Tuesday, August 15, 2023 by Liana Goldsmith | Uncategorized

This past week, my family and I attended SOSI (Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute) in Waterloo, Ontario.

I thought to write a brief blog post about our experience, as this was the first time for my children. 

Many, many years ago, I spent a week every summer with my family at SOSI (which originally was held at the University of Guelph). A Suzuki kid at heart, I knew that I wanted to give my children the opportunity to experience the beautiful, positive energy and motivation experienced at Suzuki institutes across the globe. 

Suzuki Institutes are held in different parts of the world for all students to come together to make music together, to study with Master Teachers and to share musical experiences. Often, they are held on a university campus, where many people opt to stay in on-campus housing, to be close to classes. Children meet other children who study music, as they do. Parents meet other parents who have similar values and can share experiences (or struggles!) and get new ideas or solutions for how to better support our children through their musical journey. 

The week is gruelling and intense, with classes from 8 in the morning until 4-ish in the afternoon. There are parent talks, concerts and social events in the evenings. The basic program includes a daily private lesson in a masterclass format, a group class and either a reading class or orchestra. Many institutes often offer enrichment classes offering students a chance to discover different aspects of playing such as Viola for Violinists, Fiddling, Chamber Music, Improvisation, Choir or Percussion. This institute even has a musical. This year, the musical was The Emoji Musical. 

Throughout the week, there are student recitals after lunch. There are many recitals on Friday, as it is the last day. There is also a Final Concert where all string students present the works they have been reviewing or working on in group class and orchestra. It is an uplifting moment where everyone makes beautiful music together. As a Suzuki kid, a part of me is always longing to grab my violin and join them!

My children took the time to revisit the basics such as bow hold, posture and position with a new instrument (both of them!) and tone. They conquered challenges that had been plaguing them for the whole year. They felt seen, heard and respected by their amazing teachers, who in only a week were able to reach them, understand them, motivate them. They made new friends, developed closer friendships with other children from their home studio and left with fresh energy and motivation for the year to come. 

It *is* as tiring as it all sounds, but by the end of the week, we have all filled our practice strategy and motivation buckets to the max, making this busy week a very worthwhile sacrifice. It was a strategic choice to come to SOSI, as it is in mid-August, thus, setting our family up for a productive and positive musical academic year. My hope is that my children will take home fresh motivation and new practice strategies that they can use throughout the year to progress on their instruments. As a mom to two pre-teen boys, any help is more than welcome! 

As a Suzuki violin teacher, it is also a great opportunity for me to recharge my teaching battery and to gather new ideas to bring new energy into my studio for the year to come. Observing Master Teachers teaching is a large part of teacher development in the Suzuki method. I take elaborate notes and make lists of ideas to try in the coming months, years and more! It is a beautiful experience. I recommend it to all my Suzuki families!