About the Suzuki
Talent Education Association
of Australia (WA) Inc. |
|
We are an association of music
teachers and parents who follow the "Mother
Tongue" method of music teaching developed
by Dr Shinichi Suzuki.
Established in the early 1970's, the Association
now has over 500 family and teacher members.
Starting with piano and violin, the Suzuki Talent
Education Association has grown to include viola,
cello, guitar, flute, voice, & early childhood
music. |
Committee
Members
At the AGM held at the beginning of each
year we elect Committee members and hold regular
monthly meetings. |
President: |
Catherine Butler |
|
Past President: |
Maria Duff |
|
|
Maria was elected
President in February 2006. Originally from
Kentucky, USA, Maria has lived in Perth for
twenty-one years. She is a Suzuki Violin teacher
and regularly performs as a double bassist.
Read
the President's 2008 AGM Report |
|
Secretary/Administrator |
Kerry Cooney |
|
|
Kerry joined
the association in March 2004 and has two daughters.
She has worked for non-profit associations and
has experience in super annuation fund management,
and office administration. She holds a Bachelor
of Science and a Post-Graduate degree in business
administration. |
|
Vice President & Newsletter Co-ordinator |
Helen Leggo |
|
|
Helen Leggo
has been editing the newsletter for the last
18 months. She is an dedicated Suzuki parent
with two children learning Voice, Guitar &
Piano and adds a Suzuki Parent point of view
to the committee meetings. Helen loves the Suzuki
philosohy and the high level of teacher ability
and plans to be involved with Suzuki Talent
Education Association of WA for many years to
come. It is her fond hope that her children
will continue to add to Suzuki WA by either
becoming Suzuki teachers or having children
taught by the Suzuki method. |
|
Committe Member/
Webmaster |
Laura Bernay |
|
|
American-born
Laura Bernay is a versatile performer with talents
as a multi-lingual singer, flautist and pianist.
Her repertoire covers music of all styles from
opera and art song, to contemporary, music theatre,
jazz, and world music. Laura is the Teacher
Trainer for Suzuki Voice in WA and combines
performing professionally with a busy teaching
schedule in her private studio in Shenton Park,
Bernay
Studio. |
|
Committe Member |
Emma O'Keefe |
|
|
Emma is head
of the (ECE) Early Childhood Education Program
and a Suzuki Cello teacher.
Emma O’Keefe is a trained,
professional musician specialising in Suzuki
Instrumental and Early Childhood Education.
She runs the Grow With Music programme. |
|
Committe Member |
Gwyneth Amphlett |
|
|
Director of Teacher Training and
violin teacher. Gwyneth Amphlett started teaching
Suzuki violin over 27 years ago in New Zealand
where she was a registered violin teacher. She
has since taught Suzuki programmes in Fiji, Sydney
and currently in Perth. Her Suzuki experience
has taken her to various countries throughout
the world including Singapore, Italy and Japan
where she studied for a period of time with Dr.
Shinichi Suzuki himself. Past President of STEAA
(WA), she was appointed Director of Teacher Training
in Perth in 2004. |
|
Committe Member |
Eli Richards |
|
|
Eli Richards
is a Suzuki Piano teacher, Primary School Music
Specialist and Orff teacher. At the age of three,
she began her Suzuki training in Perth with
Janet Leggo (OAM) who studied the Suzuki Method
under Dr.Suzuki in Japan during the 1970's.
Eli is heavily involved in the Suzuki Association
as both Executive committee member and Piano
committee Chairperson. She has been a Suzuki
Piano Student, Suzuki Piano teacher and now
Suzuki Piano Parent. Her teaching philosophy
is one of developing the whole
person through the wonder of music. |
|
Committe Member |
Jenny McCormack |
|
|
Jenny McCormack
started her Suzuki flute training under the
guidance of Wendy Garrity in 1994. In 2003 she
started her Early Childhood training and currently
runs classes in North Beach.She is married and
has two teenage children who have both learnt
instruments through the Suzuki Method. She also
enjoys reading, sport and in any left over spare
time - craft ! |
Committee Member |
|
Committee Member |
Melissa Narbey |
| |
|
| Patron
- Rex Hobcroft, AM |
|
 Rex
Hobcroft studied at the Adelaide and Melbourne
University Conservatoriums and the Ecole Normale
de Musique in Paris.
He was a RAAF pilot (1943-45) and later a commercial
pilot with Ansett Airways before resuming musical
studies.
His career has been taken up with giving recitals,
conducting, chamber music, composing, teaching
and directing conservatoriums. He was the first
Australian pianist to play Beethoven's 32 piano
sonatas in public (1962).
Read
more about Dr Rex Hobcroft AM. |
|
Life Members
Janet Leggo OAM, Pauline Groom, Amanda Drybrough,
Jan Moreschini, Gwyneth Amphlett
Honorary Members
Jane Boxall, Karyn Lam |
