SuzNews Vol. 12.5|June 2, 2022
Our Suzuki community offers an encouraging atmosphere to 
nurture every child's full potential and love for music.
News from your National Capital Suzuki School of Music
A message from the Artistic Director
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Hi Everyone!

This year was very special to us. We finally had the opportunity to be back together. It was definitely very challenging as things were changing as we were planning. I thank our amazing community for being flexible and understanding all the adjustments that we had to make on our way. 

Even with all adversities, we share our music, we performed our recitals and ensemble concert, and all joined together on stage for our first live VIVA Suzuki in 3 years. Surely, none of this would be possible without the effort of everyone. Even if the future is still a little uncertain, I am proud to say that I am part of a community that stayed together through the big storms of the last years - and we even did music online - and we are still here - now doing it in person.

I see that we are not a Suzuki School only in our repertoire. We had the perseverance, respect, and hope that is needed to learn an instrument applied to our whole community in these last years. 

So, as usual, I would like to let Suzuki speaks to you:

“To make a resolution and act accordingly is to live with hope. There may be difficulties and hardships, but not disappointment or despair if you follow the path steadily. Do not hurry. This is a fundamental rule. If you hurry and collapse or tumble down, nothing is achieved. DO not rest in your efforts; this is another fundamental rule. Without stopping, without haste, carefully taking a step at a time forward will surely get you there.”

And we sure did! Thank you, everyone, you are awesome!

Your AD, Keite Gularte
A message from the Board
And so ends another year! The pandemic has changed the way the school operates, sometimes with challenges and obstacles to overcome! These challenges should not overshadow the achievements, no matter how small, of everyone involved. Everyone, student, parent and teacher, should look back on this year with a sense of accomplishment and pride. You have earned it!

We should all feel confident in the worthy efforts of parents, students and faculty alike, to make it such a successful year. The contributions of everyone involved truly define what a great school this is! From the return of in person group classes and performances, to our awesome end of year performance, Viva Suzuki, all of these events have contributed to a renewed sense of a return to normal. While there is no predicting the future, there is great reassurance in knowing that we can succeed, and thrive, in this pandemic environment. 

We all want this to simply go away. One day this will all be history. When that happens, we should reflect on what has helped us get through it: our sense of determination as a community, our commitment to learning, and our love of music. 

Have a great summer!

Hubert Furey,
President of the Board

Viva Suzuki 2022
This May 14th was a very special day for our school. For the first time since 2019 we were able to come together for our Viva Suzuki end of year celebration concert.

We had the joy of seeing our littlest headstart students to our graduates performing together on stage in front of family and friends.

We want to send out a huge thank you to our AD Keite Gularte, for her efforts in planning the event, to our faculty and Liko who volunteered their time to perform at this event, to our volunteers for helping everything go smoothly and to our students for their hard work and beautiful performances.

We would also like to thank everyone who participated in our annual fundraiser. 

This year we were really happy to partner with Birch Bark Coffee company, a First Nations social Enterprise selling Fair Trade and Certified Organic beans from small producers. Every 100 bags sold helps to purchase one certified water purification system for a home in a First Nations community under all water advisories. 

As a school we sold just about 300 bags of coffee, meaning 3 more water purification systems will be installed in First Nation homes.  

A special thank you to our top sellers. Our top sellers by a landslide were Graydon, Eliza and Egan C., selling 34 bags of coffee. Our second highest seller was a tie between Liam and Freya D. and Tristan V. Finally, our third place prize goes to Molly, Hubert and Bridget F. Thank you to Strings and Things and Paper/Papier Fleurissant for providing gift certificates for the prizes.

Thank you everyone for your support!
SuzukiMusic Volunteers of the Year
Congratulations to our Volunteers of the Year 2021-2022!

Every year our school runs smoothly because of our dedicated parent and community volunteers. Each volunteer plays an important role at our school and our community could certainly not run without the hours of volunteer effort shared with us.

Each year we celebrate a parent volunteer and a community volunteer who have gone above and beyond in helping our school function. It is our pleasure to announce this year's award recipients:
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Aubrey Award for outstanding parent volunteer: 
Suzana Catalina-Dias and William Dias

This year the winners of the Aubrey Parent Volunteer of the Year Award are Suzana Catalina-Dias and William Dias!  Congratulations and Thank you for your service to our school!

Suzana and William have volunteered at every group class and event this year. They volunteered as classroom helpers in violin and cello group classes. William helped with playing his violin in the group events as well. William helped with audio recording at the Faculty Benefit Concert and worked as stage hand at the Ensembles Concert and Viva Suzuki. Suzana and William volunteered at the winter recitals. Suzana was head chaperone for Cello and Guitar at Viva Suzuki. These two have demonstrated incredible commitment to our music school, offering their talents and time freely and we are grateful!

Thank you to both of you and we wish you a happy summer.
McKerral Award for outstanding community volunteer: 
Elizabeth Boston

This year’s winner of the McKerral Community Volunteer Award is Elizabeth Boston.

Elizabeth started out as a parent volunteer and has been a Board member since 2014. During that time she has taken on the roles of Director, Secretary and VP. She works on many subcommittees, edits grants and other documents, and is an active participant in decisions the Board makes on behalf of the school.

Three years ago Elizabeth became a community volunteer as she no longer had children enrolled in our school.

Liz, thank you for your dedication to this school and for your countless hours assisting as part of the Board even after your children were no longer enrolled.
This photo is of Liz and her family back at Family and Friends Concert 2012.
Congratulations to our Emily Mahoney Scholarship Winner
Each year the Emily Mahoney Memorial Scholarship is awarded to one student currently in grade 11 or 12. Students are asked to write an essay with a focus chosen each year. The essay is not marked on writing ability but rather on ideas shared by the student. As well, students are asked to request references of their teachers. In order to qualify, students are expected to be participating in all aspects of the SuzukiMusic school.

The winner of the scholarship is chosen by Board Members. Each applicant's essay and references are redacted so as to remove any identifying information. Board members then look at the redacted essays and references and vote for their choice. It is never an easy task as the majority of applicants are exceptionally deserving of the award.


Congratulations to Kalli Generoux, this year's winner of the Emily Mahoney Memorial Scholarship. Kalli is a violin student in grade 12 who will be pursuing post secondary studies in music next year.

Here is Kalli's essay:

Harmony
By Kalli Generoux

Growing up, I rarely sought out group activities. Team sports, group work, and icebreaker games made my palms sweat and my heart race. I hated being the center of attention, hated feeling like a group was counting on me, and I hated the idea of letting people down. But music classes were different. Playing in an ensemble did not require spontaneity or rowdiness; it did not seek to put me on the spot before I had time to figure out what was happening. Music classes were quiet and welcoming, valuing practice and preparation. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have to be loud to feel accepted. It was not long before the word “teamwork” took on a new meaning -- an opportunity for giving, sharing, listening, and feeling.  

My first violin recital was in my third grade, and to this day, the sound of Mississippi Hot Dog on E has me grinning uncontrollably from ear to ear. The pride I felt at that recital was nearly unrivaled, impenetrable by everything but the joy that came with sharing my musical efforts with an audience. Up until that moment, I had hardly considered music as something that could be enjoyed as a collective; I had always listened to it in an imaginary bubble, absorbing the harmonies and taking in the lyrics for my own enjoyment. The second I bowed and sat down on that cold, wooden pew, I wanted to do it all over again -- being up there, in front of that audience, playing the same open string over and over while my teacher supported me with the melody. I wanted to create, to give, and to share music with others. I wanted to watch people get drawn into the mysterious melodies and heartfelt harmonies. 

The older I got, the more fascinated I became with the idea of music as a connecting force. I started to observe the body language of others, curious if the songs that I heard in the car, in stores, or at school had the same effect on others as they did on me. Sometimes, the reactions I noticed were the same as mine, other times they were the complete opposite, but no matter what emotions were emulated, I was never let down by the raw humanity that music could expose. 

I have come to understand music as intrinsic to both my wellbeing and that of humankind. Its presence in my life has shaped me as a person, and in doing so, it has nurtured my sense of community. My music education redefined my idea of teamwork, encouraged a love for collaboration and creation, and taught me compassion. Above all, however, my music education has taught me the value of relationships: teachers, mentors, friends, and peers -- these people have shown me the importance of helping and caring through patience, kindness, and empathy. Their passion and dedication to music and their community has set an example that I will strive to reproduce for the rest of my life.
Kiwanis Music Festival 2022
Congratulations to our students who participated in the Kiwanis Music Festival this year. We hope that we will be able to return to our group class participation at Kiwanis next year.

Guitar:
Level 5
Tristan Valencia 1st place (will compete in provincials)
Cameron Singh 2nd (will compete in provincials)

Level 6
Ivan Wang 1st (will compete in provincials)
Malcolm Singh 2nd (will compete in provincials)

Level 7
Mark Niu 1st place (will compete in provincials)
Mathilde Cabasson 3rd place (will compete in provincials)

Level 8 
Bridget Furey (1st place)
Julia Afghan (2nd place) (will compete in provincials)
Breen O’Connor Nugent 3rd place (will compete in provincials)

Level 9
Melanie Kung (1st place) (will compete in provincials) 
Trophy for the best musicianship guitar performance

Violin

Level 7 Concerto
Samuel Wang, 3rd place
Level 7 Concert
Samuel Wang, 1st place (will compete in provincials)

Level 6 Concerto
Andrew Yu, grade of 87

We congratulate all students who participated.
Congratulations and Best Wishes to our Graduates
We wish all our graduates all the best as they head off on their next adventures! Some of our grads prepared some words for the school.
Simon Aubrey - Cello

Congratulations Simon! We wish you all the best in the future.

This is also a big milestone for Simon's parents, Louise and Rolly Aubrey. The Aubrey family has been part of this school for 20 years with 5 children going through the SuzukiMusic program. Our annual parent volunteer award is named after them. Rolly has been our IT administrator volunteer for many years now and was a Board member as well as Board President. Louise has supported the school in many different volunteer roles. We wish the whole Aubrey family all the best.
Cass Duran - Guitar

Congratulations Cass! We wish you all the best in your future!
Callum Gauld - Cello

Congratulations Callum! We wish you all the best in your future!
Kalli Generoux - Violin

Kalli writes:
I have learned so much from my time as a Suzuki student, and I am so grateful for the experiences I've had and the people I've met during this time. My music lessons have brought so many great memories and I can't wait to continue to play music throughout my life. Next year, I will be studying Music and Concurrent Education at Queen's University, and I hope to do my Suzuki teacher training in the near future!

Congratulations Kalli! We wish you all the best in your future!
Meera Karith-Noel

Meera writes:
I would like to say a huge thank you to Suzuki music teachers, volunteers, friends and family for being a part of my amazing musical journey throughout the past 15 years.
Thank you Liko for everything you’ve done for me, you’ve never failed to make me smile with your contagious positive attitude.
Special thank you to my lovely private teacher Judy Olmstead who’s never given up on me and continued to support, encourage and teach me to strive for excellence. Even though the last few years have been tough with online lessons, you’ve never stopped being the enthusiastic mentor you are.
Thank you to Ms.Mah for the crazy, fun, adventurous and memorable past 4 years. I definitely wouldn’t have made it through high school without your class and your encouragement.
It’s been such an honour to be a part of this wonderful community and I've had so many special opportunities from such a young age till now. Music has always been a part of my life and I know it will stay forever, it’s a gift that I hope to pass on to friends and share with everyone. Next year I plan on possibly attending Lakehead University to study a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Kinesiology. Another possibility could be at Trent University to study a Bachelor of Arts and Science. Either way, my violin will be tagging along for the next 4 years:) Thank you for everything Suzuki Music Family!

Congratulations Meera! We wish you all the best in your future!
Alli Miles

Alli writes:

Thank you to everyone in the Suzuki community, especially Margaret and Liko, for inspiring me in so many ways and for so many great memories! Next year, I hope to play in a student orchestra while studying Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

Congratulations Alli! We wish you all the best in your future!
Breen O'Connor Nugent

Here is an excerpt of Breen's essay for this year's scholarship - the scholarship question centered on the concept of music and community.

How does music and my experience help foster a sense of community? Music in itself is a community driven activity. Since the beginning of mankind, we have produced music in communities, around campfires, at celebrations, travelling in groups, the list goes on. Music is meant to be shared with the world, and especially with the people around you. Anyone who has ever participated in a song knows the strengthening feeling that comes with it. Without saying a word, you and however many other people communicate a universal language that encapsulates every single emotion conceivable. 
My music experience has spanned over 11 years, beginning when I was 7 years old. First, I began learning the guitar under the excellent teaching of Daniel Srugo, and not long after, I began playing music with everyone I could. I played with my friends, my fellow students, and even found myself playing with complete strangers.

Breen's mother shared with us that he is heading off to Acadia University to study music this year and plans to be a music teacher when he graduates.

Congratulations Breen! We wish you all the best in your future!
Felix Wooltorton

Felix writes:
From violin book 1 to book 8 there are 73 pieces total. I know all my teachers always stress review, but man that is a lot! Having played all 73 pieces at some point in my life I can say I've got a bit of experience with the Suzuki method. With this comes a little bit of advice: for books 1-2, have fun. For books 3-5, learn as much from these pieces as you can. As someone who didn’t care for vibrato until as late as possible, trust me. The work you put in now makes it MUCH easier in the long run. And lastly, for books 6-8, be sure to review those book 2 pieces you haven’t played since you were little! You’ll thank me when Viva rolls around ;). In all seriousness, SuzukiMusic and the lifestyle that comes with it have been fundamental to my development. All the fun parts, as well as the hard work have been instrumental to making me who I am, and I’m so grateful to my private teachers (Kailey, John and Keite), Liko for helping me play my best, all the volunteers, and especially my parents for helping me through this wonderful journey. 
I'm hoping I can take my violin with me as I head off to RMC in their Pilot/Engineering program.

Congratulations Felix! We wish you all the best in your future!
Parent Education Corner
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15 Ways To Keep Practice Going Over The Summer


The worst feeling for both students and teachers is coming back to lessons in the fall when there has been little to no practice over the summer months.
Just like students need to make time to read over the summer, so they don’t lose important skills before the next school year, practicing an instrument is a year round activity.

Lessons maybe less regular, and there may be interruptions because of travel but regularly getting the instrument out, every day possible, is incredibly important.

Without any practice over the summer, it can easily take a three months to get back to the playing level a student was at in the Spring of the previous school year and I’ve often seen this be so discouraging to students that they question continuing to learn their instrument.

Fifteen Ways To Keep Practice Going During The Summer Months:
1.Practice outdoors (weather permitted) for a change of scenery and some fresh air
2. Focus on reviewing pieces you know well, to keep skills strong
3. Playing/Busking at local farmers markets
4. Get together with friends, who also play, and spend time playing instruments in addition to social time
5. Set up a mini concert for family and friends
6. Pick a song and learn it by ear
7. Practice early in the day and check it off your list early
8. Find a book of music (fiddling? pop music?) to learn from that you don’t usually have time for during the year
9. Set a realistic weekly goal with a small reward for completing it
10. Attend a music camp for an extra boost of motivation
11. Plan an informal concert (invite neighbors, friends, or just your immediate family)
12. Make a project of learning all the major and minor scales on your instrument
13. Make a project of improving note reading skills by using flashcards, note reading books or online note reading games.
14. Use video: record part of practice to watch and learn from or record a piece once it’s learned well as a reward
15. Participate in a practice challenge. There are 66 days between June 30 and Sept 4th (the day before Labour Day). How many days do you and your child want to commit to practicing? Make a chart with that number of days and then create a prize system - meet your goal 100%? Gold prize, 90%? Silver. 80%? Bronze. Decide with your child what the gold, silver and bronze prizes will be and keep the chart out and visible from day to day throughout the summer.

Happy Summer! And Happy Summer practicing.

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Arts Court
2 Daly Avenue, M-74
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6E2
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