Fairbanks Suzuki Institute Teacher Training Information
Violin Unit 2 Teacher Training
Instructor: Ann Montzka-Smelser
Format: In-person at UAF
Dates: Tuesday May 28 – Sunday June 2, 2024
Fees: Registration $100 nonrefundable; Course $415
- Class Size: maximum of 15
- 15 hours of instruction and 8 hours of observation per unit
- Books 1, 2, and 3 must be taken in order.
- Participants must pass the SAA audition prior to registration.
- SAA membership must be current prior to the course beginning.
Class Prerequisites: https://suzukiassociation.org/teachers/training/
- Teacher Training classes begin on Tuesday, May 28 at 9:00 a.m. in the Kayak Room in the Fine Arts Building on the UAF campus.
- There are 5 hours of instruction on the first day, so plan to arrive in Fairbanks a day early if you are traveling to attend.
- Be sure to check course prerequisites before registering for the course.
Instructor Bio:
Ann Montzka-Smelser
Ann Montzka-Smelser is a Suzuki Student, Teacher, Parent and Suzuki Teacher Trainer. In between receiving her Bachelors of Music Education and Masters in Performance and Pedagogy at Northern Illinois University, Ann studied with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan.
Ann has performed in many orchestras and ensembles and is currently principal 2nd violinist with Camerata Chicago and concertmaster of the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Ann is on the music faculty at Northern Illinois University and teaches Suzuki Pedagogy at both Northwestern and Roosevelt University.
Ann is Director of the NIU CSA Suzuki Strings Program and teacher at the Music Institute of Chicago. Ann maintains a studio of 40 violin and viola students and enjoys working with Suzuki families at festivals in Lima, Peru, Singapore, Mexico, Costa Rica and throughout the U.S. Ann lives in DeKalb, IL with her husband, Linc. Their Suzuki-raised children, Benjamin and Genevieve, are both pursuing careers in music.