2025 ASA FALL WORKSHOP 

“Suzuki Samurai”

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Student Workshop: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Teacher Workshop: 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Summit School

4515 E. Muirwood Dr. 

Phoenix, Arizona 85048

ASA will hold its annual Fall Workshop on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at Summit School in Phoenix. The Student Workshop will include Master Classes and Group Lessons for Suzuki Students in Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, and Voice. Our Guest Teachers include Crystal Boyack (violin), Karin Hallberg (violin), Heidi Wright (violin), Mary Harrah (violin & viola), Rebecca McKee (violin & viola), Wesley Skinner (cello), Emma Riebe (cello), Lori Hennesy (cello), and MaryLou Roberts (guitar). Enrichment will include Japanese Taiko Drumming with Eileen Morgan of Fushicho Daiko and fiddling with Taylor Morris. The Student Workshop will close with a Celebration Concert at 2:00 PM. The Teacher Workshop with Crystal Boyack is 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM. 

Come join us for an exciting day of music, fun, and friends!

STUDENT WORKSHOP & SCHEDULE:

Students will have four classes: a master class (semi-private lesson), repertoire class (group class playing Suzuki repertoire–please see review lists below), a Japanese Taiko Drumming class, and an Enrichment class. The Student Workshop will end with a Celebration Concert at 2:00 PM where students will perform together in groups.

• 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Check-In
• 9:00 AM -12:00 NOON Classes (Snack at 10:50 AM)
• 12:00 NOON – 1:00 PM Lunch
• 1:00 PM  – 2:00 PM Classes
• 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Celebration Concert

LUNCH/SNACK:

Families will provide their own lunches. Please enjoy eating together in the school’s courtyard. There are no refrigerators available, so please pack your lunch in a cooler or with ice packs. ASA will provide a snack between the 2nd and 3rd classes at 10:50 – 11:00 AM outside in the courtyard.

TEACHER WORKSHOP & SCHEDULE:

Violinist Crystal Boyack, best-selling author of Wee Violin: World Music Preparatory to Twinkle, will also lead the Teacher Workshop. At the Teacher Workshop, she will discuss how to use her Wee Violin, Viola, Cello repertoire to develop foundational pre-Twinkle techniques, incorporating singing, movement, and interactive activities to engage students and families while building technical and musical skills. The workshop will be fast paced, highly interactive, with plenty of opportunities to sing, move, and play our instruments together. 

• 3:30 – 6:30 PM Teacher Workshop with Crystal Boyack – Bring your instruments!
• Optional: Teachers are welcome to observe student workshop classes and/or concert (9:00 AM – 3:00 PM)

FEES AND DEADLINES:

Student Workshop Fees/Deadlines: All students must register in advance. There will be no same day registrations. 

The final deadline to register is November 8, 2025.

• Full-Day Student (9:00 AM – 3:00 PM): Early Bird Registration is $65 per student, deadline Nov. 1. Regular Registration is $75 per student, deadline Nov. 8.
• Morning-Only Pre-Twinkle Student (9:00 AM – 12:00 NOON): Early Bird Registration is $35 per student, deadline Nov. 1. Regular Registration is $45 per student, deadline Nov. 8.

Please note that all registrations include a 1-year ASA family membership for 2025/26. You must be registered to attend, no same day registration. Please fill out one form per child attending.

Siblings: Family membership is included in the registration fee. If you are registering siblings, you only need to pay the family membership for the first student. So please subtract $10 per additional sibling.

Teacher Workshop Fees/Deadlines: Fee: $20 for ASA teacher members, $30 for non-members. The registration deadline is November 8, 2025. You must be registered to attend.

REGISTRATION:

Registration is a two step process:

1. Fill out the registration form (one form per student attending).
   • STUDENT WORKSHOP REGISTRATION LINK – REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
   • TEACHER WORKSHOP REGISTRATION LINK – REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
2. Pay electronically by Zelle, or mail a check payable to ASA (mailing address is in the registration form)

To use Zelle, please open your bank’s app and scan the QR code below. Please note what the payment is for (ex. Student workshop, “student’s name”).

Or you can also open your bank’s app and go to Zelle, type “The Arizona Suzuki Association” and use the email address arizonasuzuki@gmail.com. Enter the amount to be paid and what it is for (ex. Student workshop, “student’s name”). If paying for multiple students, you can make one payment, but please make note of each student name you are paying for.

2025 ASA Fall Workshop REVIEW LISTS

Special events included:

Performance: Rachel Barton Pine
MIM Music Theater

Pop-Up Performance: Dorsey Guitar Studio Ensemble
North El Río

Find the complete schedule of events at the MIM’s website: https://mim.org/

November 2, 2024

Student workshop: 9am-3pm

Teacher workshop: 3:30-5:00pm

Orangewood Presbyterian Church, 7321 N 10th St, Phoenix, AZ 85020

ASA will hold its annual Fall Workshop on Saturday November 2, 2024. The student workshop will include classes for violin, viola, cello, and guitar students of all ages. Our guest teachers include Carrie Salisbury, violin, viola, StringsPop! from Los Angeles, CA and Lori Hennessy, cello, from Tucson, AZ. The student workshop will end with a celebration concert. A teacher workshop with Carrie will take place from 3:30-5:00pm. Don’t miss this exciting day of music, fun and friends!!!

STUDENT WORKSHOP & SCHEDULE:

Students will have four classes: a master class (semi-private lesson), repertoire class (group class playing Suzuki repertoire, please see review lists below), StringsPop class (popular and folk songs) and a drumming class (enrichment). The student workshop will end with a celebration concert at 2:00pm where students will perform together in groups.

• 8:30-9:00am Check-in
• 9:00am-12:00pm Classes (Snack at 10:50am)
• 12:00-1:00pm Lunch
• 1:00-2:00pm Classes
• 2:00-3:00pm Celebration Concert

LUNCH/SNACK:

Families will provide their own lunches. Please enjoy eating together outside on the lawn or in the courtyard. There are no refrigerators available, so please pack your lunch in cooler or with ice packs. ASA will provide a snack between the 2nd and 3rd classes at 10:50-11:00am outside in the courtyard.

TEACHER WORKSHOP & SCHEDULE:

Creative Music Literacy with Carrie Salisbury

Dive into an innovative workshop for Suzuki educators with resources for teaching applied music theory to string students through games, creative composition, and improvisation. Explore strategies for introducing chord theory with early arranging and composition skills using folk songs and popular music. The class will include: a structured pedagogy for music literacy benchmarks, applied activities for lessons and group classes, empowerment to create original arrangements for your multi-level groups, and a comprehensive teacher resource packet in PDF form.  Bring your instruments to try the games and strategies yourself as we build a new arrangement together as a multi-level, mixed instrument class. 

• 3:30-5:00pm Teacher Workshop with Carrie Salisbury, bring your instruments!
• Optional: Teachers are welcome to observe student workshop classes and/or concert (9am-3pm)

FEES AND DEADLINES:

Student Workshop Fees/Deadlines: All students must register in advance, there will be no same day registrations.

Deadline to register if Oct 26.

• Student Workshop Regular registration: $75 per student, deadline Oct 26. REGISTRATION CLOSED

• Pre-Twinkle Workshop (morning only) Regular registration: $45 per student, deadline Oct 26. REGISTRATION CLOSED

Please note that all registrations include a 1 year ASA family membership for 2024/25. You must be registered to attend, no same day registration. Please fill out one form per child attending.

Siblings: Family membership is included in the registration fee. If you are registering siblings, you only need to pay the family membership for the first student. So please subtract $10 per additional sibling.

Teacher Workshop Fees/Deadlines: Fee: $20 for ASA teacher members, $30 for non-members. Registration deadline: Oct. 26. You must be registered to attend.

REGISTRATION:

Registration is a two step process:

1. Fill out the registration form (one form per student attending).
   • STUDENT WORKSHOP REGISTRATION CLOSED
   • TEACHER WORKSHOP REGISTRATION CLOSED
2. Pay electronically by Zelle, or mail a check payable to ASA (mailing address is in the registration form)

To use Zelle, please open your bank’s app and scan the QR code below. Please note what the payment is for (ex. Student workshop, “student’s name”).

Or you can also open your bank’s app and go to Zelle, type “The Arizona Suzuki Association” and use the email address arizonasuzuki@gmail.com. Enter the amount to be paid and what it is for (ex. Student workshop, “student’s name”). If paying for multiple students, you can make one payment, but please make note of each student name you are paying for.

REVIEW LISTS

VIOLIN:

Book 1: Twinkle in D and May Song in D as duet with cellos (cellos and violins can play either song), Song of the Wind, Allegro: Suzuki, Minuet 1: J.S. Bach
Book 2: Hunter’s Chorus: by Carl Maria von Weber, Gavotte: by Jean-Baptiste Lully
Book 3: Gavotte: by Martini, Gavotte in G Minor: J. S. Bach
Book 4: Concerto No. 1 in GM 1: Seitz, Concerto on Am Mvt. 1: Vivaldi
Book 5: Gigue: by Veracini
Book 6: Allegro: by Fiocco
Book 7: Gigue: by J.S. Bach
Book 8: Largo: by J. S. Bach

VIOLA:

Book 1:Twinkles, May Song , French Folk Song, Lightly Row, Allegretto, Andantino, Bohemian Folk Song, The Happy Farmer 

Book 2: Hunter’s Chorus (same key as violins), Witches’ Dance 

Book 3: Gavotte in g minor (same key as violins), Humoresque 

Book 4: Concerto No. 5, 1st Mvt. By F. Seitz, Concert in G Major for Solo Viola, II. Allegro 

Book 5: Nina 

Book 6: Hungarian Dance 

CELLO:

Book 1: Twinkles, Twinkle in D with May Song in D as duet with violins (cellos and violins can play either song), French Folk Song, Lightly Row, Rigadoon, Minuet in C

Book 2: Musette, March in G

Book 3: Gavotte in C minor

Book 4: Breval, 1st mvt. – no repeat

Book 5: Dance Rustique

Book 6: The Swan

GUITAR: Coming soon!

GUEST TEACHERS:

VIOLIN/VIOLA & STRINGSPOP!

Carrie Salisbury is a Los Angeles-based performer, small-business owner, and violin/viola teacher. She created StringsPop, a music theory enrichment experience for teens and tweens, and offers innovative teacher and student workshops on Creative Music Literacy. Carrie holds a B.M. in Viola performance and now studies orchestral repertoire and pedagogy with Dr. Mick Wetzel. A Suzuki teacher of 20+ years, she directs the SMAC Los Angeles Branch. Her private students perform regularly as Crescendo Strings, an all-ages multi-level string group and as First Inversion, a premiere teen ensemble known for creating and performing their own arrangements. She is a parent to three young Suzuki string students with her husband, pianist-composer Benjamin Salisbury. 

CELLO

Lori Hennessy spent the last decade as a cello instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area, developing the talent of students as young as three while continuing her education in pedagogy by studying with the most prolific teacher-trainers in the field. She has served as the director of a private Suzuki studio in San Francisco, as faculty at the Crowder Music Center in Berkeley, and as faculty at the Pleasanton Academy of Music. Her students’ accomplishments include the San Francisco Youth Orchestra, the Young Peoples Symphony Orchestra, and the Oakland Youth Symphony Orchestra. Lori Hennessy is currently enrolled in a Doctoral of Musical Arts program under Dr. Theodore Buchholz at the University of Arizona where she is a member of the Graduate Fellows program. This past March at the ASTA / Suzuki Conference, Lori presented on the history of the cello position, the ergonomics of seated body balance, and the use of the spine in fundamental movements. She holds a B.M. (2010) in cello performance and a M.M. (2012) in cello performance and Suzuki pedagogy, both degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

GUITAR

Joshua Pierce holds both a B.M. and M.M in Classical Guitar Performance from Arizona State University, where he studied with Professor Frank Koonce. During his time at ASU, he was the recipient of the Richard and Babette Burns Classical Guitar Scholarship, the Northern Trust/Virginia G. Piper Enrichment Award and was a two-time finalist in the ASU Concert of Soloists Concerto Competition. Mr. Pierce has studied with Chuck Hulihan at Glendale Community College, where he participated in premier performances of compositions written expressly for the GCC Guitar Orchestra and Octet. He has also performed in master classes with world-renowned guitarists, including Pepe Romero, David Russell, and Scott Tennant, and studied at the International Guitar Symposium in Iserlohn, Germany in 2007. As a teacher, Mr. Pierce has been active in the Phoenix area since 2006, working with several studios and organizations, as well as serving as a teaching assistant at GCC and co-director of guitar ensembles at ASU. Mr. Pierce serves on the board of three organizations: Phoenix Early Music Society (vice president), Phoenix Guitar Society (secretary) and Grand Canyon Guitar Society (board member).

DRUMMING:

Taji Maalik aka Folade is a second-generation musician and multi-percussionist here in Arizona and has dedicated himself to the art of music for nearly 30 years. He is currently a teaching artist at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) and Phoenix Conservatory of Music (PCM), a performance artist at various venues and events, and a drum instructor teaching various styles of music.

WORKSHOP FLIER:

Enjoy these pictures from the 2024 Fall Workshop!

Guest teachers Gail Acosta (Violin, Los Angeles), Mary Beth Tyndall (Cello, Tucson), and Dr. Louise Scott (Violin, Flagstaff) inspired us all! Violin, viola, cello and guitar students from around the state gathered for classes with Arizona Suzuki teachers. Saturday workshop classes included master class, repertoire class, fiddle with Taylor Morris, orchestra with Amy Bennet and drumming with Folade. The day ended with a celebration concert with students and teachers performing songs together. On Friday, Dr. Louise Scott offered a violin/viola master class open for students to attend with their teacher. Dr. Scott offered both students and teachers great playing tips and pedagogy insights.

Every Child Can!© An Introduction to Suzuki Education

Sponsored by Arizona Suzuki Association

Date: February 12 and 19, 2023 (Sundays)

Time: 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Location: University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, 1017 N Olive Rd, Tucson, AZ 85719

Teacher Trainer: Alice Vierra

Course Description:

Every Child Can!© (ECC) is an introduction to Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy and its application to Suzuki education. For parents, teachers, prospective teachers and others, this course provides an inspiring, in-depth look at the Suzuki approach to teaching and learning. In addition to exploring the elements of the Suzuki approach and its far-reaching goals, it includes an introduction to learning styles, history of the development of Suzuki education, the role of parents, the importance of Suzuki pedagogical training, and an overview of the SAA’s role in supporting teachers and parents. A fast-paced, engaging and inspiring program, ECC includes video materials and SAA-developed courseware, and provides each participant with useful reference materials (manuals) for later study. For teachers, ECC serves as the first course in the Suzuki Association of the Americas’ Teacher Development Program.

Qualifications:

High school graduation completed or within 6 months of graduation, plus age 17 or older. There are no instrument proficiency requirements. (No audition is required.) There will be no auditor status for this course.

Schedule:

Every Child Can!© is a 8 hour course. Alice Vierra, SAA Trainer, will teach the course.

Sundays, February 12 and 19, 2023, (1:00-5:00pm)

Alice Vierra, Teacher Trainer

Alice Vierra has the perspective of a performer, teacher, teacher trainer, and a
Suzuki parent. She is an SAA registered teacher trainer and has taught students
and teachers at Suzuki Institutes and Camps across the country. For 38 years, she
was a sought after cello teacher in the Washington, DC area. Her students have
gone on to study at Boston University, Hartt School of Music, Indiana University,
Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Oberlin, and Yale. After re-
locating to Tucson, she continues to teach both children and adults and works
with string students residing in the Catalina Foothills school district. Her students
have appeared on the TV program, The Morning Blend, and she led them in a
performance with the Tucson Repertory Orchestra. As a performer she has played
with the Washington Bach Consort on their tour to Germany, with the Fairfax
Symphony, Arlington Symphony, and in various chamber groups at the Corcoran
Gallery, Wolf Trap, Kennedy Center, and Washington Cathedral. She served on the
board of the Kindler Cello Society and helped organize the seventy-piece cello
orchestra led by Yo-Yo Ma which honored Rostropovich at the Kennedy Center
Honors event in 1994. She now serves on the board of the Arizona Suzuki
Association and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Arizona. Alice holds
a BME from the University of Iowa, and a MM in cello performance from the
University of Wisconsin She studied with Carol Work, Charles Wendt, and Lowell
Creitz and at the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute with Kenneth Slowik.

Instructor: Winifred Crock

January 21 (Sat) and January 22 (Sun), 2023 Online via Zoom

Schedule: January 21 (Sat), 12:00-6:00pm and January 20 (Sun), 1:00-5:00pm (Arizona Time)

Location: Online via Zoom

Fee: $200 for 2 days, $125 for one day (Sat only)

Registration deadline: Jan 20, 2023

10 hour SAA Enrichment course option, 100 percent participation required to be registered with SAA. Participants must be an active SAA member to register the course.

Course Description:

The umbrella of skills that determine literacy for musicians includes aural skills, translating notation, sight reading notation and an understanding of applicable music theory. The sequential pedagogy involved in teaching these skills is detailed and important. Join Winifred as she explores new concepts, sequences and materials for teaching literacy skills to string students. Discussions will include reimagined detailed learning sequences that foster all aspects of literacy for the studio or classroom student including teaching aural skills, transition to visual notation, developing fluent sight reading and teaching applicable music theory as it relates to string instruments.

Including…

• understanding sequences of aural skills as they apply to literacy
• exploring the preparatory skills necessary before visual notation is introduced
• sequencing the preparatory stages of visual literacy
• understanding issues with the music notation system
• teaching the feel of meter change
• teaching triple and compound meter
• understanding issues with rhythm and how they relate to success or challenges in reading
• understanding definitions of reading sight reading and their important to sequential growth
• understanding strands of learning as they apply to Suzuki philosophy and literacy
• challenging the easy reader and assisting those that may have issues
• understanding technical study and its relationship to reading fluency
• developing sequential teaching of music theory for strings

A variety of materials will be used and referenced during the class. Multiple handouts will be available to you through a shared google drive online several days before the class begins.

The following materials will be used in this class. I encourage you to have them.

You will better be able to interact with us in the activities that we do and understand the sequence and concepts we cover with material examples in front of you.

Suzuki Volume 1 for your instrument

Learning Together: Sequential Repertoire for Solo Strings or String Ensemble Alfred Music

            Volume 1 and 2 for your instrument

            (Alfred Music will provide a violin Volume 2 for you for this workshop)

Pattern Play Teacher Volume and Student Volume 1 and 2.

Pattern Play Flash Drive 2020 Projections for Classroom Use, Forrester Press

Pattern Play materials are available at Southwest Strings https://www.swstrings.com

            and at Midwest Sheet Music at www.midwestsheetmusic.com. 

All participants will need to have their instrument for the class. 

 In demand as a clinician, lecturer and conductor, Winifred Crock has lectured at Midwest, NAFME, ASTA and SAA conferences and has been the featured string clinician at universities and conferences across the country and internationally. Mrs. Crock was the Director of Orchestras at Parkway Central High School, Parkway School District, for over 25 years and has maintained a private violin studio in suburban St. Louis, Missouri for far longer. Mrs. Crock holds music degrees from SIU-E and Kent State University. She is a graduate of the Suzuki Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan under the tutelage of Shinichi Suzuki, is a SAA Teacher Trainer and is a certified Kodály method instructor. Mrs. Crock has been named the Missouri ASTA Private Studio Teacher of the Year, the Missouri ASTA Secondary String Teacher of the Year, the St Louis Symphony Educator of the Year, St Louis Arts Educator of the Year, the NFHA Outstanding Music Educator of the Midwest, and the ASTA Elizabeth Green National School Educator. She is also a recipient of the Singer Prize for Excellence in Secondary Education. She is the author of publications including the Pattern Play for Strings Series, and with Laurie Scott and William Dick, the Learning Together Series, They have also been the recipients of the SAA Community Learning Award.

The ASA held the Fall Workshop for students on Saturday, Sept 24, 2022 in Phoenix at Orangewood Church, 7321 N 10th St, Phoenix, AZ 85020.

Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar and Voice students from around the state gathered to play music together. Students all had an orchestra class with Amy Bennett and performed western themed music on the final concerts. Other classes included master class and group class. Families also had fun doing line dancing with Kari Weldon after lunch. The day ended with a spectacular concert, fun was had by all!

Here is the Workshop Flier.

Download Workshop Flier Here

February 21 and 28, 2021 on Zoom

ECC is an introduction to Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy and its application to Suzuki education. For parents, teachers, prospective teachers, and others, this course provides an inspiring, in-depth look at the Suzuki approach to teaching and learning.

In addition to exploring the elements of the Suzuki approach and its far-reaching goals, it includes an introduction to learning styles, history of the development of Suzuki education, the role of parents, the importance of Suzuki pedagogical training, and an overview of the SAA’s role in supporting teachers and parents. A fast-paced, engaging and inspiring program, ECC includes video materials and SAA-developed courseware and provides each participant with useful reference materials (manuals) for later study. For teachers, ECC serves as the first course in the Suzuki Association of the Americas’ Teacher Development Program.

Alice Vierra, SAA Teacher Trainer, Cello

Alice Vierra has the perspective of a performer, teacher, teacher trainer, and a Suzuki parent.  She is an SAA registered teacher trainer and has taught students and teachers at Suzuki Institutes and Camps across the country. For 38 years, she was prominent cello teacher in the Washington, DC area whose students have gone on to study at Boston University, Hartt School of Music, Indiana University, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Oberlin, and Yale.  After re-locating to Tucson, she continues to teach both children and adults.  Her students have appeared on the TV program, The Morning Blend, and she led them in a performance with the Tucson Repertory Orchestra. As a performer she has played with the Washington Bach Consort on their tour to Germany, with the Fairfax Symphony, Arlington Symphony, and in various chamber groups at the Corcoran Gallery, Wolf Trap, Kennedy Center, and Washington Cathedral. She served on the board of the Kindler Cello Society and helped organize the seventy-piece cello orchestra led by Yo-Yo Ma which honored Rostropovich at the Kennedy Center Honors event in 1994.  She now serves on the board of the Arizona Suzuki Association and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Arizona. Alice holds a BME from the University of Iowa, and a MM in cello performance from the University of Wisconsin She studied with Carol Work, Charles Wendt, and Lowell Creitz and at the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute with Kenneth Slowik.

GROUP CLASS TECHNIQUES^TM IN CYBERSPACE
An online workshop for teachers

January 16 and 17, 2-5pm, Arizona (MST) on Zoom

Schedule:

Day 1 (3 hours) 

• Zoom features
• Warm-up sequences 
• Playing ‘together’ 
• Group Class Techniques^TM in cyberspace 
• Music reading and music bingo 

Day 2 (3 hours) 

• Further discussion of Day 1 topics 
• Participants present teaching segments based on Day 1 discussion and/or share other ideas for online teaching. 

Carey Beth Hockett has been actively involved in the Suzuki world for more than 40 years. She taught at the Ithaca Talent Education School and then for the London Suzuki Group and is now on the faculty of the Colburn School in Los Angeles. She was a member of the International Suzuki Association’s Cello Committee and served as repertoire consultant to the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music in England and the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. She teaches string pedagogy at the Colburn Conservatory and is the Director of the schools’ Jumpstart String Program.  

April is “Celebrate Spring Suzuki Style” Month!

Throughout the month of April, the Arizona Suzuki Association encouraged studios, families, and/or individuals to pick a date in April, pick a neighborhood location (driveway, porch, backyard, etc), and perform your favorite Suzuki pieces! Snap some pictures and take some videos to share with the ASA and we will celebrate as a state as we view the photos and videos of all of our concerts!

Happy Suzuki Spring to you all!

Voice and strings students of Kari Weldon, Eunice and Christi Ellie perform a Driveway Concert in Chandler with Suzuki voice teacher Masayo Okano and students in Japan on Zoom

Here is a flyer for the event to share with others!