Scholarships Assist Two ARS members
Two ARS members at very different recorder-playing levels recently benefited from donor-funded scholarships.
Rose Dombrow was encouraged to attend the
Whitewater Early Music Festival by her teacher. Rose says,
"Thank you again for your scholarship to attend the EMF in Whitewater. My teacher, Angela Salvaggione, so generously did all the driving, and encouraging. I attended Lisette Kielson’s Friday night class, where we played “Hallelujah Chorus, Die Wassermusik, Alla Hornpipe, Minuet, Lentement, and Bourree.” I played what I could and I was very grateful for Susanne, a student who was playing and trilling in soprano, along with tenor, alto, and bass players. At the time, I felt most comfortable playing soprano recorder.
On Saturday, I learned a great deal from Mona Mann. She helped me with breathing, releasing tension from the lips, observing time signature, proper counting, tapping out a song, playing duets, emphasizing the importance of playing both soprano and alto, and modifying music, so I could play with a group. Mona was my music hero for the weekend.
On Saturday evening, I attended an ice cream social with hurdy gurdy music. Afterward came John’s impromptu band. What fun! I listened and snapped my fingers to “In the Still of the Night,” etc. On Sunday, I attended class with Mona. Then we joined Kate Muldinar’s viola class, so Mona could play recorder with them… gorgeous music. Then we attended Patrick O’Malley’s class, so I could play with the group with my now modified music for “Dorian Air,” and more. We played “Calon Lan” (Shining Heart) with everyone to wrap things up.
I had a wonderful time, and I’m looking forward to attending next year around June 2, 3, and 4. Thank you so much for your generous scholarship to make this possible. And I also thank the EMF peeps who added a $50 scholarship to make my attendance possible. I’m motivated to practice my new skills."
Miyo Aoki, a recorder professional and teacher, developed her teaching skills with the Suzuki Association. In her own words...
"The ARS generously granted me a scholarship to take two online courses in teaching Suzuki recorder, Units 2 and 3, taught by the wonderful Mary Halverson Waldo. Over the past year, I have been experimenting with parts of the Suzuki repertoire and teaching style with some of my students and with my 4-year-old child, and I have been impressed with the results. One student who was struggling with reading music gained confidence when they discovered that they played very well by ear and another student’s tone improved significantly, likely because they were listening more to their own sound. My own child has been greatly enjoying “recorder practice” and loves to sing and play the songs that he hears on the Suzuki recording. The premise of this teaching style is that music can be learned in the same way language is acquired, and emphasis is placed on hearing before reading.
As a freelance musician and teacher, it is not always easy to find and/or afford opportunities for professional development, and these courses in Suzuki teaching have been very valuable to me. Aside from the obvious benefit of helping me improve my own teaching, it has also been great to connect with other musicians and teachers, and engage in robust but respectful dialogue about many aspects of teaching. I appreciate the humility, open-mindedness, and generosity I have seen in many teachers in the Suzuki community, and I have been impressed by the abundant sharing of ideas and resources between members of the community, while always being respectful of the source and giving credit where credit is due. Thank you, ARS, for making it possible for me to have this valuable experience!"
