Teachers attend the GWSI to refresh, re-inspire and expand their teaching skills and to learn about the Suzuki approach. Teachers participating in the Teacher Development Program must be at least 17 years of age, have a high school diploma and be an active member of the SAA.

Teachers may enroll as a course participant or an auditor. To qualify as a participant, an individual must pass an audition submitted to the SAA. Participants who successfully complete a course will have their training registered with the SAA. For Auditors, an audition is not required, nor will their training be registered with the SAA.

Teacher Development Courses

Teacher Development Courses are conducted by Teacher Trainers registered with the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA). The Teacher Development Program includes:

The Foundation Course (Every Child Can!©)

The Foundation Course (Every Child Can!©) is a 6 hour introduction to Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy and its application to Suzuki education. It provides an inspiring, in-depth look at the Suzuki approach to teaching and learning and is open to both parents and teachers. There is no pre-requisite and no instrument required.

Unit Courses

Unit Courses, seminars that include the pedagogy of the Suzuki approach and the musical, physical and social development of students, are open to Suzuki teachers or those aspiring to become teachers. Enrollment requires successful completion of an SAA audition. The unit course numbers correspond to the same numbered Suzuki Repertory books.

Unit 1 Courses are 28-hour courses plus 15 hours of student lesson observation. The Foundation Course, Every Child Can!©, is a pre-requisite for the Book 1 courses. Teachers may register for the Foundation Course in addition to Book 1.
Unit 2-4 Courses are 15-hour courses plus 8 hours of student lesson observation. Note: Unit Courses Book 1-3 should be completed consecutively and in order. Unit Courses for Books 4 and up may be completed in any order once Books 1-3 are complete.

The following unit courses will be offered at the 2021 GWSI:

- Violin Unit 1,
- Violin Unit 2,
- Violin Unit 3,
- Cello Unit 1.
- Cello Unit 2

Enrichment Courses

Preparing for Kreutzer & the Carl Flesch Scale System

Rodolphe Kreutzer’s 42 Etudes and Carl Flesch’s Scale System have remained a core part of the pedagogical repertoire since their publication over a century ago and are today perhaps the most common set of studies for intermediate and advanced students of the violin.

To scale and etude or not to scale and etude? Surprisingly, this question posed a major debate for Suzuki method teachers in the 20th century. Indeed, the degree to which traditional scale study and etude sequencing is a part of a Suzuki student’s experience depends largely on the individual orientation, background, and training of their teacher.

In this 10-hour Enrichment course: Preparing for Kreutzer & the Carl Flesch Scale System, Charles Krigbaum will take teachers on a journey to prepare students for these timeless and monumental works.

From the student’s first A Major scale on a Twinkle rhythm to playing two-octave scales in thirds with ease, the course will explore how to break down the challenges in these books to their most embryonic essence and how to present this material to students so that all can benefit from a healthy technical foundation that opens many possibilities for future repertoire. The journey from pre-reading activities and flashcards to the Kreutzer etudes can involve experiences and encounters with some of the most classic studies in the violin canon (Ševčík, Schradieck, Mazas, Wohlfahrt, Kayser) and newer works (Martin, Wartberg, Kinsey, Trott, Geringas, Cohen) that capture the imagination and attention of young violinists.

A message from Charles Krigbaum:

It’s no secret: I am obsessed with scales. Dr. Suzuki says “practice only on the days you eat” and Barbara Barber taught me to “only practice scales on the days you practice.” All that being said, there is NOTHING magical about scales. It’s the fundamentals and principles at work WHILE we play scales that do all the heavy lifting. For many years I have been learning from everyone I can and studying every possible resource in depth to develop breakthrough practices for preparing Suzuki students for Carl Flesch (the most epic journey through scales imaginable) and to prepare young violinists for the Kreutzer Etudes.

Based on the teaching of Charles Krigbaum, Kerstin Wartberg, Mimi Zweig, and the late Jerrie Cadek Lucktenberg, this course is designed for teachers who, like me, were once intimidated by the elements in Carl Flesch and unclear how to navigate the long winding path to Kreutzer. Students can find joy in shifting and double stops. Yes, we CAN learn to play thirds with ease, beautiful intonation, and free of excessive tension. We’re going to flesh-out those scales: arpeggios, thirds, sixths, octaves—we’re going there. And I see the Kreutzer Etudes in your students’ future with skill, joy, ease, and a sense of accomplishment achieved through effort. Faulty intonation and insecure technique, we kiss you goodbye! I’m very excited for this opportunity, and I hope you will consider joining me this summer online with my dear colleagues at the Greater Washington Suzuki Institute.

Enrichment Course with Dr. Shu-Yi Scott – “Zoom in on Group: Strategies for Online or In-Person Group Teaching”

Further information coming soon!

Preparation

Each participant in the Suzuki Institute may enroll in the Every Child Can!© course and one violin or cello training course. Participants (other than auditors) in Teacher Development Program Unit courses are required to become an active SAA member and to complete and submit a DVD audition to the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA). The deadline for submission of teacher training videos for those participating in the GWSI Unit 1 courses is 8 weeks prior to course start (May 2, 2020). After that point in time, participants will be required to submit an express audition application and pay a $50 late fee. The SAA will not accept auditions received after June 11, 2020. Contact the SAA the SAA office at 1-888-378-9854 for more information.

All participants in unit training courses are also asked to prepare the repertory in the book to be studied to the point of fluent performance. Memorization is not required, but is recommended. Participants should be conversant with the ideas presented in Dr. Suzuki’s book, Nurture by Love. GWSI recommends further reading of Edmund Sprunger’s Teaching Parents to Practice.

Participants should bring their own instruments to play in class, music books and note taking materials.

Participants (other than auditors) will have their training automatically registered with SAA when all course requirements are complete and signed by the trainer. Be on time so you do not miss class time – even a few minutes are very important. This is a SAA strict requirement to register your training with the SAA!

Other Programs

FOR PARENTS

FOR STUDENTS

Your help makes a difference

Music enriches all of our lives and investment in music education for children not only brings us the promising young musicians of the future, it inevitably enhances the development of skills that children use in other areas as well.

DONATE NOW