News & Events
The ISA is sad to announce the passing of Yasuki Nakamura, the great Suzuki pioneer of Australia and pedagogue across the Asian region. Mr. Nakamura served the ISA in many capacities over the years including the Board of Directors and the ISA Violin Committee. His influence on Suzuki teaching and representation of Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy are unmatched. We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for his life–long devotion to the Talent Education movement around the globe. Please read this moving tribute from his home Suzuki association in Sydney, Australia.
Message from Mr. Takao Mizushima, President, Suzuki Music, Sydney Australia
I am sad to inform you all of the following news.
NSW Suzuki Honorary President, Mr Yasuki Nakamura, passed away on the evening of 17 September. As many of our members may know, Mr Nakamura is well known both at home and abroad for having trained many students and produced many excellent violinists in the Suzuki Method from Sydney.
Former NSW Suzuki President, late Mr Harold Brissenden, pleaded with Dr Suzuki to send a Suzuki teacher from Japan to train violin teachers in Sydney. As a result, in 1978, Mr Nakamura moved to Sydney with his wife Yoshiko and his three then-young children Masaki, Hikari and Airena. He worked tirelessly as a leading figure in the Suzuki Method, achieving amazing results.
Prior to his less active time in recent years, he expanded and strengthened the Suzuki Association with Mr. and Mrs. Brissenden, and the result is evident in the many students and teachers of the Suzuki Method he trained.
His achievements are known and recognised not only within the Association, but also among many music organisations in Australia.
We are very saddened to lose Mr Nakamura, whom we revere, as I believe that without his achievements, the current Suzuki Association in Sydney would not exist.
We remember this with all of you and strongly hope that the development of our Suzuki Method movement, which Mr Nakamura devoted his life to, will be carried on to the next generation and continue to grow and develop. As the NSW Suzuki Association shall plan an event to formally celebrate his achievements, we are sending our condolences to the Nakamura family, Mrs Yoshiko Nakamura, and his children Masaki, Hikari, and Airena.
“Music is the language of the heart without words” —Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
New ISA Online Journal for July 2024
Use the link below to access all the articles, news and pictures from Suzuki regions around the world. Many thanks to all our contributors for this latest edition.
In this issue:
- 60th Anniversary of Dr. Suzuki’s First Japanese Tour Group
- Memories of Matsumoto
- An Itinerary with the Suzuki Method and Dedicated People
- My Trip to Washington DC
- Photos from Asia
- The 2024 SAA Conference
- The 2024 SAA Conference – A Student Perspective
- European Suzuki Flute Teachers Workshop
- Happy to be a Part of the Suzuki Tribe
View the July 2024 ISA Journal
Message from the ISA Chair July 2024
Dear Suzuki Community,
I am honored to step into the role of Chairperson of the International Suzuki Association (ISA) for the term 2024-2026. This marks a significant change, as we have decided that the chairperson can now be any member of the ISA board, not just regional representatives. We believe this will better address our needs and avoid conflicts of interest.
In the coming years, we face several challenges:
- Material Formats: We need to determine the best format for our core materials—whether printed or electronic—to serve teachers, parents, and students effectively.
- Instrument Expansion: We must decide how many different instruments the Suzuki method can accommodate and if the ISA's current structure is ideal for this purpose.
- Teacher Training Recognition: We aim to finalize a process for recognizing teacher qualifications across regions, ensuring smooth transitions for teachers moving internationally.
I extend my deepest gratitude to Prof. Ryugo Hayano for his exceptional leadership over the past three years. I hope to meet the high expectations set for me in this new role.
Martin Rüttimann
Chairperson, ISA
July 2024
New Publication: Memories of Matsumoto from Suzuki Graduates and Pioneers
The ISA commissioned TERI Violin Graduate and SAA Teacher-Trainer Amanda Schubert the daunting task of collecting and creating a permanent archive of written memories and photos from Suzuki teachers around the world who were fortunate to attend and graduate from the then-named Talent Education Institute (now known as TERI) in Matsumoto, under the tutelage of Dr. Suzuki and the other trainers at the school in cello, flute, guitar, oboe, piano and violin.
Truly we are indebted to Amanda for this comprehensive archive of prose and photos that will be updated as we continue to receive additional material from contributors. If you are one of those (!), please contact the ISA office for information concerning submissions. The goal is to collect as many memories as possible to share with our Suzuki family around the globe.
Enjoy browsing through this vast treasure of memories of lessons and experiences in Japan.
Announcing the Addition of Explanatory Graphs to the Kendall Teaching Videos Archive
The ISA is indebted to Dr. Brian Buckstead for permitting his research on the teaching techniques of Suzuki Method pioneer John Kendall to be posted on this website. His illustrations provide a valuable visual resource to the aural presentation in the Kendall Teaching Videos.
Please use the link below to access these materials (bottom of the page):
New Video in the Archive:
My Time with Suzuki Sensei by Mihoko Hirata
The following video was recorded March 31, 2014 during the Spring Hawaii Suzuki Institute for Suzuki Talent Education of Hawaii. ISA thanks Hirata Sensei and Helen Higa, Director of STEH, for their permission to post this fascinating and humorous remembrance of Dr. Suzuki on the ISA website for Suzuki families and teachers around the world to enjoy.
My Time with Suzuki Sensei by Mihoko Hirata
Suzuki Audio Downloads
The recordings are an essential part of the Suzuki Method®, and it’s important to us that the official professional recordings are available to every student and teacher. As CDs and CD players are becoming a thing of the past, we’ve now made the recordings easily accessible in a digital format.
All official Suzuki recordings are available to purchase and download from Amazon Music, iTunes Store, and Alfred Media. When purchased from any of these platforms, recordings can be played from a computer, phone, smart speaker, or even a smart TV from the respective online library or app.
Updated AMPV List
Be sure that you have the most recent versions of the Suzuki materials by consulting the updated AMPV list.
AMPV numbers are now on the title page of newer or updated Suzuki Method™ books to allow teachers and families to know if they are purchasing the latest edition of a book.
- AMPV numbers are now on the title page of newer or updated Suzuki Method books.
- AMPV stands for Alfred Music Publishing Version and is followed by a number, such as 1.0.
- These numbers apply only to books, not to recordings.
- If a book is not listed, the book has not been changed since 2010.
- This list will be updated as needed. Please check back occasionally.
New Video: The History and Philosophy of Tonalization by Fumiyo Kuramochi
In March 2022, Fumiyo Kuramochi presented an inspiring Zoom session entitled "The History and Philosophy of Tonalization" to an appreciative international audience. This beautiful video presentation includes newly translated texts and in depth insights into Dr. Suzuki's lifetime research on tone development.
New to the ISA Video Archive. Now available:
The Suzuki Method Video Guidance Series
Use the following link to access these newly posted videos of Dr. Suzuki speaking about the philosophy of Talent Education and the pedagogy of the Suzuki Method.
The Suzuki Method Video Guidance Series
This series was produced in the mid-1970’s under sponsorship of the Sony Corporation. The videos were made on the recital hall stage of the Talent Education Research Institute, at the National Concert in Tokyo and in venues around Matsumoto used for the TERI Summer School.
Now Online:
The Suzuki/Starr Videos
The ISA is thrilled to announce the posting of this original video series, first recorded beginning in 1968. This series is a comprehensive collection of interviews with Dr. Suzuki explaining his ideas on Talent Education, and demonstrating the teaching points of the Suzuki Violin School, with additional footage of Japanese teachers and students in lessons and concerts during that time period.
Summaries for each of the 12 videos are included:
The ISA gratefully acknowledges the family of William Starr and the SAA for providing ISA the rights to post this video series on the ISA website.
Announcing a New Publication from ISA
The ISA is proud to announce this important new publication chronicling the life of Dr. Suzuki decade by decade through text and pictures, from his early upbringing, his time in Germany, the return to Japan, and the flowering of the Talent Education movement worldwide.
The ISA is indebted to Mikio Shin of TERI, the original author of the Chronology, for his permission to expand and translate this significant new document. And to Lili Selden and Ruth Miura for their work on the English translation.
Currently the Chronology is only available to view online. Any inquiries about print copies should be directed to your particular Regional Association.
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