|
 Our Review Challenge Pledge-A-Thon will run for four weeks from September 1 – 30 with the goal to raise $5,000 to help achieve the vision of ISA. This upcoming year, fundraising efforts are being allocated to studio improvements for the future growth of ISA, including extensive soundproofing work.
The purpose of this challenge is to inspire students to new heights and raise awareness of the ISA’s mission among people outside of current students. Be on the lookout for more details from your private teacher, and get ready to “raise your ability on a piece you can play.”
0 Comments
 The story of Dr. Suzuki is familiar to the members of our ISA community ~ a humanitarian with a lifelong passion to help all children realize their potential. But diving deeper into the legacy of this man, his passion and his legacy can inspire Suzuki parents and teachers alike.
This summer, four of our faculty had the opportunity to hear this story come alive at the Suzuki Association of the Americas convention in Minneapolis, MN. Teachers and professionals from around North America gathered to learn more, be inspired, and encourage each other in their Suzuki teaching. The most powerful part of the convention was hearing teachers share their first hand stories of studying with Dr. Suzuki in Japan. Dr. Suzuki was very focused on inclusion, compassion and life force or ‘ki.’ He wanted to be fully engaged with each person he encountered and he intentionally focused his energy on the whole person, so that each person was really seen, heard and understood. He wholeheartedly believed that each person could become a better human being. “To study is to change,” was a key mantra he espoused. He believed in pursuing change in ourselves. He worked to help each child to develop awareness, and intuitiveness of observation. This sensitivity and awareness of self would lead to growth and change in each child. If we can continue to focus on sensitivity to the environment around us, and develop intuition and awareness, there is no limit to what we can nurture in our children. The Board of Directors is looking forward to a great 2018-19 Academic Year. Student enrollment has increased 30% since last year, and with our Suzuki-inspired school programs, we will serve over 225 students this year. Our Faculty is excited for a great year of collaborations with such fine organizations as Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and IndyBaroque. We are also pleased to continue our relationship with the Indianapolis Cello school to expand our Chamber Music Program for students. Be on the lookout for more details coming soon about these exciting collaborative experiences for your students.
While the ISA’s Lilly Grant Application did not advance into the final round of consideration, the Board and staff are committed to pursuing additional funding through other grants. Our goal is to ensure the ISA will continue to flourish and serve many generations to come. The ISA is fortunate to receive continued support from the Indiana Youth Institute for consulting work in the areas of strategic planning and funding our vision.
 Please join us in congratulating faculty member, Jessica Wiersma, violin, who has accepted a position with the national tour of Hamilton. Ms. Jessica has been a valuable member of our ISA faculty since 2016, and we will miss her immensely. Her dedication to excellence and her commitment to her students have been so valuable to the ISA, and we are grateful for all Ms. Jessica has done for the ISA. Congratulations, Ms. Jessica!
We are pleased to announce that Ms. Yuri Uchida, current ISA Violin Faculty, will be able to take over for Ms. Jessica's students and teaching. Ms. Yuri is a violinist with extensive knowledge in performance and teaching. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree at Northwestern University with Almita Vamos. During her senior year, she won a two-year fellowship with Civic Orchestra of Chicago, training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, serving as Assistant Principal Second Violin in her second year. She went on to obtain her Master of Music degree after the fellowship with Sibbi Bernhardsson, violinist from the Pacifica Quartet, where she was the recipient of the Jacob School of Music Scholarship Award and the Artistic Excellence Award. During her time at Indiana, she received Beginning/Intermediate Violin training with the renowned Mimi Zweig and taught her String Academy students as well as her professor’s pre-college students. In the summer seasons, Yuri has traveled all over the world to participated in number of festivals, such as Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Music Festival, Litomysl Masterclasses in Czech Republic by Milan Vitek from Oberlin Conservatory, the QuartetFest in Victoria, BC, and Astona International in Zurich, Switzerland. She has also played in masterclasses by renowned violinists and professors, such as Rachel Barton Pine, Shmuel Ashkenazi, Paul Kantor, and William van der Sloot. Yuri completed her ECC Training in Deerfield, IL, her Suzuki Book 1 with Linda Stieg, and Suzuki Book 2 with Esther Fellows. Currently, she resides in Indianapolis and can be seen performing regularly with major ensembles such as Nashville Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra |
RSS Feed