At our parent night on Tuesday, January 10, I had a chance to talk with many of you about opportunities for learning and performing in the St. Louis area beyond.  Thank you so much to all of you who came out!   I wanted to take an opportunity to provide everyone with a summary of the opportunities that we talked about that night, and links to get more information and sign up for anything you might be interested in doing.

Local Performing Opportunities

Opportunities to perform in front of an audience are such an important and irreplaceable part of developing as a musician.  Throughout the semester and over the summer, parents in our program will be coordinating performing opportunities at Mari De Villa and Parc Provence.  If you would be interested in signing up to play, please email me at bradleytkay@gmail.com or kirbyakay@gmail.com and we can help you get set up!

Local Workshops and Camps

Music workshops and camps give students a wonderful opportunity to engage in a fun, intensive learning experience and walk away with new ideas, new ability, renewed energy, and a lot of excitement.

On March 4-5, Southern Illinois University’s Suzuki Program will be hosting their bi-annual Suzuki Workshop.  Faculty assembled from across the Midwest will come to work with students here in the St. Louis area.  Registration is now open!  Don’t wait to sign up!

And on June 5-9, students from our program and several others in the St. Louis area will be gathering for the Sprunger Violin Camp in Kirkwood, MO.  The camp will meet each morning that week, and students will work on theory, rhythm, technique, repertoire, and performance with wonderful teachers in a fun environment.  Right in our neck of the woods, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of!

Summer Suzuki Institutes

This summer, Kirby and I will be participating in three Suzuki Institutes across the U.S. – The Colorado Suzuki Institute, the Chicago Suzuki Institute, and the American Suzuki Institute.  We encourage you to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience.

The Colorado Suzuki Institute runs two sessions – June 12-17 and 19-24 – of which you can participate in one or both!  The Institute is located in the beautiful resort at Beaver Creek, CO and features some of the best Suzuki teachers from around the country as well as limitless activities for students and families alike!

The Chicago Suzuki Institute runs from July 2-7.  Located on Chicago’s North Shore, this relatively new and quickly-growing Institute affords students access to exceptional Suzuki teachers, private lessons, group classes, chamber rehearsals, and orchestras.  A quick drive or train ride takes you right to downtown Chicago where you can enjoy all of the cities sights.

The American Suzuki Institute also runs two sessions – July 16-22 and 23-29.  You can take part in one or both.  The Institute is located on the college campus of the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, near the Wisconsin Dells and tons of amazing outdoors activities and opportunities.

The earlier you register for any of these Institutes, the lower your registration costs will be and the greater your chances will be to receive a scholarship.  Please feel free to let Kirby or me know about any questions you may have.  We’ve had more and more students joining us at Institutes each summer, and we would love to have that tradition continue this year!