By Daniela Gongora
The Belize Suzuki Summer Institute has been providing a completely unique experience for Suzuki families. While 2020 was intended to be the inaugural year, the institute was eventually canceled due to COVID. Summer 2021 brought us great joy as we welcomed a dozen students and a half dozen Suzuki teacher workshop participants to take part in our first Suzuki Institute. Whilst most institutes were online in 2021, we embarked in a bubble model where we all stayed on campus at a very small resort located in the lush rainforests of Belmopan City, Belize.
The purpose of the Belize Suzuki Summer Institute (BSSI) is to provide a Suzuki experience to Belizean families. In that same sentiment, Belizean Suzuki teachers have the opportunity to continue their lifelong journey of learning through professional development. Courses such as Suzuki Unit Training and/or enrichment courses are offered through BSSI with an invited registered SAA Teacher Trainer. We have been so lucky and fortunate to have had SAA Teacher Trainer James Hutchins as our mentor, providing training since 2021 in Violin Suzuki Books One through Four. This year (2024), Stacy Garner gave a very impactful enrichment class “The Power of Pre-Twinkle” to our teacher workshop participants.
In 2024 we doubled our enrollment and had twenty student participants and four teacher workshop participants with 20% of them visiting from the United States (Illinois, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Connecticut). At the end of our program we encouraged feedback from our families and here are some of their thoughts about their experiences. The remainder of this article is a mixture of student and parent reflections from the BSSI, as well as some of the highlights from the Institute.
Experiences in the Suzuki Core Classes
One parent did not believe their child would be able to do their 100x challenge in a day. Their masterclass teacher gave each student the “one point” lesson along with their 50, 75 or 100x challenge as their “homework.” When the parents saw how that experience lifted their child’s sense of self motivation, they were astonished and grateful at the same time. They felt that their child left the institute with a sense of accomplishment and affirmation that they CAN do the hard things necessary to become excellent!
When asked if the teacher connected with their child, or if their child received valuable feedback, the answer was 100% yes! Parents felt that they learned from watching the other students in the masterclass. They also expressed their understanding of the value of group class by observing their child’s role in a group setting. The importance of working together in a group setting is such an important skill, and asking little busy bodies to have self control in a nurturing environment was something parents really appreciated.
Experiences in Enrichment Classes
The institute’s goal is to enrich lives through music, sharing experiences that may not always be available for students in both Belize and those from across North America. One local instrument that has grown in popularity in the Caribbean plays a huge role in our cultural enrichment class: the steel pan. The steel pan class is given to students ages eight and older who have started the music reading process in their Suzuki journey. The class is set up as an ensemble and by the end of the week the students perform anything from a Suzuki Twinkle to Bob Marley, depending on the level of the students in the class. The students found this class a lot of fun! So much so, that parents are asking for their own adult steel pan class at next year’s institute in 2025.
Community Experiences Outside of Class
One of the highlights at the institute was making friends. Every day, we explored activities that brought the families together. From tie-dying T-shirts, to a BBQ-themed U.S. Independence Day party, the families thoroughly enjoyed a much needed down time after a day of classes and practice. Splashing around in the pool has definitely been a hit amongst the tweens and teenagers, but when surveyed, the one activity that was the favorite amongst the five to eight aged group in 2024 was the piñata party!
This year the students had a unique and exciting once in a lifetime experience of performing for the United States Ambassador to Belize, Michelle Kwan. The U.S. Embassy welcomed us to perform at their U.S. Independence Day celebration. We performed selected Suzuki pieces and the patriotic “America the Beautiful” for a packed auditorium. Equally exciting, our two advanced students—one from Belize and one from the U.S.—performed for the VIP pre-celebration event which included dignitaries from both Belize and the U.S. How cool is that?!
Overall Institute Experience at Belize Suzuki Summer Institute
One parent shared how this was their first institute experience and so they did not know what to expect. She particularly enjoyed how the teachers made learning fun. Another parent appreciated the language used to describe how to get the desired result of the technique being taught in the masterclass. They enjoyed the jungle-like setting of the resort where the camp is held. They loved the staff and especially the cook who is himself an accomplished recorder player and gave us a short performance after dinner during our BBQ celebration!
Institutes are a great way to bring people together and share in unique experiences. Parents were encouraged by their home teachers to attend institutes as a way to motivate their child. What makes the Belize Suzuki Summer Institute special is that we add a variety of cultural experiences in and outside of the classroom. Along with the steel pan experience, we introduced a syncopated rhythm to the Twinkle Variations which is a common Belizean phrase: “Weh di go on,” which translates to “What is going on?” or “What’s up?” We include this rhythm in our final play down concert with a fun Caribbean accompaniment.
The tie dying of T-shirts and having s’mores by a campfire is something other institutes do in North America, and so we added some of these experiences in our camp as well. In the end our joyful shared experiences in music is what all institutes wish for their camp participants and the Belize Suzuki Summer Institute is no different. Overall, the families that have attended BSSI thought that BSSI did above and beyond when it came to inspiring and motivating their children. We just add a little touch of Caribbean and Latin flavor to our camp that makes it oh so sweet!
Parent Testimonials
Best experience ever, we learned a lot and my son is engaged in playing a lot more than ever before, can’t wait for next year’s camp!!!!—Blanka Svobodova, Parent (IL, USA)

Our daughter transformed her violin playing after participating at The Belize Suzuki Summer Institute. Students are immersed for a week with world class teachers in a jungle resort environment, which makes for a fun experience for parents and other families too. Highly recommend.—Mickey Bowen, Parent (Belize)

The camp was inspiring. It was good to get feedback and inspiration to foster their growth on their instruments. Evening and social activities were a big hit. There were wonderful creative ways to keep everyone engaged. —Nicole Lozano, Parent (Belize)