Both Edward Kreitman (author of Teaching from the Balance Point—A Guide for Suzuki Parents, Teachers, and Students, a well-known guest clinician at Suzuki institutes and workshops, and the Founder and Director of the Western Springs School of Talent Education) and James VanReeth (Director of the Denison University Suzuki Program in Granville, Ohio, the recipient of his Master of Music with emphasis in Suzuki Pedagogy from the University of Wisconsin where he studied with Pat DerCole, and a popular Suzuki method clinician at Suzuki workshops and institutes) will be coming to NWISC on Saturday, February 23, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The workshop will include individual masterclass time for each student, a group class component, a break for lunch, and other learning opportunities.

This is a wonderful event for violin students who have studied the Suzuki repertoire sequentially from Book 1 on. Mr. Kreitman rarely does these workshops anymore, but he is coming to us, so don't miss this possibility to interact with him and with Mr. VanReeth.

Even though two amazing clinicians are coming, there will be room for only 30 students in the workshop. Register early to ensure your place!

Registration is full.

Click here for the registration form and more information.

What is a Masterclass?

A masterclass is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline-usually music, but also painting, drama, or any of the arts. In a masterclass, all the students and spectators watch and listen as the master takes one student or group at a time. The students usually perform a single piece which they have prepared, and the master will give them advice on how to play it, often including anecdotes about the composer, demonstrations of how to play certain passages, and admonitions of common technical errors.

The students are then usually expected to play the piece again, in light of the master's comments, and the student may be asked to play a passage repeatedly to attain perfection. Masterclasses for musical instruments tend to focus on the finer details of attack, tone, phrasing, and overall shape, and the student is expected to have complete control of more basic elements such as rhythm and pitch. The value of the masterclass setup is that all students can benefit from the master's comments on each piece.

Please contact us with any questions.