AMBASSADOR
February
2013
February
2013
Upcoming Events From the Director’s Desk By Pat D’Ercole Sunday, February 10, 2013 Maggie Medo & Jason Smith Senior Recital Michelsen Hall, 2:00 pm Sunday, February 10, 2013 ROS/CAR Duo Recital Gallery Q, 3:00 pm Saturday, February 16, 2013 Marathon, 9 am – noon Positive Practice Parent Workshop, 9 – 10:30 am Saturday, February 16, 2013 Erik Sands Senior Recital NFAC 221, 7:30 pm Sunday, February 17, 2013 Solo Recitals Michelsen Hall, 2:00 and 3:30 pm Sunday, March 3, 2013 Wade Dittburner Senior Recital Michelsen Hall, 3:00 pm Saturday, March 16, 2013 Marathon, 9 am – noon Sunday, March 17, 2013 Solo Recitals Michelsen Hall, 2:00 and 3:30 pm Saturday, April 13, 2013 Piano (only) Marathon, 9 am – noon Sunday, April 14, 2013 Solo Recitals Michelsen Hall, 2:00 and 3:30 pm What has 642 heads, 1,284 feet, lives in 37 states and 8 foreign countries and makes music by playing eight different instruments? Need one more hint? It visits UWSP campus each July. Give up? It’s the American Suzuki Institute and now’s the time to begin planning so that you can be added to the 642 people who at‐
tend. The American Suzuki Institute (ASI), hosted by the Aber Suzuki Center, is America’s first institute. It was founded in 1971 and is the model upon which all of the 70 others that happen in the summer have pat‐
terned themselves. The American Suzuki Institute is not for those student musicians who are already moti‐
vated and talented (though they are most welcome), it’s the place to become motivated and talented. Talk about an immersion experience! For one week, it seems that everyone in the whole world is a musician. For one week, we get a glimpse of Dr. Suzuki’s vision—
an environment where the child is valued, where great potential is presumed, accomplishments are celebrat‐
ed and where “love is deep,” And besides that, it’s great fun! In addition, the experience is as valuable for the par‐
ent as it is for the child. One parent from Illinois has attended for over 20 years, first with her children, then for teacher training and now as a grandparent. She told me last year that it’s her annual “tonic.” Af‐
ter a year full of world news that seems to only high‐
light our inhumanity, the week at ASI is her treat to herself so that she can become focused again on the belief that together we can make a better world for our children. Being with like‐minded adults who see the potential of children restores her positive energy and renews her hope in the future. 1
For most summer camps, children go away for a week and parents get a break. There are advantages to that. Children learn independence, tolerance and coopera‐
tion to name a few. But at the American Suzuki Insti‐
tute, parents accompany their child to the classes. Parents also learn. They learn techniques to make practice and parenting easier and, most importantly, they have quality time with their child undisturbed by the usual distractions of family schedules, a time that will be forever cherished by both parent and child. When you think about it, there is really just about a 10 year window for that opportunity. By the time chil‐
dren are 11 or 12, they begin to distance themselves from their parents as they begin to develop their “wings.” The Joy of Making Music By Ann Marie Novak Why do we study an instrument? Why do we practice hour after hour, day after day? Of course there are many possible answers:  So we can play well  To improve our skill(s)  Because my mom or dad makes me  Because I want to be ready for my lesson  Because I ate today …and it is likely that reasons for practicing change from day to day and year to year. After talking to many people about this subject, I have found that there is one long‐term overriding reason or goal for practicing regularly for a long time:  So that I can enjoy making beautiful music. …Isn’t that the best reason of all? Is there any greater high for a musician than to play a piece when every‐
thing is working just right? Is there anything more fun than when your fingers, arms, brain, breathing, and everything else is all working in sync? How about when you play a piece and it just feels like it’s a part of you, like nothing could possibly go wrong, like the notes, dynamics, tone and expression have all become one? Is there anything better than when it just sounds and feels so incredibly fantastic? The question is: “How do we get to this point?” Of course, there are too many steps to state all of them here, but the one I would like to focus on is RE‐
VIEW. I have worked with many students over the years as both a teacher and a clinician, and the common theme among the most confident, solid, and relaxed players is consistent practice that involves a great deal of re‐
view. We talk about it in parent orientation, we prac‐
tice it in lessons and in group classes; some students find it easy and fun, but many struggle with applying good review to their practice. We have all heard many reasons for reviewing:  So I don’t forget a piece  To have fun To help you decide whether this is the camp for you, learn more about what ASI offers by 1) talking to a student or parent who has attended, 2) visiting uwsp.edu/suzuki/asi to view the video about the week, 3) reading the Stolen Goldin Violin by the Felt family, a mystery that takes place at the American Suzuki Insti‐
tute (you can purchase one for $6 in the ASC office), and 4) downloading the ASI brochure from the web‐
site. The dates are July 28‐ Aug. 3 and Aug. 4‐ 10. We promise you, it will be a great week! One other important event for parents that the ASC is sponsoring is happening on February 16th from 9:00‐
10:30. We have invited Paula Stewart from Rochester, MN to present a “Positive Practice” Workshop for parents. This will be especially helpful for those par‐
ents who are still actively involved in their child’s prac‐
tice. The purpose of the session is to teach parents how to interact with their children in a way that helps develop motivated students, and supports positive parent/child relationships. Techniques that you will learn can be applied to other parenting situations out‐
side of music as well. Teachers, counselors and any‐
one who works with children are welcome. With 200 families in our program we only have room for 30 par‐
ents (15%), so register soon with your teacher to re‐
serve your place. (Paula Stewart is a Suzuki vio‐
lin/viola teacher with a degree in education and ex‐
tensive training in positive reinforcement training.) 2
 It’s easier to apply a new skill to an old piece (“Raise your ability with a piece you can play.” – Shinichi Suzuki)  So that I can play with others  To get ready for a recital  So that I can participate in group classes and marathons These reasons all sound like good ones…in fact, they make review sound rather attractive. So why do so many students find review to be so challenging? I believe that there are 2 main reasons: 1. The term, “Review Piece” is falsely applied to pieces that have slipped below the level of “Re‐
view” and have arrived at the level of “Polishing”. True review pieces are ones that have been thor‐
oughly polished. The technical issues have been worked out and no longer encumber the player. These pieces can be played easily and freely. Memory is comfortable and solid. The player is able to freely express him or herself. This is mak‐
ing music! We expect review pieces to be easy to play well. When they slip down to a polishing level but we still ask for them as review pieces, our ac‐
tual ability for that (polishing) piece does not match our (review) expectations. When we play the piece, and it doesn’t go as well as we expect it, then we feel that we have somehow failed (“I used to be able to play that piece”) or that the piece is suddenly too hard (“I don’t like this piece any more”). 2. “Review is just for beginners” (or “little kids”). Okay, how about if we look at this issue from the top down rather than from the bottom up? When we set up sports training sessions and camps for our children, we hire coaches who not only under‐
stand children but who also understand the skills and the drills that the professional athletes have used to get to the highest level of ability in their respective sports. Do we expect that our children will become professional athletes? Most likely not. Yet we train them in the tradition that has pro‐
duced hundreds of professional athletes over many years. Performing artists throughout the decades have made the practice of review their livelihood. It is common practice for pianists to keep approxi‐
mately three recital programs’ worth of solo music and two concertos under their fingers at any given time. This means that, at any one moment, the performer would need to be reviewing approxi‐
mately 4‐5 hours worth of music. Any new pieces for future years’ programs would mean time be‐
yond those hours. Another interesting fact about the top professional performers is that they never perform any of those “new” pieces in the big ven‐
ues, like New York or Chicago until they have been performed many times at smaller venues like Ste‐
vens Point. One reason for this is that those larger cities have music critics present at major perfor‐
mances…their job is to write a critique of the con‐
cert or recital for publication in the newspaper. At any rate, review and performing old pieces are two of the mainstays of professional performers. Most of the time, we look at these amazing per‐
formers, and we marvel at how they play with such grace and fluidity. They make it look so easy…we actually are drawn in to thinking that it IS easy. Well…it is, but only because of all of the work that has been done long before the concert. Sometimes we look at what is in front of us and we see only that, and not what it takes to get there. This is not to say that magnificent playing is out of reach for our students…in fact, it IS quite attainable, provided we have the right combina‐
tion of environment, instruction, nurturing, effort, and love (and lots of review). In conclusion, review pieces are essential for creating and maintaining a solid foundation. When you have a selection of review pieces, (remember: these are the ones you can play easily upon request) you have a platform on which to build bigger and better playing; and, you have many pieces ready for performance! More than anything else, remember this: What is the easiest way to keep a piece? …you guessed it!...just keep playing (reviewing) it! 3
Saturday classes begin at 8.00 a.m. and run until ap‐
proximately 4.35 p.m. Students from other Suzuki programs in Wisconsin and other states have until Fri Feb 8 to register and submit their forms, waivers, and checks to the address on the application. We look forward to welcoming you to our annual workshop event. January Open House a Great Success Thanks to all who helped us with the Open House on Jan. 26th. We had nine students sign up on the spot and many more thinking about it. Thanks to parents who staffed our registration table, helped with serving pizza, setup and cleanup. If you enjoyed having the a larger, multi‐level experience for your instrument and some social time together, please let us know. Maybe we can make it an annual event! Composer of the Month George Gershwin Set Your TIVO/DVR WSMA Honors Concert to be Televised By Ann Marie Novak George Gershwin was born on Sept. 26 in Brooklyn, New York. His early piano studies were with neighbor‐
hood teachers in Manhattan. His first work in the field of music was as a “song plugger” for Jerome Remick. This type of work consisted of playing and/or singing recently published songs and pieces to encourage people to purchase them and/or use them commer‐
cially. At the same time, George was working on com‐
posing his own material, and shortly after he left Remick’s employ, he had his first song published (1916). He spent some time under contract as a song‐
writer, and he worked on Broadway as a rehearsal pianist. George Gershwin’s first musical, “La La Lucille” was produced in 1919…it ran a total of 104 performances (not a bad start on Broadway)! He also branched out into concert music. In his “Rhapsody in Blue” (1924), Gershwin managed to meld jazz and classical styles in a masterful and very successful manner. This piece remains a favorite of concertgoers to this day. George continued to compose and perform music for the concert hall, Broadway shows and also for film throughout his lifetime. He also collaborated success‐
fully with his brother, Ira Gershwin (a well‐known lyri‐
cist) for many years beginning with “Lady, Be Good” (the show which launched the long and wonderful ca‐
reer of the dancer and showman, Fred Astaire). George Gershwin’s works have been performed and recorded by the best in the business, and his harmonic progressions have served as the bases for other, new‐
er jazz improvisations. Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) has partnered with the Wisconsin School Music Association to air a one‐
hour compilation of the 2012 High School State Hon‐
ors Band, Orchestra and Choir concerts on Monday, February 25 at 8 p.m. The program, "Young Perform‐
ers Initiative," will feature selections of the State Mu‐
sic Conference honors concerts recorded on October 25th. Information is available online‐www.wpt.org and www.wsmamusic.org. Hurry and You Can Still Attend the Oshkosh Suzuki Workshop David Smith, violin/fiddle instructor Oshkosh Suzuki Music Program The registration form and liability waiver for this year's For the Love of Music Oshkosh Suzuki Winter Workshop on Fri‐Sat Feb 15‐16, 2013 at Lourdes High School in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is available on the book‐
shelf in the Waiting Room. This year we've lined up some excellent guest teach‐
ers including Suzuki violinists/violists Kari Gunderson and Betsy Pabon, both from Wisconsin; Minneapolis alternative styles fiddler Zack Kline; and local cellist and improve virtuoso Matt Turner. As in past years, our event kicks off on Friday evening with an informal play‐in (with treats) at 5.30‐7.00 p.m. 4
er, Mary McDonald, Dale Steinmetz, Caitriona Quirk, Anna Meilahn and Michael Treder. Source: Randel, D. M. 1996. “The Harvard Biographical Dic‐
tionary of Music”. Cambridge and London: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ROS/CAR Duo in Recital You are invited to the ROS/CAR Duo recital. Join harp‐
ist Rosalie Gilbert, and violinist Oscar Soler at 3 pm on Sunday February 10th at Gallery Q on Main Street in downtown Stevens Point. Listen to an hour of harp and violin solo and duo music by Ibert, Massenet, Renie, Saint‐Saens, Ysaye, and Andres. Enjoy treats at a reception following the recital. Requested donation of $10 per person, or $20 per family. We hope to see you there! Richard Meilahn, Rachel Ley and Craig Felt and Pat D’Ercole performed at the Shuda Funeral Home Holi‐
day Memorial service on Dec. 15. The Central State Chamber Orchestra under the direc‐
tion of David Becker performed their annual holiday concert at the Lincoln Center on Dec. 15. These violin and viola students performed holiday mu‐
sic at the Oakridge Senior Living Center on Dec. 18 led by Miss Burton: Faith Kluck, Thomas Meronek, Anna Hahn, William Hahn, Max Malek, Sharon Roark, Jace Yesse, Dane Chung, Jacey Bowker, Kassidy Martin, Gina Chung, Josie Reeve, Sarah Reeve, Marco Kur‐
zynski, Kate Young and Alyssa Schroeckenthaler. The following piano students also performed: Supriya Keefe, Nate Olson, Trevor Carlson, Samantha Carlson, Jocelyn He, Marco Kurzynski and Trent Miller. They were accompanied on the piano by Ann Marie Novak. Cellists performed for the residents of Edgewater Manor. Those participating were: Franklin Meadows, Trenton Seegert, Luke Vayder, Aileen Winn, Ariel Lewien, Sam Schmitz, Avita Cole, Koppany Bodor, Lynn Karbowski, William Hahn, Isa Mahon, and Ger‐
ald Sakamaki. On December 22, 2012 Jamie Reeve, Josie Reeve, Olivia Yang and Tom Yang did bell‐ringing with violin, cello and keyboard at the Shopko site in Plover. The following students performed at the Boys and Girls Club Annual Art Show on Jan. 8, led by Miss Bur‐
ton, Miss Novak and Dr. Mutschlecner: Anna Hahn, William Hahn, Annina LeCapitaine, Alexandra Lee, Jacey Bowker, Trent Miller Aileen Winn, Dinesh Traynor, and William Hahn. Student News ASC students were busy sharing their gift of music throughout the holiday season, participating in a doz‐
en community concerts. Thanks to you, parents, for putting these opportunities into your schedule and arranging transportation. Jacquie Wille performed with the CWSO on Dec. 1 & 2 and with the Wausau Symphony Orchestra and per‐
formed "Christmas Around the World" with the Wis‐
consin Master Chorale on December 14 and 16. These students performed at intermission for the CWSO concert on Dec. 1 & 2: Lilly Mahon, Josie Reeve, Ada Sell, Richard Meilahn, Kassidy Martin, Faith Kluck, Carolyn Storch, Jace Yesse, Maiah Hamre, Kate Young, Maddie Koehn, Yuling Sun, and the Wil‐
low String Quartet members Cal Irons, Craig Felt, La‐
ra Prebble and Gerald Sakamaki. Mary Hofer led the voice students in a performance at the Victorian Christmas on Dec. 8. This was followed by caroling in Downtown Stevens Point and a visit to the Portage Co Nursing Home. The following students participated: Megan O’Brian, Madison Tepp, Melody Tepp, Sam Ginnett, Josie Dietrich, Roshini Traynor, Dinesh Traynor, Sofia Cerron‐Palomino, Amelia Bey‐
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Daisy Jagoditsh, Piano Book 1 Dinesh Traynor, Cello Book 7 Dinesh Traynor, Violin Book 8 Madelyn Andreae, Violin Book 1 Madison Tepp, Piano Twinkles Soren Luther, Piano Twinkles Alyssa Schroeckenthaler, Violin Book 6 Zsanna Bodor, Violin Book 5 Hope Mahon, Violin Book 6 Caitriona Quirk, Voice Book 3 Ashley Hoerter, Voice Book 3 Katie Hoerter, Voice Book 3 Congratulations to ASC students who composed a mu‐
sical work as part of the Very Young Composers of Central Wisconsin. The compositions of Yuling Sun, Marco Kurzynski and Ada Sell were performed by UWSP music students in a concert on Jan. 28. January 2013 Graduations Rebecca McCabe, Viola Twinkles Berit Borgnes, Piano Twinkles Michael Reeser, Violin Book 3 Jon Peck, Violin Book 8 Walter Clark, Violin Twinkles Nathan Zuge, Piano Twinkles Josie Reeve, Viola Book 2 Lara Prebble, Viola Book 5 Faculty News Jenny Burton and David Becker performed in the De‐
cember 1 & 2 CWSO concerts. David Becker, Tim Mutschlecner, Oscar Soler and Jenny Burton assisted with the Central WI Middle School Honors Orchestra workshop Dec. 8. Jennifer Burton performed the Messiah with the Monteverdi Master Chorale Orchestra Dec. 8 and 9. Jennifer Burton and Oscar Soler attended the Suzuki Principles in Action class in Madison on January 19 and 20. December 2012 Graduations Aidan Price, Piano Twinkles Trenton Niles, Piano Book 1 Jonah Price, Piano Twinkles Sophia Bluma, Piano Twinkles Jacey Bowker, Violin Twinkles Madeline Resnick, Piano Twinkles Elijah Vang, Violin Book 3 Isaiah Vang, Piano Twinkles 6