Dear SuzukiMusic Families, 

Welcome to another year with SuzukiMusic! This year’s theme is Suzuki Seedlings: Celebrating Each Small Step. 

I love caring for my plants. Watching them grow brings me so much joy and satisfaction. Nurturing children through music is similar in many ways, as Dr. Suzuki also noticed: 

“Don’t hurry, don’t rest — without stopping, without haste — carefully taking one step forward at a time will surely get you there. With patience and repetition, the seed blossoms.”  

Equipping the Gardener 

Without the proper knowledge and tools, it’s hard for gardeners to nurture their plants. Our first Parent Talk will provide our Parent Gardeners with many strategies for nurturing their Suzuki Seedlings during practice. In January, Chela will host another Parent Talk in a Q&A format. Bonus: the SAO Planting the Seed Series! 

Sowing Seeds 

How exciting it is to gently place a seed in the soil — it holds so much potential within such a small body! We’re excited to return to the NAC for another instrument petting zoo — stop by to hear some of our Suzuki Seedlings share their music! You can also sow your own Suzuki Seeds through our referral program and earn a $50 refund! 

Waiting for the first sprout and celebrating each step 

…can sometimes feel like an eternity, but rest assured, it’s growing a strong root system beneath the surface. The beginning of a young child’s musical journey can be very much akin to this experience, so, new Suzuki Gardeners: trust and enjoy the process! Our regular events (Play-In, Studio Recitals etc) are all chances to celebrate each small step, nurturing both seedling and gardener! 

Regular and continued nourishment 

“With patience and repetition the seed blossoms,” but that doesn’t mean our job as gardeners is over! Even mature plants need care. That’s why we’re starting a chamber music program for our senior students — providing these seedlings with the musical nourishment they deserve and recognizing their hard-earned achievements.

Companion planting 

Just as plants thrive in a supportive community, so do our Suzuki Seedlings. Join us for the Beginning of Year Picnic to connect with fellow families, sharing music and snacks. At the Suzuki Association of Ontario Conference Root Connections in November, our students, faculty and families can be a part of a province-wide cross-pollination and reconnect with our Suzuki roots — register today! 

I’m so much looking forward to this year — I hope you are too! 

Sincerely, 

Emma Grant-Zypchen 

Welcome back to another school year of wonderful music and community! Your faculty are working diligently to ensure that this school year is as memorable as the last! I hope that you are looking forward to this school year as well. If you are a returning parent it is great to see you back! If you are a new parent to the school, welcome and I hope that you feel supported in your musical journey as a Suzuki parent.

A reminder to all that as a not for profit, we rely on your volunteer hours to ensure the smooth operation of group classes and concerts. If you are interested in providing your talents to the school, please consider joining the Board. 

Hope to see you at group classes soon!

Hubert Furey

President, Board of Directors

This Saturday September 21st from 10am-12pm we will be hosting a 

Beginning-of-Year Kickoff Social: Sharing Music and Snacks in the Park for all of our SuzukiMusic community! This event will be a casual opportunity for us all to reconnect after the summer, meet some new families and enjoy sharing some music, snacks and time in the park! 

• Bring your friends, families and furry creatures, or just your wonderful self! 
• Bring your instrument to play some Suzuki tunes (no need to prepare anything in advance) or just relax and listen! 
• Bring games to play, if you like! 
• Bring folding chairs or a picnic blanket for your family.
• Bring snacks and/or drinks to share, or just enjoy what others have brought! 
• Stay for the full 2 hours, or just drop by for a few minutes! 

Location: Britannia Park. Park at the Britannia Beach Parking lot - see photo - we will be between the beach and the parking lot. Look for our Orange SuzukiMusic banner. 

Rain date: Sunday September 22nd, 10am-12pm 

RSVP (not required, but appreciated): by writing in this doc.

On Saturday September 28th at 10AM, Ursa Meyer, one of our violin/viola faculty and Headstart teacher, will be presenting on the topic “Practicing with Children with Busy Minds.” 

This will be a hybrid presentation. Parents can either attend in person at Ursa's studio at 426 Blake Blvd. or from home via Zoom. 

Please contact Ursa at ursameyermusicstudio@gmail.com to get more information, rsvp for in-person attendance and to get the zoom link for virtual attendance.

Our faculty and our collaborative pianist, Liko Yamane, are getting ready for our annual Faculty Benefit Concert. This is always a very special event; a chance for students and their families to see their own teachers in performance while supporting our Bursary fund. 

Our faculty and Liko donate their time to rehearse and perform for this special concert. 

This is a pay what you can event with all proceeds going to our Bursary fund in support of students who needs some financial assistance to continue their music studies.

Save the date and spread the word!

Sunday October 27th 3 PM

Bells Corners United Church

3955 Old Richmond Rd, Ottawa, ON, K2H 5C5

The Government of Canada Workplace Charity Campaign(GCWCC)  is on now and is a great way for SuzukiMusic members and friends who are Public Servants to support our school.

Through the GCWCC, public servants can support any registered Canadian charity of their choosing, including our school. Our special thanks to those of you who have chosen to direct your donations toward SuzukiMusic.

SuzukiMusic is a non-profit corporation and registered charity. 892776378RR0001

Headstart registration for the 2024-2025 school year continues. Thank you for spreading the word among your families and friends with children between the age of 2 and 5 who may be interested in this wonderful introduction to music concepts and the instruments we teach at our school.

Please click here for more information and to register: 



We are excited to offer our senior-level SuzukiMusic students (Books 4 and above) the opportunity to participate in this year’s chamber music program!

Students will be grouped in ensembles of 2-5 members based on their playing level and age. Each group will work towards a performance in February or March, guided by coachings with Sonya Matoussova.

Eligibility: Open to any SuzukiMusic student, all instruments, at a Book 4 level or higher

Registration: To register, please email Emma at artistic@suzukimusic.ca. The registration deadline is November 11th.

Cost: $75 per student. Payment should be made via e-transfer to info@suzukimusic.ca.

Repertoire: Sonya Matoussova, in consultation with students’ private teachers, will select pieces appropriate for each group’s level. If your child has specific repertoire requests, please let us know, and we will try to accommodate them. Students will receive sheet music and a reference recording before the winter break, so that they have ample time to prepare for their first coaching session in January.

Coaching Sessions: Each group will have five 1-hour coaching sessions with Sonya between January and March. These sessions will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time, preferably on Fridays or Saturdays, at Sonya’s teaching location in the Blossom Park area. While we will make every effort to accommodate students’ schedules, participation may be declined if a suitable time cannot be arranged.

Performance Opportunities: Each ensemble will perform at the Ensembles Concert in February and/or the Family and Friends Concert in March. There may also be additional community outreach performance opportunities later in the school year.



Please note: If insufficient registrations are received by November 11th, all fees will be fully refunded.

The Suzuki Association of Ontario Conference takes place in Ottawa this year!

Student Day takes place on Saturday November 2nd at Ottawa U. There will be no classes at Canterbury that day so that all students can attend the conference. 

Student day is for ALL students - beginner to advanced, guitar, violin, viola, and cello. 

Why is this a special day for students?

The Suzuki children and teens will

• have the chance to learn from different highly experienced teachers from across Ontario
• meet other Suzuki kids from across the region
• be introduced to new/different ideas
• experience the fun of learning and playing together
• enjoy the fun side of music learning through a choice of enrichment activities - a choice of a Dalcroze (music and movement) workshop, a percussion workshop or an improvisation workshop.
• be energized about learning music

Each student will receive 3 hours of high level music instruction - they will experience a Suzuki group class, a play in and an enrichment class. They will have the chance to learn from teachers and connect with students from different schools across Ontario.

Please click here for more information and registration instructions.

Some photos from the last time the SAO conference was in Ottawa back in 2016:

Kickoff Social in the Park

Saturday Sept 21, 2024, 10-12 PM

Britannia Park

New Parent Orientation

Thursday October 2nd, 6-8 PM

email ursameyermusicstudio@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

First Group Class

Saturday October 19th

Canterbury HS

Faculty Benefit Concert

Sunday October 27th, 3 PM

Bells Corners United Church, 3955 Old Richmond Rd, Nepean, ON K2H 5C5

Annual General Meeting

Saturday October Date/Time TBD

Canterbury HS

Join the Suzuki Association of Ontario this fall for Planting the Seed: Growing the Suzuki Triangle. This 4-part online series is for Suzuki families and teachers. Each session will have a presentation and discussion providing valuable resources for all Suzuki families. 

You will receive an automated reminder before each event with the Zoom link. 

You can sign up for individual sessions or for the whole series. The Series subscription includes a one-year subscribing membership to the SAO, the SAO Newsletter (now 8 issues per year) connecting Suzuki families and teachers to the Suzuki community, and access to all session recordings and associated materials until August 31, 2025. 

Click here to register.



Session 1: What can we learn from our children? 

with Witold Swoboda

Saturday, September 28 at 7 p.m. ET

Session 2: How Does My Garden Grow - What Science and Suzuki Tell About Developing the Musical Ear 

with Diana Nuttall

Saturday, October 19 at 7p.m. ET 

Session 3: Play By Ear, Read By Ear

with Joanne Martin

Saturday, January 18 at 7 p.m. ET

Session 4: Suzuki Parents as Cheerleaders: What's Our Role?

with Sharon Jones

Saturday, February 22 at 7 p.m. ET