O meu artigo foi publicado na Revista “American Suzuki Journal” da SAA da edição de Março/2020. Nele falo sobre o primeiro curso de Violão Suzuki de capacitação para professores em MG na ECOS, ministrado pela professora Diana Chagalj.

Very happy with the publication of my article in the “American Suzuki Journal” magazine of the SAA of the March/2020 edition. I talk about the first Guitar Suzuki course for teachers in MG at Ecos School, held by Diana Chagalj.

Muy contento con la publicación de mi artículo en la revista “American Suzuki Journal” de la SAA de la edición del 20 de marzo 2020. En él hablo del primer curso Suzuki Guitarra de capacitación para maestros en MG en la escuela Ecos, impartido por la Maestra Diana Chagalj.

 

Suzuki Guitar School Book 1 Course happens in Belo Horizonte – Brazil

The Suzuki Guitar School Book 1 Course happened for the first time in Belo Horizonte, located in the state of Minas Gerais (southeast region of Brazil) between July 21 ^th and 26^th of 2019.

Nowadays, the city of Belo Horizonte has around 2,5 million inhabitants. It has two Schools of Music from public universities: the School of Music from the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the School of Music from the State University of Minas Gerais. Besides that, the city is home to Sala Minas Gerais, which is State Philharmonic Orchestra’s headquarters, being an important cultural and artistic Brazilian center.

In the last years, there has been an increasing need for courses that would teach Suzuki in Brazil. MaryLou Roberts (USA) and Diana Chagalj (Argentina), Training Guitar teachers, have been regularly giving Suzuki training courses in the country, mainly in the cities of São Paulo and Chapecó (Santa Catarina state). The growing interest for these courses shows a positive perspective of the growing of the Suzuki Method in Brazil.

The course of the Volume 1 of the Suzuki Guitar School Book happened in the Ecos Centro Musical School of Music, which was also the organizer of the event. Ecos was created five years ago in Belo Horizonte and has been using     the Suzuki method for three years now. The school has around 200 students of several instruments and singing. The course was given by Argentinian guitar teacher Diana Chagalj.

Teachers from all different regions of Brazil have signed up for the course, all of them excited to have their knowledge deepened and learn how the Suzuki Method is applied to the classic guitar.

The teacher Thiago Berger Moreira came from Rio Grande do Sul, biggest state in the Brazilian south zone, travelling more than 17 thousand miles to get to Belo Horizonte. He affirms: “It was very worth it doing this course, and I intend to use what I have learned here in the school where I teach nowadays”.

Diana Chagalj and Thiago Berger (photo: author’s collection)

The biggest majority of teachers who took part in the course already had experience in teaching the guitar, working in schools, projects and private studios, as well as working as performers. Through the course, they sought to learn more teaching strategies and approaches to enrich their classes.

Teacher Anderson Reis, from Belo Horizonte, left us this comment:

 “Diana was very careful and helped the teachers and students, correcting our postures and techniques. It was an opportunity to review our instrumental technique. The fundamentals of good posture when playing the guitar were worked with the same accuracy, dedication and motivation. I hope to be inspiring to others the way I was inspired by the Suzuki methodology, and that my actions can resonate with my students, motivating them to be better people, to have more discipline, and to be more friendly and happy for having the Music as an indispensable value in their lives”.

Diana Chagalj and Anderson Reis (photo: author’s collection)

Lucas Padrão, teacher from Rio de Janeiro, called attention to the intensity and richness of information he observed during the course:

“They were six days of intense learning! No doubt the course will reflect on more quality and refinement for my classes”.

Diana Chagalj and Lucas Padrão (photo: author’s collection)

Teacher Marco Papa, from São Paulo, highlighted the change that the course has provided to him:

“An incredible experience of competence, dedication, organization, love for teaching and love for guitar. During those days I lost some pre-conceived ideas and gained a lot of new concepts, as well as I reviewed matters with more clarity and conscience, and I learned a lot”.

Diana Chagalj and Marco Papa (photo: author’s collection)

Some of the Ecos’ students, along with their parents, also had the opportunity to take part in Diana Chagalj’s masterclasses  as part of the classes in the course schedule. The classes, with duration around 30 and 40 minutes, had students from beginning and intermediary levels and ages from 4 to 46 years old (children, teenagers and adults). It was notable the excitement and development of the students who took part in these classes!

The student Ronei Castro, 44, said about the masterclass:

 “The classes were amazing to me! Not only for reviewing my guitar technique but also for the welcoming atmosphere I felt in the classes and from the course teachers. I want very much to continue with the Suzuki Method and learn more”.

Gabriel Birochi (14 years old) receiving instructions from Diana /Ronei Castro (44 years old – in the front) in a group class

(photos: author’s collection)

Course participants: Diana Chagalj (teacher training guitar), Marco Papa, Anderson Reis, Adonay das Neves,  Lucas Padrão, Amanda Nunes, Bruno Abramovic and Thiago Berger

(photo: author’s collection)

The course based on the Volume 1 of the Suzuki Guitar School Book, unprecedented in Belo Horizonte, has promoted a rich musical experience with a big of exchange of knowledge, technical and human improvement, as well it has expanded our jobs as teachers and educators who are increasingly aware of the roles we have in society. 

This was only the first of many courses that will happen in Belo Horizonte and other parts of Brazil, transmitting Suzuki’s knowledge and values around the country, so being able to transform people’s education and lives.

Author: Adonay das Neves

Director of ECOS Centro Musical

Short biography:

Bachelor in Music (Guitar) from the State University of Minas Gerais (2005). Adonay das Neves is the director and pedagogical coordinator of the ECOS Centro Musical since 2013. He has taken part in several Chamber Music performances with the Duo Belgrado and the Duo Corde in the project “Italia-Brazil Lyric Songs”. He has performed in places like Fundação de Educação Artística,  Minas Tênis Clube, Conservatório de Música da UFMG, Itabira Winter Festival, Sabara Opera Theatre, Santa Maria Church in Curitiba, as well as the theater of the Federal Court of the Espírito Santo state and of the Casa Thomas Jefferson in Brasilia, among others. He participated of the International Suzuki Festival in Peru in 2017 and 2018 and of the Suzuki Minneapolis Conference in 2018. Das Neves has organized five Suzuki courses of capacitation for teachers in ECOS Centro Musical since 2016, including the first course based on the Volume 1 of the Suzuki Guitar School Book with Diana Chagalj in Belo Horizonte.

            (photo: author’s collection)