2024 Annual Meeting at Beaver Creek

Our annual meeting will be at Beaver Creek on Tuesday, June 25th, 12:30 at St. James Employee Lounge.
 
Come and join us as we vote in our newest board members for the 2024-2025 year.  We will also be discussing the recently passed motion that will allow SAC to collect annual fees once a year. Members will be able to pay the annual fee of $30 once during the fall (exact date to be provided soon), and a prorated fee if they pay in January/February (exact dates to be provided soon.) This will make the process of updating our membership lists and collecting fees much easier and will give everyone including our members a clear understanding of whether their membership has lapsed or is current.A zoom link for those who cannot attend in person will be sent out a few days prior via the newsletter.
 
Remember that all SAC teacher members will be able to observe classes at Beaver Creek for free that day. If you will be observing that day, you need only to indicate that when checking in with the institute. 
 
We have a one-bedroom unit that is available for members to share for Monday and Tuesday evenings. If you need lodging for either of those nights, please email me at president@cosuzuki.org asap.
 

It's Election Time!

After having served for two years, I am sorry to say that I will be stepping down as President to serve in a more supportive role. I am so very happy to have served with a great board during that time, including Philip Ledgerwood, Ronnie Crisp, Laura Benson, and Emily Holmstead. This is a great group of folks who have contributed a lot of time and energy to the events we have had in the past two years. We were able to host successful piano play-ins, bring back the strings play-in, start a tradition of having students perform at the Colorado Symphony pre-performance, award nine scholarship recipients to help them attend Suzuki Institutes, drive up membership, and much more.

We are seeking candidates for the President position. We are looking for candidates who are passionate about Suzuki, who are organized, who work well with others, and are Positive. Examples of this include, inviting your students to the SAC events, attending SAC events, contributing to SAC board meetings with ideas, and working with other board members to expand and strengthen SAC's development in the coming years.
 
We have received candidates for the VP position. We will be voting in these candidates at the Annual Meeting.
 
All current SAC teacher members and SAC parent associate members qualified to be nominated and voted in as President or Vice President.
 
To encourage more qualified candidates to step forward, the SAC board, through a grant from a donor, will award the new President of the 2024-2025 term, up to $500 to cover the cost of attending a national SAA event during this term. Another grant of up to $500 will cover the cost of attending a national SSA event to other members of the board.
 
We hope to encourage more interested persons to apply and also want this new President to become more active on the national level.
 
A brief description of the President's roles and duties include:
 

• Stay in regular communication with all other board members

• Set regular meeting dates and locations

• Create meeting agendas

• Communicate reminders to board members of upcoming meetings

• Preside at all general board meetings, executive committee meetings, and annual membership meeting

• Write a column for each online and printed newsletter

• Write other text for upcoming events as needed for newsletter

• File annual report with the State of Colorado to maintain incorporation andChapter reports to SAA, due in October

• Communicate with SAA office, pass info from SAA on to other board members
  and general members as appropriate

• Act as spokesperson for the organization

• The official repository for all records and the Corporate Seal shall be in the possession of the President

 
To nominate someone or apply, please email me at president@cosuzuki.org by June 20.

Seeking More Volunteers

We are looking for more help at events. If you are able to volunteer at one or more of our events, we would love to hear from you. Please email Philip Ledgerwood vicepresident@cosuzuki.org on how you can become more involved with SAC this year. 

SAC newsletters
Are you receiving our newsletter? Email president@cosuzuki.org to get on the list and learn about our goings-ons as soon as they become available.

2024-2025 Calendar of Events

June 23-28, 2024
Colorado Suzuki Institute at Beaver Creek
https://coloradosuzuki.org/

July 13-19, 2024
Peaks to Plains Suzuki Institute
https://www.ppsicolorado.com/

Date and venue to be announced
Piano Play In, Colorado Springs

October, 2024:
Piano Play In at Classic Pianos, Denver

January, 2025:
Strings Play-In, Master Class, and Talk (with Lunch) at St. Phillips, Denver (To be confirmed)

Winter 2024-2025
Zoom piano and strings master classes to be announced

February 14, 2025:
Scholarship Application Deadline

For more information and to register for early bird tickets, click here. Purchase Institute tix at their respective websites. Calendar is subject to change. Ticket purchasing opportunities for each event will become available as we approach the event. 

2024 SAC Scholarship Winners!

SAC received a total of 17 applicants for student and teacher scholarships this year! This is the largest number of applicants SAC has ever received. We are thrilled to engage with greater numbers of the Colorado Suzuki community this year.
 
However, it was an extremely difficult process to determine the recipients this year. All applicants were qualified. The entire board took part in the determination and relied on the parameters specified on the SAC web site. We thank all applicants for applying.
 
SAC is pleased to announce the following winners of teacher scholarships this year:
 
1. Kristen Folden, Piano Teacher, will be virtually attending the Suzuki Institute at the Music Institute of Chicago
 
2. Katie Burns, Cello and Violin Teacher, will be attending the Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute
 
These recipients will have 100% of their registration fees paid for.
 
SAC is pleased to announce the following winners of student scholarships this year:
 
1. Ojas Sinha, Pianist, will be attending Peaks to Plains Institute
 
2. Jonah Pierce, Violinist, will be attending Peaks to Plains Institute
 
3. Abner Covarrubias, Violinist, will be attending Colorado Suzuki Institute at Beaver Creek
 
These recipients will have 60% of their registration fees paid for, and 100% of the frees paid for if they have financial need.
 
The board is also pleased to award smaller funds to other student applicants:
 
1. Jacque Pierce, Violinist, will be attending Peaks to Plains Institute
 
2. Breanna Duffy, Violinist, will be attending Peaks to Plains Institute
 
3. Austin Ray, Violinist, will be attending Colorado Suzuki Institute at Beaver Creek
 
4. Constance Stone, Pianist, will be attending Colorado Suzuki Institute at Beaver Creek
 
 
The board encourages everyone to apply next year! Remember, in an effort to award more qualified applicants throughout the SAC community, recipients can only apply every five years.
 
Check out more information about the institutes right here in Colorado:
 
Beaver Creek
 
Peaks to Plains
 
 
SAC thanks Colorado Suzuki Institute Beaver Creek, for partnering with us, offering to pay for 50% of each scholarship award where the student will be attending CSI Beaver Creek.

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2023 SAC Community Questionnaire-- More Results Released Shortly

A big thank you to all who participated. We received close to 50 responses which have provided a good deal of insight. SAC's board would like to ensure that we are doing all that we can to help the community thrive and are using your membership fees responsibly. Thank you for your help.