SAA Conference Recap
Sunday, March 15th | 7 PM CT/ 8 PM ET
Can’t make it out to San Francisco for the SAA conference this year? Never fear! Some of our members will give you a recap of their experience! This general discussion is free for all!
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Free for all!
Getting Off the Practice Time Struggle Bus
How to get through a practice session with your child while still maintaining each other’s humor and sanity
Presented by Anne Montzka Smelser
Sunday, January 11th | 7 PM CT/ 8 PM ET
Ann Montzka Smelser began playing violin at the age of 3 with the help of her mother and father, Marilyn and Arthur Montzka. Later she studied under Kazuko Numanami and Sarah Hersh at the Oberlin College Suzuki Program and later with Rebecca Sandrok and Pierre Menard. In between receiving her Bachelors of Music Education and Masters in Performance and Pedagogue at Northern Illinois University, Ann studied with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan.
Ann has performed in many orchestras and chamber ensembles, including touring with the Ruggieri String Quartet after college, and is currently principal 2nd violinist with Camerata Chicago and concertmaster of the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Ann became a Registered Suzuki Teacher Trainer in 2007 and currently teaches Suzuki Pedagogy at both Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University. Ann teaches about 35 private students and is director of the NIU, CSA Suzuki Strings Program at NIU. Ann enjoys working with Suzuki families and teachers at Suzuki Institutes and workshops throughout the United States. Ann was a guest teacher at the 2010 International String Conference in Singapore and has given Teacher Training courses in Lima, Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico City. Ann lives in DeKalb, IL with her husband, Linc. Linc and Ann are proud Suzuki parents of their daughter, Genevieve, and son, Benjamin, who are professional musicians.
(Free for SAI members; $15 for non-members)
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Non-SAI Members: After registering, please go to Home to pay the attendance fee ($15.00).
Working with Neurodivergent Children Part 2
with Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Everhart
Sunday, November 16th, 2025 | 7 PM CT/ 8 PM ET
Join us on Zoom on Sunday, November 16th, for a presentation and discussion on working with neurodivergent children with Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Everhart. This is the concluding section of our two-part series on working with neurodivergent children.
(Free for SAI members; $15 for non-members)
Elizabeth discovered her love for the piano early in life, and from her first lesson at the age of 3.5, she (and her parents) knew it was a special bond. Since then, Elizabeth has not only continued to develop her piano skills but has also devoted her education and career to sharing the joy of music with students of all ages and abilities through teaching and mentoring.
In addition to nearly 20 years of teaching in universities, community music schools, K-12 music, and private studios, Elizabeth is fulfilling a dream of sharing her love for teaching with educators all over the world through the Creative Piano Pedagogy Blog and the launch of online pedagogy courses and consulting! Learn more about Elizabeth here >>
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Non-SAI Members: After registering, please click here to pay the attendance fee ($15.00).
If you are already an SAI Member, there is no charge for this workshop.
Working with Neurodivergent Children Part 1 (FREE)
Sunday, September 14th | 7 PM CT/ 8 PM ET
Join us on Zoom on Sunday, September 14th, with Michelle Habing for a roundtable discussion on “Working with Neurodivergent Children.”
Michelle Habing was a Suzuki kid starting violin at age 3 and is now a mother of 4 Suzuki kids. She graduated with a B.S. in music education with a proficiency in both voice and violin. She has taught violin for 18 years and Suzuki voice for 6 years. Her journey into special needs began 10 years ago when her 2nd child was diagnosed with autism. She has spent many hours in ABA therapy, speech and language therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. She has also spent many hours tutoring dyslexia using the Orton Gillingham approach. Finally, she has a passion for teaching children with a variety of special needs and helping to equip others to do the same.
REGISTER NOW – INACTIVE
Attendance is free for all!