Suzuki Strings Sponsors Regional Workshop and Concert

 

                    String students from throughout southern Utah converge on Nov. 2 and 3 at the Heritage Center (105 N. 100 East, Cedar City) for a regional workshop with clinician Randen Heywood.  The public is invited to the concert on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m.  Suggested donation is $5.

            A free parent class on Friday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Center is open to all area parents and teachers of music students.  Classes during the workshop are open for observation on Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

            Randen Heywood loves working with young students as they discover the joy of making music.  Mr. Heywood currently teaches orchestra at Westlake High School and its feeder Vista Heights Middle School in Saratoga Springs UT.  In addition to teaching seven orchestra classes during the school day, Mr. Heywood teaches an elementary after school class twice a week and has a moderate sized private violin and viola studio.  Mr. Heywood loves to write music for young orchestras and has won awards for his compositions.  He won the nationally acclaimed ASTA 2005 Merle J. Isaac Composition Contest and more recently the Utah ASTA Composition Contest in 2010.  Mr. Heywood also regularly receives commissions for newly composed works.  Mr. Heywood received his bachelors in music education from Brigham Young University, and a Masters of Music in Composition from the University of Utah. His teachers and mentors include Andrew Dabczynski, Morris Rosenzweig, Miguel Chuaqui, David Dalton, Clyn Barrus, Claudine Bigelow, Jerry Jaccard, John Englund, M. Judd Sheranian, and Janet Andersen.  Mr. Heywood has been a member of the Orchestra at Temple Square since
1999.  Mr. Heywood resides in Sandy, Utah with his wife, Heather and their four children (ages 12, 9, 7, and 4 months).

            Participating students come from throughout the southern Utah area and are taught by several teachers using the Suzuki method, which involves parental support, listening to professional recordings to develop better intonation, and group classes.  The Suzuki Strings program is under the auspices of the Southern Utah University Dept. of Music.  “We appreciate financial support from the Sterling and Shelli Gardner Foundation which allows us to provide this regional workshop,” said Sara Penny, Director.  “We are also working in conjunction with the Suzuki Association of Utah to provide quality instruction.”

            Music includes classics by Beethoven and Bach as well as fiddle favorites like “Turkey in the Straw” and “Home on the Range”.  Orchestra director Eric Liebhardt has prepared the orchestra for a “Serenade” by Schubert and “Hopak” by Moussorgsky.  Students from age 3 to adult perform.

            Group class teachers are Marin Colby, Chelsea Gardner, and Julie Davis with pianists Margarita Castro, Joy Miller, and Rimi Fletcher.  Kristen Nielson will also teach workshop classes.

            For more information on the workshop or concert contact Sara Penny at 586-2286 or <suzukistringscc@gmail.com>.