000199
Hello everyone,
This email is in copy to Pam Brasch, Shinobu Saito, Rolando Freitag, Eduardo Ludueña, Renata Pereira, Mary Waldo and Rafael Andrade. We have also added Leslie Mizrahi and Flor Canelo, as presidents of the Mexico and Peru Associations.
It is our understanding that Dr. Suzuki had a Dream of an international community united by the purpose of music education of children and in the belief in a better world. As Board of Directors, we believe that associations are a fundamental tool to define and strengthen group actions. It is a challenge, but also the nature of associations to unite people, to democratize decisions with its members and to find means to reach its goals. The means by which participation is made more democratic is by operating with procedures that must be the same for everyone. The associations accomplish much more than the organization of courses, which are only one of the many facets of Suzuki’s Dream.
The AMSBrasil works on demand, looking for solutions in dialogue with the SAA, the Teacher Trainers, the administrators of courses, and with its associates, with the intention of adding to a whole community. As Board of Directors, we would love if everyone could have direct autonomy to act in relation to courses. Our experience proves otherwise. After many years, we have observed that not all courses have occurred in conformity to the SAA guidelines. In the case of Latin America, to claim direct autonomy to organize courses and other events without going through the country associations will also invalidate the consistency of the actions of the other national associations. Their work is similar in the maintenance of quality and the guidelines determined by the SAA.
The Association received email complaints of Suzuki Courses that happened in Brasil. With these reports as support, systemic solutions are being discussed with the SAA and the AMSBrasil’s associate teachers to solve the reported problems. With the consent of our associate members, the current strategy to oversee the Suzuki Teacher Training courses are: 1) the administrator must be a member of the AMSBrasil; 2) the enrollment information must be sent; 3) enrollment information needs to be compliant with the SAA Teacher Development Guidelines and the document published by the Latin American Teacher Trainers in Lima 2017. These procedures have been implemented at the request of the SAA, taking into account issues that we had in the past year in our country.
We have been advising course administrators to anticipate as much as possible the application for a course in at least 6 months, especially in relation to courses with foreign teacher trainers. SAA’s Scholarship, Audition and Institute policies also require advance notice.
The Suzuki Recorder Book 4 course in February 2019 has not yet been approved on the SAA’s Partners because of a missing requirement: an Administrator of course needs to be a member of the AMSBrasil. This fact was detailed in the reply sent on November 8th.
It is also important to point out that this is not first time similar procedures are adopted within the SAA. The “Asociación Mexicana del Método Suzuki” (AMMS) is working closely with the SAA to ensure that guidelines are met while preserving local demands.
Lastly, it is of the uttermost importance that complaints about procedures of the AMSBrasil be sent by official means (by email), to avoid speculation and gossiping. If any of you have questions about any of the issues, the AMSBrasil is available to answer by means of a meeting with the board, or by email. We are open to suggestions, so long as discussion occurs within the SAA and/or the Associations’ decision-making process!
“Working together we can change the world!”
— Shinichi Suzuki
Best Regards,
Board of Directors of the Associação Musical Suzuki do Brasil (AMSBrasil)
Fabio dos Santos, Araceli Hackbarth, Luiza Volpini.
Associação Musical Suzuki do Brasil
Início da mensagem encaminhada:De: Mary Halverson Waldo mhalvwaldo912@gmail.com>
Assunto: Re: Cursos de capacitação – Centro Suzuki SP [#000157]
Data: 7 de dezembro de 2018 12:11:02 BRST
Para: Renata Pereira renata@centrosuzuki.com.br>, AMS.SP associacao@associacaomusicalsuzuki.com.br>, Pam Brasch pam@suzukiassociation.org>, “teachercourse@suzukiassoication.org” teachercourse@suzukiassoication.org>, Araceli Hackbarth aracelihackbarth@associacaomusicalsuzuki.com.br>, Fabio dos Santos fabinho.rsff@gmail.com>, Luiza Volpini luizavolpini@gmail.com>
Cc: Rafael Andrade rafael@centrosuzuki.com.br>, Eduardo Ludueña eduardo.luduena@gmail.com>, Rolando Freitag rolandofreitag@gmail.com>, Shinobu Saito shinobu.violino@gmail.com>
Dear Renata, and all,As Chair of the SAA Recorder Committee, I am deeply concerned to hear that the proposed Unit 4 course in Brazil has not been approved.Every Recorder Teacher Training event is very important, as we have relatively few available.It seems that a lack of communication is part of the problem. Can someone please explain, without delay, why the proposal was denied and what needs to be done?I am assuming we can all work together, and that “where love is deep, much can be accomplished.”Sincerely,Mary Halverson WaldoGet Outlook for iOS
From: Renata Pereira renata@centrosuzuki.com.br>
Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 8:05 AM
To: AMS.SP; Pam Brasch; teachercourse@suzukiassoication.org; Araceli Hackbarth; Fabio dos Santos; Luiza Volpini
Cc: Rafael Andrade; Eduardo Ludueña; Mary Waldo; Rolando Freitag; Shinobu Saito
Subject: Re: Cursos de capacitação – Centro Suzuki SP [#000157]
Dear all,I am writing to say that on December 07th I received no reply about the recorder Book 4 course being approved, on the SAA system this course is not approved still. I sent the first e-mail to AMSB about this course on October 29th.In this way, I didn’t understand if have a plausible explanation for this, but the fact is that the Suzuki training courses in Brazil are being compromised.If the course is not authorized until now, I understand we have a problem, but I don’t know what is this problem to solve it. Please tell me what problem is it, in order to focus on the solution.In my last e-mail I did many questions to AMSB that I didn’t receive a reply, and this fact makes more difficult the communication and the professional relationships.From this book course 4, 6 Brazilian recorder teachers, and 6 other Suzuki families of students, are directly being prejudiced.Adding to that the international Suzuki Recorder community is also being prejudiced.It is unfortunate, because I think Suzuki institutions should promote a wide dissemination of Suzuki philosophy and an increase in the number of courses to be offered, since we are contributing to the formation not only of Suzuki teachers, but also of Music teachers, which after Suzuki courses significantly improve their training.I leave here my record of deep disappointment, and with the hope of still being able to get an answer from you.Regards,Renata PereiraEm qui, 29 de nov de 2018 às 14:54, Renata Pereira renata@centrosuzuki.com.br> escreveu:Dear all,Today, a month ago I sent you an e-mail informing you about the offer of the Recorder Book 4 course.(that will be happen on February 2019)I am still waiting for the course approval, and I have teachers who wish to participate who need confirmation until tomorrow, on 11/30/2018 so they can buy their air-flight tickets.I have the place for the course, the teacher trainer, I have the teachers interested in participating, my students for the observations, and the Suzuki Association of Brazil, besides not giving me any help for these courses to happen, unfortunately it is damaging the offer of course.Sorry to write in this way, but I see no explanation, or rather, I have not received any explanation of what happens.I am still waiting and hoping that the Suzuki training courses for teachers, which are so important for our training, can happen and continue to happen in Brazil.Sincerely,Renata PereiraEm seg, 26 de nov de 2018 às 21:09, Renata Pereira renata@centrosuzuki.com.br> escreveu:Dear All,Thank you for sending the reply.I delayed to reply because I was on tour in United States since Nov 7th, and I am back now.I really need that the Recorder course be approved as soon as possible. You say it is approved, but it isn’t still.The delay in the approval of the courses has made its organization very difficult because of two things:– Excess of bureaucracy to offer the courses in Brazil and– the participation of teachers who live far from the places of the courses will be happen.I would like to take this e-mail to record that I have received numerous complaints from teachers about the approach the Suzuki Association of Brazil acts on demanding them to associate, and in the organization and offer of the courses. I talked on this subject with Mary Waldo when she was in Brazil on August, and with Rolando Freitag on telephone on the beginning of November, because both asked me about the situation here.I’ve got in touch with Professor Shinobu Saito by phone, because I tried to meet with the AMSB board in person and they refused.Shinobu explained to me what happened in the organization of some courses, with the same organizer, that didn’t pay the teacher trainers and cancelled courses causing financial losses for participants, and because of that Suzuki Association of Brazil needed to position themselves in relation to what happened.However, I have organized courses since 2011 at the Suzuki Center in São Paulo, and I have never had any problems.For this reason, I do not understand the delay of approval of this course, and this was not the first time it happened, and I still point out:Since the concern is to “safeguard training teachers, trainers teachers, organizers, and above all, the quality of the courses, the ethical and human values of the Methodology that we want to see reflected in all levels of the application of the Suzuki Method”, I would like to ask you some questions:1. If the teachers are affiliated with the Suzuki Association of Brazil, will solve the problems mentioned above?For example, whether an organizer is a member of the association, how will this protect the event, or the trainers and participants from being cheated by the organizer?2. About submitting course form to AMSB. What is the deadline for sending the form?And what is the service level agreement regarding to time for AMSB’s response?A cultural issue of Brazil that can make a course offer unfeasible. In Brazil, in some situations, we get sponsorships, or people who provide courses with answers at the last moment. If we have a very long time barrier to organize a course, this can make courses unfeasible.How then will AMSB solve this?Now, regarding the edict of the course that I wish to offer and I no longer know if I can still do.1. You wrote, “O Edital está aprovado” The edict is approved. But it’s not on SAA page.
2. So, to approve the course announcement and to authorize me to teach a course in my own studio, do I need to be associated and pay the AMSB fee?3. I am a member of two continental associations. SAA being one of them. And yet, I need to be associated with another association.What does ASMB offer me as benefit on being a teacher trainer associate?Well, I do not see benefits in paying an association that is not easing my work, and it is still making my work more difficult, and consequently, putting barriers in the spread of the Suzuki Method in Brazil.The AMSB is not representing my needs, as SAA does. And I think as a Suzuki teacher, I would like to have freedom to choose what association represents me better, without prejudice to my work on spreading the Suzuki method. And all teachers must have the same freedom.My sugestion:Since I have seen that Suzuki Association of Brazil is not able to help my work, and on the contrary, it is harming the dissemination of Suzuki work as other teachers have already signaled for me.I ask SAA that all the events and courses offered by me and the Suzuki Center of São Paulo be treated directly with SAA. Since I am a member of this Association and I have always offered courses with no problems to the teacher trainers whom I have invited and without problems and prejudices to the participating teachers.I am still waiting for the approval of book 4 course.Thank you so much for your attention.I am waiting for your reply.Sincerely,Renata PereiraEm qui, 8 de nov de 2018 às 13:00, Associação Musical Suzuki do Brasil (AMSBrasil) associacao@associacaomusicalsuzuki.com.br> escreveu:
