Suzuki music association founded
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

Raffel

Five local Suzuki-method music studios and their students are working cooperatively with group classes and community performances. The newly formed Western New York Suzuki Association brings together 3- to 18-year-old violinists, violists, cellists and classical guitarists.

"All of us have worked together previously and thought there would be many benefits from our working closer together for group classes, recitals and other public performances," said Eloisa Raffel, who teaches violin. The association also includes violin teacher Karen Salhany-Campbell, classical guitar teacher Joanne Castellani, and cello teachers Emily Hall and Kyung Park.

Castellani, Raffel and Park each have studios in Williamsville. Salhany Campbell teaches in East Amherst, and Hall's studio is located in Lockport.

The Suzuki method of teaching music incorporates different methods, which include individual lessons and group recitals and classes. As a result, all the teachers maintain their studios and their individual lessons.

"The group classes bring students of a similar age and performance level together so they can learn by interacting with each other," Raffel said. "If the five of us were only working with our own students, the educational benefits would not be as great."

Each studio offers private lessons, but students meet together for the group lessons and recitals.

"We would also be limited with respect to our own instruments," Raffel noted, on the advantages to the joint classes and performance. "When Karen and I had a concert with the cello students last year, the violinists and their parents were amazed to hear the sounds of a cello choir, something they hadn't experienced before."

Under this new umbrella organization, the students held their first joint performance on Dec. 1 at Kleinhans Music Hall prior to a performance with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

"We also play some arrangements that bring all the different instruments together," Raffel said. "We also have different classes meeting simultaneously, making the scheduling easier for parents."

Children must be enrolled in one of the studios to participate in the group classes.

Students can be enrolled by contacting teachers directly as follows:

• Castellani, 681-8459, www. fleurdeson. com

• Raffel, 553-1250, www. SuzukiViolinistsWNY. com

• Salhany-Campbell, 691-6563, www. KarensSuzukiStudio. com

• Hall, 434-1342, aces.4@verizon. net

• Park, 636-1314, khp178@ roadrunner. com