Emma O'Keefe, Founder and Director, Grow With Music
Emma O'Keefe B.A, B.MUS, Dip. Ed. (Primary) is a Cello and Early Childhood Music Educator specialising in the Suzuki Philosophy of Music Education from birth and beyond. She has two teenage children who are young musicians having grown up through this program.
She has a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello performance (UWA), a Diploma of Education (Edith Cowan), and is an accredited Suzuki Teacher Trainer in Cello and Early Childhood Music. She has undertaken units of study in Early Childhood Care and Education at Murdoch University in Western Australia, and is committed to the promotion of quality education in the early years as supported by the National Quality Standard and the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (COAG, 2009) in the nurturing context of the philosophy of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki.
She has been teaching Suzuki Cello since 1995 and in 1999 established the first Suzuki Early Childhood Music programme in Western Australia. Grow With Music is now one of several programmes under the partnership of Suzuki Early Childhood Education (WA). Visit www.secewa.com.au for more information.
At Grow With Music, we have a close-working group of highly committed Suzuki Music educators who value the importance of ongoing shared collaboration and co-operation in upholding the Suzuki Philosophy while drawing on the principles, practices and outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (COAG, 2009). We appreciate the current emphasis on the provision of quality service of education and care in the early years as a result of the recent government initiative to improve current practices.
Through ongoing mentorship and professional inquiry, we strive to continually provide a fresh, dynamic and lively practice for our children and families in the name of the Philosophy of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki while drawing on the principles, practices and outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (COAG, 2009).
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About Us
Susannah Endersby, Suzuki Violin and Baby/Toddler Music Teacher
I began my journey with The Suzuki Method as a 6 year old when I began learning Suzuki Violin. I was heavily involved in music throughout my school years and studied Music Education at The University of Western Australia. I have taught the Violin for 15 years, working in various schools in Perth. I reconnected with the Suzuki community when I enrolled my first child into the Suzuki Early Childhood classes at 10 weeks old.
Since then, all of my three children have participated in the baby/toddler music classes, the Suzuki Kindy program and have progressed to instrumental lessons. After being inspired by the benefit music had on my own and other children in the baby/toddler music classes, I pursued training in Suzuki ECE and am now a qualified ECE teacher, as well as an accredited Suzuki Violin teacher.
Josephine Fountain, Suzuki Cello Teacher (Bedford, W.A)
I am an accredited teacher of Suzuki Cello and feel drawn to Dr Suzuki's philosophy, particularly his assertion that all children can develop wonderful abilities (musical and otherwise) given the love and support of their families and teacher, and the emphasis on the development of character as well as talent in children. I now teach Suzuki individual and group lessons privately and at Presbyterian Ladies' College and MLC, as well as participating in events run by the Suzuki Cello School (WA) with Emma.
Elizabeth Marsh, Suzuki Cello Teacher (Nedlands, W.A.)
elizabeth.marsh0310@gmail.com
Elizabeth Marsh began her cello journey with the Suzuki Cello program and is currently studying Cello Performance at the UWA Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Suzanne Wijsman. Elizabeth is a registered Suzuki Cello Teacher Trainee with STEAA(WA) and is completing her training with Emma O’Keefe.
Elizabeth Murray, Suzuki Early Years Learning Educator
My involvement in Suzuki Early Childhood Education began when accompanying my nieces and sister-in-law to Grow With Music. Eleanor, the youngest niece, started attending in-utero. I had the privilege of hearing her first words to me in song! She started to sing the lullaby 'Bye M' Bye' (from the Suzuki repertoire) that I had been singing to her regularly, often to soothe her. Inspired by my Suzuki experiences and passion for music, I then became qualified as a Teacher of Suzuki Early Childhood Music. I have had the pleasure of working with Jenny McCormack at 'Music Time for Babies and Toddlers' for several years. In 2010 I completed my Masters of Education (Early Childhood) and also began working with Emma O'Keefe at 'Grow With Music'.
I find it a joy to be involved in young children's sense of awe and wonder, openness, playfulness, imagination and creativity, and their developing sensitivities towards others. What attracts me to the Suzuki approach is that it fosters the crucial child/parent/teacher relationship, and teaches music but at the same time embraces the total development of the child. Dr Suzuki's guiding principle was 'character first, ability second'. It is apparent to me that no matter whether or not these children go on to become musicians, they (and we) have benefited in so many ways and been given such a fine foundation from which to grow.
