2018 IMTEX Conference (Remscheid, Germany)

A Walk in the Woods at Remscheid, Germany

[This article is excerpted from the most recent Teach Suzuki podcast, which you can listen to here.]

Recently I attended the  2018 International Music Teachers Exchange (IMTEX) Conference in Remscheid, Germany. I have attended this conference for the past three years, and this year's conference was as exciting and satisfying as in past years. I teamed up with my friend Sue Hunt from Great Britain to present a talk about motivation. Sue offered ideas about motivating smaller children ("Waking Up Beginners") while I tackled the issue of motivating teenagers ("Keeping Teenagers Awake").

My reason to attend the conference is greater than my need to present a talk on a particular teaching topic. I attend for personal as well as professional reasons, both as a teacher and as an individual. I have discovered since my first conference in 2016 that I need to attend this conference for several reasons.

Community

We teachers sometimes lead an isolated existence. We certainly see people all the time and every week when our students and their family units attend lessons and group classes. I have discovered, however, that this is not the same as actually having relationships that go beyond the teaching experience. My interactions with my students and their parents are very pleasant, and we do often exchange personal pleasantries and good wishes about our personal lives. Still, a really close connection does not always come from my teaching interactions. And so my existence seems a bit isolated because most of my social interactions stem from work-related activities: teaching performing, rehearsing, faculty meetings. My personal interactions -- a few minutes here and there before and after lessons, in university hallways, at rehearsal and performance intermissions -- are momentary in time, and therefore not as in depth as I may need them to be to feel socially connected.

When I first attended the conference in 2016, I was immediately welcomed by so many strangers from all over the world. Sometimes we had a language in common, but just as often we did not share a common language and would have to resort to hand gestures and stuttered words of a language that we might understand only slightly. Still, the warmth and acceptance I experienced were genuine, and I found the social connection that I craved.

We were teachers -- all of us. We shared a common vision of teaching to change the world. Some of us taught traditionally, some of us with the Suzuki Method. It did not matter. All were welcome here. I cannot stress enough the importance of welcoming everyone here, something that I believe personally is one of Dr. Suzuki's cornerstone philosophical principles. No one was excluded because of a lack of training or credentials. No one was excluded because of location or experience. All were welcome to come and share. And what a rich experience we all got as a result!

My first year I may have hugged closely to my friend Sue Hunt from Great Britain. We had a common language, and I had interviewed Sue years before for this blog. [You can read that interview here]. We knew each other from that interview and got to know each other even better at the conference. Sue knew the ropes at the conference and was able to steer me to the pathway entrances outside the academy so that we could enjoy long walks together in the nearby forest area, and Sue could indulge her iPhone photography skills.

I gained confidence as time went along, and I would sit down at a table with someone I did not know and ask, "Deutsch oder Englisch"? ["German or English"?]. Usually everyone was happy to talk in English. One of my most memorable conversations took place with someone who spoke only German. I did my best with my rusty high school language, but I finally broke free of my grammar worries to talk in single word phrases. I started talking about my eight miniature long-haired Dachshunds; I can talk about them in several languages. I wound up grabbing my iPhone and illustrating my conversational forays with photos. Between my photos, my stilted and stuttered Germany vocabulary, and the generous spirit of my new friend Ina, we were able to have a conversation and enjoy being together. She asked me questions about my students, and I had photos to show her to demonstrate my teaching ideas and methods. We had a lovely time together!

I recall describing one of my dogs -- the only short-haired miniature dachshund I have -- and I attempted to explain how his personality was different than the other dogs, that short-haired dachshunds have this personality quirk of stubbornness. I could not recall the German word for stubborn (stur), but I managed to describe his typical stubborn behavior to my new friend Ina.

"Dummkopf!" she told me. (fool!). Yes, my Kaiser dog was certainly a dummkopf! And so my emails from my German friends would thereafter end with, "Give my best to Dummkopf!"

Fast forward to the 2018 conference. I sat down once again with my friend Ina, who was sitting with another young woman that I did not recognize from previous conferences. My friend introduced her and then we got started with our usual conversation. This time I had practiced my German, so I had much more language confidence to speak up, but before long, out came the iPhone and new pictures to share. My friend Ina announced to her friend, "See?" followed by a German explanation that I would show pictures of students and dogs and how I use special toys and teaching aids with my students. Then my friend declared that she had brought me some special toys to give me to use with my students, and I exchanged the one that I had brought for her.

That relationship that I have just described is one of many very special conversations that I have with my IMTEX conference friends. I have similar stories to relate about teachers from Italy (Arjada, Silvia, & Sara) and Albania (Marjana), Ireland (Noelle) and Spain (Isabel), Switzerland and Sweden (Eva), and Nigeria (David) -- just a few of the many places represented. Along with special relationships, the conference offered a rich experience of information sharing and opportunities to discuss teaching problems and create solutions.

Information and Education

The keynote presenter for a second year was Mimi Zweig from the Indiana University String Academy. Mimi spoke in depth about the foundation of string playing (physical set up, teaching philosophy, basic bowing strokes, left hand shape, shifting, vibrato, double stops, and ensemble playing). Conference attendees observed Mimi as she taught several lessons to students of various ages and levels. We explored the teaching points in several Kreutzer études. We asked questions. We explored our own physical set ups with our instruments, and under Mimi's watchful eye, many teachers explored changes and new ideas. You can learn more about Mimi's pedagogy at her website stringpedagogy.com.

Along with Mimi's thorough presentation, other presenters offered informative sessions: the many teaching points of Corelli's La Folia, the building blocks of the Suzuki Method, Paul Rolland's Principles of Motion, rhythm, basic teaching points for Suzuki violin book 1A, left hand preparation and scales from books 1-3 (introductory and advanced student levels), shifting-trills-vibrato, musical preparation exercises, arpeggios, repertoire and technique, music instruction with ADHS, prevention of lower back pain in violin playing, using technology for successful home and lesson practices, and whole bow training.

New Teaching Resources

by Kerstin Wartberg

There were several opportunities to collaborate with other conference participants. One evening, we gathered to present two new books by Kerstin Wartberg -- My First Technique Book and My Second Technique Book. One again, Kerstin has produced books that will supplement any teaching program in terms of violin technique for young violin students. I will spend more time exploring these books and Kerstin's contributions to string pedagogy in future articles. We enjoyed our few opportunities to work together to present material from these new works.

by Eva Belvelin

Eva Belvelin from Sweden also presented her new book in English, Little Things for Little Strings. Available in the past in Swedish, this new English version book is also an excellent addition to beginning string pedagogy. I have interviewed Eva for the Teach Suzuki podcast to tell us more about her new English version of the very popular Swedish teaching book. You can listen to that episode and examples from Eva's materials here. I will also post more information about Eva and her new book in a subsequent blog article when the books become available here in the United States.

Approximately 125 teachers from 23 countries attended the 10th annual IMTEX conference in early November 2018. This is a diverse group of teachers with a vast body of knowledge, experience, and ideas. I came home from the experience with pages of notes about new ideas, new solutions, and new Facebook and email friends. I am never the same person when I return, and I look forward to sharing my wealthy experience from the conference with my studio families and teaching colleagues.

I know that our dear director, Kerstin Wartberg, will provide us with videos from the conference, and I hope my readers have an opportunity to share in my joy of attending. I highly recommend Kerstin's new books as well. They are currently available in Europe and in the United States (Shar Music). I plan to spend more time in the future talking about the wealth of material contained in these books, and I know that many teachers will be so grateful for the help that these books will provide. Recently Kerstin has posted videos and announcements regarding the recent conference, including a statement from Mimi Zweig and videos that demonstrate a few items from Kerstin's new books. Visit the IMTEX Facebook Announcements to enjoy these videos.

There is a way for us teachers to stay connected through the year. There is a healthy Facebook community (IMTEX) and an online library of resources available here.

I look forward to this conference every year because of the renewed enthusiasm and sense of global connection that I receive by my participation It is one of my favorite events all year, and I already look forward to next year.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

----- Paula -----

© 2018 by Paula E. Bird

The Global Community, part 1

There comes a journey . . .

I recently returned from a teaching conference in Remscheid, Germany. There were many things about the conference that inspired me — the picturesque setting of the Academie Kulturelle nestled in a small wooded area of the town, the cloistered atmosphere of the conference itself tucked away from the hustle and bustle of our regular lives, and the opportunities to meet and share and combine our different culture, backgrounds, and ideas.

For me the best part of the conference was the wonderful atmosphere we created about community and sharing and being open with each other. By attending, by coming, by overcoming obstacles of many kinds, we created something truly special together. We overcame travel and distance issues. Sometimes we overcame political or professional hurdles. We overcame philosophical or pedagogical differences. We overcame language barriers. Together we shared moments of connection. We shared photos and videos and stories of our students and our teaching lives. We asked questions and sought answers for our teaching puzzles. We embraced new ideas and connections, made new friends from places far away, and shared our joy of belonging to a vital and uplifting profession. Most of all, we reaffirmed our commitment to a philosophy of education and a community of personalities who share a deep love of children, a desire to contribute our time and knowledge to the world, and a shared vision of a better world through our work as teachers.

There were 3-4 days of many topics and presentations. Mimi Zweig (www.stringpedagogy.com) presented an intensive course about establishing a healthy foundation of violin playing with scales, etudes, and repertoire. We examined closely how basic posture setup could be reinforced with the addition of supplementary repertoire and technical materials. We discussed shifting ideas and techniques for eliciting a beautiful tone and working with students in an ensemble setting. We observed individual student lessons and how these ideas would be drawn into a teaching situation.

The evening presentations were designed to promote discussion and thought. One evening we watched a film about students in Mimi Zweig’s youth music program at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana. The video documented the growth and aspirations of several of Mimi Zweig’s most advanced high school students and inspired many of us teachers to return to our rooms to practice ourselves or to retire to the local pub together as a group to share our questions and discussions further.

David Andruss

Another evening included a closer look at a new book of songs designed to make technique a fun and enjoyable experience for young violinists. These new pieces included delightful piano harmonies written by David Andruss to underscore insightful melodies and exercises developed by Kerstin Wartberg.

Other presentations included such diverse topics as how a music teacher might effectively use the Internet at a low cost (Wolfgang Fischer and Dr. Ingrid Schlenk), how to prevent shoulder and neck pain while playing the violin (Ursula Benz), Autism Spectrum Disorder (Dr. Ingrid Schlenk), teaching points for early Suzuki violin book 1, Suzuki building blocks, sound production and intonation as they relate to the Paul Rolland and Suzuki pedagogies (Dr. Claudio Forcada), nurturing parents into partnership with Suzuki teachers (Paula Bird and Sue Hunt), group class creativity and music pieces to foster technique in a group setting (Isabel Morey Suau), movement and rhythm (Gino Romero Ramirez), violin literature from Poland (Elżbieta Wegrzyn), and games to spark interest in review (Agathe Jerie). And all of these wonderful presentations were translated by the capable Verena Sophie Lauer.

Charles Krigbaum

On the third day of the conference, the third intensive course began and focused on the basics for very young beginners, especially posture and tone. Charles Krigbaum, Kerstin Wartberg, Kathryn Averdung, Veronika Kimiti, and Heidi Curatolo demonstrated teaching points for posture, tone production, and ensemble for young and early beginning students. Eva Belvelin (Sweden) introduced us to her materials for encouraging technique building in young violinists as well as to her materials designed to aid violin and bow posture. Another evening program included a discussion forum to examine questions and answers to many common teaching issues from the teachers who attended the conference.

Heidi Curatolo & Kerstin Wartburg

I attended the conference for the first time in 2016, and I came home from that first conference filled with excitement and inspiration from all the new ideas and discussions I had experienced. I met many new teachers and made new friends with many of the participants. Teachers came from all over the world — from Thailand, Poland, Romania, USA, Albania, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, England, Ireland, Germany. These are just a few of the countries that participants represented. The international community represented by the conference participants was perhaps the most exciting aspect of the conference. It reassured many of us to discover that we teachers globally shared similar problems and issues in our teaching situations, and the conference afforded us an opportunity to share our teaching stories of success and disappointment and to allow us to work together to discover new strategies and solutions. At the same time, we forged new relationships within the international community that will allow us to continue this important discussion when we teachers returned home to our own countries.

Veronika Kimiti, Kerstin Wartberg

The list of teachers, countries, and most important, the presenters at the conference, is long and varied. All are respected representatives of their teaching community in their home countries and elsewhere internationally. What amazed me last year and again this year was the openness and interested interaction of all the teachers that I met and spoke with. Everyone who attended the conference stated to me that they attended for the purpose of building a global community of teachers -- both Suzuki and nonSuzuki. We shared the same teaching issues and struggles and often the same teaching point puzzles among our students. I overheard more than one participant share the comfort they received from their discovery that other teachers had teaching experiences that mirrored their own, that teaching was basically the same everywhere.

My favorite conference takeaway was that we are not alone as teachers, nor are we to be isolated and separated from each other by artificial and nonproductive constraints. We all love music and teaching and wish to share our joy of music with the students who have come to us and asked to share our teaching joy and experience with them. The teachers who attended and presented at this conference frequently expressed their interest in connecting with each other as nurturers of young students. We shared the same philosophy that what we teachers do in our profession is too important to try and limit it in a box. Rather than look for ways to exclude people (teachers and students, organizational members or nonmembers, Suzuki or nonSuzuki), we wanted to look for ways to connect with each other. We wanted to focus our efforts on inclusion to the community rather than exclusion.

I believe that this is what Dr. Suzuki wanted. I believe that he expected us to absorb his ideas about philosophy, teaching, learning, and character development and then run away with them down the road until we reached everyone with these ideas. I believe that he encouraged the teachers who attended his presentations, workshops, and trainings to keep growing and to keep looking for answers to solve teaching problems.

"Man is the son of his environment," Dr. Suzuki said. I believe Dr. Suzuki served as the perfect role model for how to develop philosophy and search for new ideas. Dr. Suzuki himself experimented as a matter of course, and he showed us the way and provided us with the model example of how we could continue to develop. He did not close doors to experimentation or membership or training. He opened his arms wide and talked about nurturing, love, growth, and development through the vehicle of music and teaching, and he included everyone. His mission for the world was too great to be limiting.

I was not blessed to have met or study personally with Dr. Suzuki, but I have read his materials, books, and articles. I am an avid reader of all things Suzuki-related, and I appreciate the time and effort taken by those early teaching pioneers in the Suzuki community who wrote books and articles about their experiences with Dr. Suzuki and his workshops and trainings. It is my fervent hope and mission that we will all share our belief in the universal message that all "children have talent" and "character first, ability second."

I found all these ideas and desires reflected in the faces of the teachers who attended the conference. I shared the same joy of teaching in the words that reflected the heart-songs of the teachers who journeyed from all over the world to share the joy of our various teaching experiences. We shared the firm belief in Dr. Suzuki's question and answer: "What is man's ultimate direction in life? It is to look for love, truth, virtue, and beauty."

I returned home from the conference with a joyful heart and a soul at peace that I am where I need to be as a teacher in a global community. The conference once again renewed my sense of belonging to a mission and a teaching philosophy that is larger than I am, that what we do as teachers is so much more important because of the global impact of our influence on students and parents and family and community.  We shared our love of teaching with each other, and we welcomed everyone's ideas and experiences.

I look forward to next year's conference November 2-5, 2018. Please consider joining me. 

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

----- Paula -----

© 2017 by Paula E. Bird