Annual Meetings and Messages from the President

by | Apr 25, 2023 | Uncategorized

Announcements from the President of OSS

2022 Archive
Archive – All previous years
2022 Archive

Invitation to Annual General Meeting 2022

Monday NOVEMBER 14, 7:00 PM

Dear OSS Parents and Teachers,

You are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of Ottawa Suzuki Strings, which will be held on Monday, November 14, 2022, at 7:00pm in the Woodroffe cafeteria.

We need your participation! If you cannot attend, please fill in a Proxy Ballot and submit it prior to the meeting. At this meeting we will present the Financial Report for the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2022, prepared by our accounting firm, OHCD. We will also elect the Board members for the coming year.

Links for the Proxy Ballot form, the Financial Report, Meeting Agenda, and Minutes from last year can be found below.

AGM_Proxy_Ballot_Nov14_2022 

OSS AGM Agenda 2022

OSS AGM Minutes 2021

draft fs Suzuki Strings 2022

After two years of the pandemic, we definitely need a fresh infusion of new Board members. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact me (contact information below).

As usual, there will be time to answer any questions you have about Board-related topics regarding Ottawa Suzuki Strings after the meeting adjourns. I look forward to your input,

Yours truly,
Paul Keen
President, Ottawa Suzuki Strings
paul_keen@carleton.ca

 

Archive – All previous years

Invitation to Annual General Meeting 2021

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 14, 7:30 PM

Dear OSS Parents and Teachers,

You are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of Ottawa Suzuki Strings, which will be held on Sunday, November 14, 2021, at 7:30pm, via an internet connection on Zoom:

https://carleton-ca.zoom.us/j/93926253869

We need your participation! If you cannot attend the Zoom meeting, please fill in a Proxy Ballot and submit it prior to the meeting. At this meeting we will present the Financial Report for the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2021, prepared by our accounting firm, OHCD. We will also elect the Board members for the coming year.

Links for the Proxy Ballot form, the Financial Report, Meeting Agenda, and Minutes from last year can be found below.

If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact me (contact information below).

As usual, there will be time to answer any questions you have about Board-related topics regarding Ottawa Suzuki Strings after the meeting adjourns. I look forward to your input,

Yours truly,
Paul Keen
President, Ottawa Suzuki Strings
paul_keen@carleton.ca

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Annual General Meeting 2020 Invite

November 5, 2020

Invitation to Annual General Meeting, November 15, 2020

Dear OSS Parents and Teachers,

You are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of Ottawa Suzuki Strings, which will be held on Sunday, November 15, 2019, at 7:30pm, via an internet connection on Zoom. I will be sending out an email to all OSS families with the Zoom link and password.

We need your participation at this meeting. If you cannot attend the Zoom meeting, please fill in a Proxy Ballot and submit it prior to the meeting. At this meeting we will present the Financial Report for the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2020, prepared by our accounting firm, OHCD. We will also elect the Board members for the coming year.

If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact me (contact information below). See the Meeting Agenda, and the Minutes to last year’s Annual General Meeting.

The Proxy Ballot form, the Financial Report, Meeting Agenda, and Minutes from last year are all available below.

As usual, after the meeting adjournment, there will be time to answer any questions you have about Board-related topics regarding Ottawa Suzuki Strings. I look forward to meeting you,

Yours truly,
Paul Keen
Acting President, Ottawa Suzuki Strings
paul_keen@carleton.ca

AGM minutes Nov 18 2019
AGM agenda Nov15 2020
AGM_Proxy_Ballot_Nov15_2020
AGM Financial Review Draft 2020

New Interim President of OSS

June 20, 2020

Dear OSS families,

I am writing to introduce myself as the School’s Interim President.  These are challenging times for all arts organizations, but they are also exciting times as we strive to adapt ourselves to the pressures forced on us by COVID-19. As a music community that is defined by our shared creativity and imagination, we are well prepared to face this challenge. I look forward to working closely with our Artistic Director, Elaine Klimasko, with the other members of the Board, our teachers, our administrative staff, and with all of you as we plan for whatever awaits us in 2020-21. One thing we know for sure: we remain committed to delivering the most fulfilling musical education we can, in both our individual and group lessons, as we learn more about what these conditions will be.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer, everyone!

Paul Keen

November 21, 2019

Dear Parents, Teachers, and friends of Ottawa Suzuki Strings,

Thank you for your participation at the recent Annual General Meeting, which was held at Woodroffe High School during group-classes on Monday, November 18, 2019. We have posted here minutes from that meeting, as well as the financial statements for the last fiscal year, which were formally approved at the meeting.

Thanks especially for those who were able to attend the meeting in person. As usual, there was useful discussion, as well as some suggestions that will require follow-through. We hope that we answered most of the questions from those present at the meeting.

My slide presentation is also linked here, as well as some of the results of the recent parent survey, as promised.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we wish a productive and enjoyable school year to all of the students of Ottawa Suzuki Strings.

Yours faithfully,

John Royle
President of the Board of Directors of Ottawa Suzuki Strings
john.royle.1@gmail.com

AGM minutes Nov 18 2019
Financial Review 2019
AGM Presentation_2019_v1
Survey_results_Nov_2019-rotated

October 25, 2019

Invitation to Annual General Meeting, November 18, 2019

Dear OSS Parents,

You are invited to the Annual General Meeting of Ottawa Suzuki Strings, which will be held on Monday, November 18, 2019, at 7pm in the cafeteria at Woodroffe High School.

We need your participation at this meeting. If you cannot attend the meeting in person, please fill in a Proxy Ballot, and give it to the school, either to the duty officer, or else Deanne or Judy, prior to the meeting. There will also be a table outside the cafeteria where you can leave your Proxy Ballot just prior to the meeting.

At this meeting we will present the Financial Report for the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2019, prepared by our accounting firm, OHCD. We will also elect the Board members for the coming year.

If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact me (contact information below). See the Meeting Agenda, and the Minutes to last year’s Annual General Meeting.

The Proxy Ballot form, the Financial Report, Meeting Agenda, and Minutes from last year are all available below.

As usual, after the meeting adjournment, there will be time to answer any questions you have about Board-related topics regarding Ottawa Suzuki Strings. I look forward to meeting you,

Yours truly,

John Royle
President, Ottawa Suzuki Strings
john.royle.1@gmail.com
613-233-6345

AGM minutes Nov 19, 2018
AGM Agenda Nov 18, 2019 v1
AGM Proxy Ballot Nov18, 2019
draft Financial Review 2019

Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year

August 16, 2019

Dear Parents, Teachers, and friends of Ottawa Suzuki Strings,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we hope you have all enjoyed your summer break, and are enthusiastically looking forward to the coming school year.

Over the summer OSS has organized several community events, including outreach activities at several public library branches, and the special music week at the Lowertown Community Centre during July, which was supported by a grant from the Ottawa Community Foundation.  For those children who were able to take advantage of our Summer Camp during August, we hope they are energized to participate in our group-class programs starting in September. During May 2019, the Board filled the one vacant Board position, with the appointment of Christy Harris to our Board. Keep up-to-date with our school emails and website to find out when we will hold our Annual General Meeting, in the late fall 2019 on a Monday evening
during group-classes.

Our Board meetings will start again in early October. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns that the Board can help with. Meanwhile, we wish our children an enjoyable and successful year of music learning, playing, and listening.

Yours faithfully,
John Royle
President of the Board of Directors of Ottawa Suzuki Strings

Annual General Meeting 2018 Update 2

November 28, 2018

Dear Parents, Teachers, and friends of Ottawa Suzuki Strings,

Thank you for your participation at the recent Annual General Meeting, which was held at Woodroffe High School during group-classes on Monday, November 19, 2018. We have posted here draft minutes from that meeting, as well as the financial statements for the last fiscal year, which were formally approved at the meeting.

Thanks especially for those who were able to attend the meeting in person. There was lively discussion, and ideas brought up by parents which will require follow-through during the rest of this school year.

Kind regards,

John Royle
President of the Board of Directors of Ottawa Suzuki Strings

john.royle.1@gmail.com

AGM_Financial_Review_2018
AGM draft minutes Nov 19_2018

Annual General Meeting 2018 Update

November 21, 2018

Dear Parents, Teachers, and friends of Ottawa Suzuki Strings,

Thank you for your participation at the recent Annual General Meeting, which was held at Woodroffe High School during group-classes on Monday, November 20, 2018. We will post draft minutes from the meeting when they become available. In the meantime, we have posted here the financial statements for the last fiscal year, which were formally approved at the meeting.

Thanks especially for those who were able to attend the meeting in person. There was lively discussion, and ideas brought up by parents which will require follow-through during the rest of this school year.

Kind regards,

John Royle
President of the Board of Directors of Ottawa Suzuki Strings

john.royle.1@gmail.com

AGM_Financial_Review_2018

Annual General Meeting 2018 Invite

Dear OSS Parents, Teachers, and friends of Ottawa Suzuki Strings,

I am happy to invite you to the Annual General Meeting of Ottawa Suzuki Strings, which will be held on Monday, November 19, 2018, at 7pm in the cafeteria at Woodroffe High School.

We need your participation at this meeting. If you cannot attend the meeting in person, please fill in a Proxy Ballot, and give it to the school, either to the duty officer, or else Deanne or Judy, prior to the meeting. There will also be a table outside the cafeteria where you can leave your Proxy Ballot just prior to the meeting.

At this meeting we will present the Financial Report for the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2018, prepared by our accounting firm, OHCD. We will also elect the Board members for the coming year.

If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact me (contact information below). See the Meeting Agenda, and the Minutes to last year’s Annual General Meeting.

The Proxy Ballot form, the Financial Report, Meeting Agenda, and Minutes from last year are all available below.

As usual, after the meeting adjournment, there will be time to answer any questions you have about Board-related topics regarding Ottawa Suzuki Strings. I look forward to meeting you,

Yours truly,

John Royle
President, Ottawa Suzuki Strings
john.royle.1@gmail.com
613-233-6345

AGM minutes Nov13_2017
AGM_Agenda_Nov19_2018_v1
AGM_Financial_Review_2018
AGM_Proxy_Ballot_Nov19_2018

AGM – 2017

Dear OSS Parents, Teachers, and other Corporation Members,

The Annual General Meeting of Ottawa Suzuki Strings was held on Monday, November 13, 2017. Thank you to those of you who attended and participated at the meeting, as well as to those who completed Proxy forms.

See below for some of the information about the meeting, including a draft copy of the Meeting Minutes, and the Financial Report for the previous fiscal year, which was approved at the meeting.

Yours truly,

John Royle
President, Ottawa Suzuki Strings

john.royle.1@gmail.com
613-233-6345

Links to 2017 documents:

DRAFT AGM minutes Nov 13, 2017
AGM Financial Report 2017

Was Auer the greatest teacher of them all?

by | Apr 14, 2023 | resources, Teacher's Corner

Was Auer the greatest teacher of them all?

Leopold Auer is remembered as one of the most important pedagogues of the violin, and was one of the most sought-after teachers for gifted pupils. Many famous virtuoso violinists were among his pupils, including Mischa Elman, Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, Toscha Seidel, Efrem Zimbalist,  Paul Stassevitch, and Sasha Lasserson. Auer also taught the young Clara Rockmore,[6] who later became one of the world’s foremost exponents of the theremin.
Like pianist Franz Liszt in his teaching, Auer did not focus on technical matters with his students. Instead, he guided their interpretations and concepts of music. If a student ran into a technical problem, Auer did not offer any solutions. Neither was he inclined to pick up a bow to demonstrate a passage. Nevertheless, he was a stickler for technical accuracy. Fearing to ask Auer themselves, many students turned to each other for help. (Paradoxically, in the years before 1900 when Auer focused more closely on technical details, he did not turn out any significant students.)

While Auer valued talent, he considered it no excuse for lack of discipline, sloppiness or absenteeism. He demanded punctual attendance. He expected intelligent work habits and attention to detail. Lessons were as grueling as recital performances—in fact, the two were practically identical.

In lieu of weekly lessons, students were required to bring a complete movement of a major work. This usually demanded more than a week to prepare. Once a student felt ready to play this work, he had to inscribe his name 10 days prior to the class meeting. The student was expected to have his instrument concert ready and to be dressed accordingly. An accompanist was provided. An audience watched—comprised not only of students and parents, but also often of distinguished guests and prominent musicians. Auer arrived for the lesson punctually; everything was supposed to be in place by the time he arrived. During the lesson, Auer would walk around the room, observing, correcting, exhorting, scolding, shaping the interpretation. “We did not dare cross the threshold of the classroom with a half-ready performance,” one student remembered.

Admission to Auer’s class was a privilege won by talent. Remaining there was a test of endurance and hard work. Auer could be stern, severe, harsh. One unfortunate student was ejected regularly, with the music thrown after him. Auer valued musical vitality and enthusiasm. He hated lifeless, anemic playing and was not above poking a bow into a student’s ribs, demanding more “krov.” (The word literally means “blood” but can also be used to mean fire or vivacity.)
While Auer pushed his students to their limits, he also remained devoted to them. He remained solicitous of their material needs. He helped them obtain scholarships, patrons and better instruments. He used his influence in high government offices to obtain residence permits for his Jewish students. He shaped his students’ personalities. He gave them style, taste, musical breeding. He also broadened their horizons. He made them read books, guided their behavior and career choices and polish their social graces. He also insisted that his students learn a foreign language if an international career was expected.

Even after a student started a career, Auer would watch with a paternal eye. He wrote countless letters of recommendation to conductors and concert agents. When Mischa Elman was preparing for his London debut, Auer traveled there to coach him. He also continued work with Efrem Zimbalist and Kathleen Parlow after their debuts.

The Bermuda Triangle

by | Feb 1, 2018 | resources, Teacher's Corner

Teacher’s Corner:     

by Megan Graham

The Suzuki Triangle should not be confused with the Bermuda Triangle. Unlike the Bermuda Triangle where everybody gets lost, the Suzuki Triangle makes sure everybody stays on board and is equally confident in navigating the course ahead.

The Suzuki Triangle has three key participants: the teacher, the parent, and the student. The relationships among these participants must be cultivated and nurtured from the beginning of the musical journey. The relationship between me and my student develops organically over time; together we push and pull until we find our own way of relating to one another. There are sparks of playful creativity, happy accomplishment, and joyful playing between student and teacher. Learning to make music can be so much fun when student and teacher ‘click.’

From my perspective as a teacher, the parent is an essential partner in making each lesson successful. A parent’s work with the student throughout the week is a determining factor in the success of the next lesson. The parent is my ally and vice versa. If I do my job, I am able to translate the playful stories, practice cues and tips into tools that the parent can take home and integrate in to the practice routine for the other six days when I am not there. I consider the lesson even more successful when the parent and student are able to tell me how the ideas worked over the week and how they adapted to work for their home practice. I endeavour to raise both skillful students and skillful parents.

As a teacher, I am also well aware that practicing at home can be a challenge. The Suzuki Method puts a great responsibility on parents to be “at home teachers” for their children. Teachers know this job is not always easy. What do you do when your child refuses to practice? How do you get them to practice properly with the posture, bow hold, and intonation points that the teacher will evaluate at the next lesson? How do you handle your own frustration when the suggestion of practice precipitates a child’s meltdown on or off the instrument? What is the appropriate balance between work and play for your child’s music education, so they develop a love for music? And how on earth are you going to fit in practice every day with your already packed schedule and a tired child?

Fortunately, Ottawa Suzuki Strings has a wonderful community for support. Parents can talk to other parents about solutions to common challenges (everyone has been there!). Parents also have access to faculty members who have new ideas and innovative solutions (many of which have been passed along by past students and parents and other teachers).

For those parents who want to tap into an even broader community of support, the Suzuki Association of the Americas has a launched a fabulous program called, “Parents as Partners.”  You can talk with your studio teacher about possibly doing this as a group, or register on your own. You do  not have to be an SAA member to access this program. https://suzukiassociation.org/ parents-as-partners/ registration/

The Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) has a lot of interesting free information on their website: https://suzukiassociation.org/

Musical Memorization and Setting Priorites

by | Jan 25, 2018 | resources, Teacher's Corner

Teacher’s Corner:     by Adam Cicchillitti

The Importance of Musical Memorization and Setting Priorities for Long-Term Learning

As most of you already know, memorizing music is fundamental to the Suzuki philosophy. Suzuki students are expected to recall a larger and larger amount of musical information as they grow older and gain experience through the process of reviewing older pieces while learning new pieces. It may seem like common sense at first, but when I was first introduced to the Suzuki method five years ago I had never made the conscious connection between the importance of reviewing music and learning new pieces simultaneously as a pedagogical practice, it was just something I did naturally. I cannot stress enough the importance of this duality. I will explain how this continues to be an important daily routine for me after over twenty years of playing guitar.

Though there are several applications of memorization and review in a plethora of fields, I will speak to you from the perspective of a professional musician. I have just completed my first semester as a doctoral student at McGill University. These first four months required a delicate balance of scheduling, practicing, performing, recording, teaching and writing. I am required to set short and long-term goals on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to ensure that I stay on top of all my work. I set these targets to prevent myself from getting overwhelmed throughout the course of the year and my musical memory plays a crucial role.

Currently I am working on two hours of repertoire for recitals in the spring, all of which must be memorized. Naturally, I have to approach my daily guitar practice with a plan. Not only do I need to attend seminars at McGill and teach nearly twenty students at OSS, but I just finished recording an album of Spanish guitar with Analekta and am currently preparing a doctoral recital of contemporary solo and chamber music. The only conceivable way for me to manage this large amount of music is to ensure that every day I have an idea of what deadlines are looming in the short and long term. As a result, I dedicate a portion of my practice to memorization of new material and then an even larger amount of time to review of recently-memorized material. Once I am satisfied with my progress, I begin reviewing older music and then alternate between improvisation, sight-reading, technique and composing, not necessarily in that order.

There is no way to “cram” in music. Musical memorization requires repetition over long periods of time as our brains need rest in order to consolidate the information that has been learned. It takes time for our brains to transfer learned motor behaviours from the short to the long-term memory-centers of our brains. This is why it is paramount that children develop the habit of memorizing from an early age so that it becomes just as normal as all of their other routines. Try consciously making memorization of new music a part of your child’s weekly practice schedule if you aren’t doing this already. If you are, work on bigger and bigger chunks and set more ambitious goals as your child becomes increasingly comfortable. Speak with your teacher about activities that encourage memorization and concentration and implement them as often as you can. I myself am constantly balancing new and old music just like a beginner Suzuki student.

Here is a link to my video of Tonadilla: