The Academy values the importance of our teacher’s professional development. Because of this, the Faculty Enrichment Fund annually provides partial and full reimbursement for teachers to attend conferences, workshops, and teacher training sessions. 

Our violin teaching artist, Hannah Price, recently partook in Suzuki Method training. The online training included 8 hours of instruction over two days, providing foundational education on the Suzuki method – its philosophy, big-picture approach, and the educational approaches that make it effective:

“I’m a Suzuki kid – I grew up on the method and was immersed in it from the age of 2 until about 14. Now that I’m a professional musician and a teacher, it was curiosity and a drive for teaching excellence that compelled me to take the first step in Suzuki training. I wanted to learn more about my own training and be able to provide the same foundation of learning for my students. 

I can say with confidence that my inaugural Suzuki training provided me that, and more. It was both informative and affirming for me as a teacher, and also provided me the perspective I was looking for. I explored, in depth, the “every child can” philosophy and unpacked what it means to me: every child has the ability to learn music, and there’s a lot of other support that must come from the child’s environment and from their parents that makes that exponential learning possible. I rediscovered my teaching philosophy, redefined my educational goals, and found clarity on how I can cultivate a studio of students who are hardworking, kind, dedicated and creative individuals. And I owe a lot of thanks to the Academy’s faculty enrichment fund for making that possible for me.”

Hannah Price