Committee on Studio Instruction.  His writing has appeared in many professional educational journals.Add your text here. Edit to add dynamic values like name, email and more.

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