Suzuki Talent Education of Pasadena Bulletin Board

It seemed like a crazy idea back in the fall, when I asked Pamela Wiley to bring her group of violin students from Charleston, South Carolina, all the way across the country to our Suzuki group's first-ever Fiddle Fest in Pasadena, California, in January.

Pam has been working closely with fiddling legend, Mark O'Connor, giving teaching workshops on how to teach his new American Violin Method. We already had North Carolina fiddler Pattie Hopkins coming, wouldn't it be perfect if Pam and her students could help us all get going on Mark's new method?

Pam said yes, and we at Suzuki Talent Education of Pasadena did a little jig and got to work. We taught our students a number of Mark O'Connor fiddle tunes in addition to their Suzuki repertoire, and we also invited students and teachers from all over the region to join us for "Suzuki Fiddle Fest 2011."

Pam, her husband John and a dozen of their students (the Hungry Monk Fiddlers) boarded a plane last Thursday (braving snow, airport closures, etc.) and arrived in Pasadena, where the weather was 70 degrees and sunny.

On Saturday, we had one very fun Fiddle Fest! About 150 students representing more than 30 teachers participated. Students of all ages (yes, three-year-olds through adults) and levels (from "Pre-Twinkle" all the way through the Suzuki books) took fiddle and Suzuki classes, ate giant pizzas, did skills-test games, square-danced and finally took the stage together and played in one very large group concert.

We kicked off the day by listening to Pam's group, who showed us right away that kids can improvise. They'd play a tune, then launch right into a jam session. One person would improvise while the others kept the chord progression going by chopping.

I taught a Book 4-5 Suzuki repertoire class in the morning, then spent the rest of the day going from class to class and making sure everything was running smoothly. They mostly did, though we had to evacuate the auditorium when the sound board started smoking! (Must have been our red-hot fiddlin'!) All was well, though, it was a gorgeous day to hold class outside:

I stopped in to watch fiddler Pattie Hopkins, who was having kids "duel." She picked a group of four students, and one would play harmony, one would "chop" and the other two would try to out-do each other improvising. Of course they were a little shy at first, but they got into the spirit!

Pamela explained in one class that "improvising isn't just making things up." Instead, one changes some things and leaves other things the same. You might change the rhythm, but leave the melody basically the same. Or change the melody and use the same rhythm. Or, maybe a bit more complicated: the melody changes but the chordal structure stays the same.

Students did not find it difficult to improvise, given parameters in which to do so. For example: play a repeated pattern differently, substitute a scale for an arpeggio, change an ending. But it isn't just free-form, dropping into the abyss. It's reassuring to know that!

Pamela sat under a tree and taught a group of upper-book students how to play the "Sugarfoot Rag." They learned the same way old-time fiddlers always have: bit by bit, completely by ear. The students were playing the tune before anyone realized they'd learned it without any music in front of them.

After lunch, Pattie Hopkins gave a concert with pianist Ben Salisbury and guitarist Hazel Ketchum. Students and teachers alike enjoyed hearing the talents of a professional fiddler who has a lot of fun tools in her arsenal for improv!

Patti Hopkins

After lunch, square dance caller Dale Hoppers led kids, parents and teachers in the chicken dance, Hokey-Pokey and much more.

We also held an "Olympics," at which students of varying levels visited stations and had to perform certain techniques, like transposing "Perpetual Motion" into different positions, or naming all the first-finger notes in first position, or for beginners, balancing a little ball on the violin so that it lays flat. Once students performed five tasks correctly, they each received a "medal." I happened to be at the "Pre-Twinkle" Olympics when everyone finished. Then teacher Nonie Reesor led them in some fun stuff, here's a little sample (you can see me way over on the right):

We all took the stage together at the end of the day for a massive "play-in," as we call such concerts in Suzuki circles. We played both Suzuki and Mark O'Connor's American music -- a nice combination!

Pam will be offering teacher training in Charleston, S.C. at the beginning of August at Mark O'Connor's first-ever camp for kids, called the O'Connor Method Camp.

Here are some related links about Fiddle Fest:

Story in the Pasadena Star News

Photo gallery in the Pasadena Star-News

Pictures taken by Brian Niles

Pictures taken by David Scheidemantle

Suzuki Fiddle Fest 2011 -- Y'all Come Out and Play!
Fiddle friends unite! We're having a big shindig in Pasadena, and violin, viola and cello students of all levels are invited!

Suzuki Talent Education of Pasadena invites you to Suzuki Fiddle Fest 2011, a day of fiddlin', friends and fun in Pasadena, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on January 15 at Wilson Middle School, 300 S. Madre St., Pasadena, CA 91107.

What music will you need to know? We'll be playing music from the Suzuki Books and also from the new Mark O'Connor Violin Method books. Please click here for a printable page with the repertoire list. We'll have classes for young beginners through advanced students.

After you get your schedule and we have a big Howdy Meetin', the day will begin with fiddle and repertoire classes, featuring out-of-town guests Pam Wiley and Pattie Hopkins. Pam is a fiddle teacher who is Mark O'Connor's right-hand gal when it comes to the Mark O'Connor Violin Method, and Pattie is a fiddler who has played with bands like Jeff Bates, Percy Sledge, Lorrie Morgan, Delbert McClinton, Ronnie Milsap, Leon Russell, John Anderson, The Oak Ridge Boys, B.J. Thomas, Ray Price, Sammy Kershaw, Charlie Daniels Band, California Transit Authority, .38 Special, and more.

Pizza lunch is included, and after lunch we'll have Square Dancing and String Olympics (win a medal for your violin technique!), followed by a big concert featuring all of us!

Make sure to register soon, payment for this whole day of fun is just $50 if you get us your registration by Nov. 1; $60 by Dec. 1, and $70 by Jan. 1. How do you register? Fill out the bottom of this form and send it with a check to the address you see on the big yellow page!

Y'all come out and play! See you there!

Here is a map to Wilson Middle School, where we'll hold our Fiddle Fest:

View Larger Map

ATTENTION TEACHERS! On Sunday, January 16, 2011, Pamela Wiley will give a morning workshop on the new Mark O'Connor Method. The workshop will take place 9:30 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m. at 1375 Hull Lane, Altadena, CA, 91101. Registration fee is $40. To register, please download this flyer and send in the registration at the bottom. Happy fiddling!

Tour Group Performs at San Francisco Giants Game
Suzuki Talent Education of Pasadena (STEP) Tour Group performs at the San Francisco Giants game at AT&T Park, August 23, 2010.

It's not the first time STEP Tour Group has played at a professional ball game; on May 2, 2009, the Tour Group performed the Star Spangled Banner at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Game. Besides having a fantastic time performing, we had a blast at the game! We even got to 'High 5' Tremor, the Quakes mascot! Tour Group Rocks!

Cultural Celebration with Göran Berg
Do you need some inspiration to help with your New Year's resolution to practice more? We have just the solution, a day with the very fun, very inspiring violin teacher, Göran Berg. Many of our students and faculty have worked with this wonderful teacher before, and he was such an inspiration that we invited him to come to Pasadena, along with a group of his students from Livermore, California.

The event, our day-long Suzuki Cultural Exchange, is in just a few weeks, on January 17 at Wilson Middle School, 300 Madre St. (Just south of Del Mar St.)

Please sign up if you have not already! Here is the registration form and also the flyer. It will be a great way to get warmed up for our trip to Disneyland, which is the next day.