Suzanne Brimhall Barraclough

Active Teacher

  • Region: Violin Salt Lake
  • Counties: Salt Lake County
  • Accepting New Students: yes
  • Instruments Taught: Violin

Online Presence

About Teacher

❤️ A Suzuki Violin Teacher and Violinist, Suzanne began studying the Suzuki Method at age 5. With over 45 years of teaching experience, Suzanne is currently teaching in her studio in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

Suzanne received her Teaching Certificate of Graduation from Dr. Shinichi Suzuki\\\'s Talent Education Research Institute in Matsumoto, Japan in 1987. She continues to train each year and is certified through S.A.A to teach Suzuki Twinkles and Books 1 through Post Book 10.  

Her students have attended prestigious music schools such as The Curtis Institute and The Cleveland Institute of Music. However, Suzanne\\\'s fondest hopes are to help foster children\\\'s character and sensitivity, that their lives and hearts be touched and nourished by the world of classical music. She wants her students to become exceptional violinists while developing a beautiful heart. 

Over the years Suzanne has taught in England, Japan, Tennessee, Indiana, Nebraska, Arizona, The Sacramento Suzuki School, Livermore\\\'s L.A.G.A.T.S. School, The Atwater School for at-risk children in Los Angeles, California as well as many other institutes (I.S.S.I.). She enjoys teaching at summer workshops, both indoors, outdoors and online.  Suzanne absolutely LOVES to teach!

Her performance experience includes the Utah Symphony, Ballet West Orchestra, L.A. East, Lexington Philharmonic, California Symphony, Fremont Symphony, Germantown Symphony, Jackson Symphony Orchestra and the T.E.R.I Orchestra. In addition to individual studies with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, Suzanne has studied with Miss Dorothy DeLay, Miss Yuko Mori, Kurt Sassmannshaus, William Preucil, Andrés Cárdenes, Joseph Silverstein, Eudice Shapiro, Samuel Applebaum, Mark Anders Emile, Judy Wendel Rich, and most especially and fondly, her first teacher, Dr. Arnold Schatz. She wishes to thank her amazing parents, Cleo and Rodger Brimhall for affording her these incredible experiences and always nurturing her with love!️  ️️

Experience

Hello - Thanks for reading :)   

At age 5, my mother asked if I would like to study the violin.  I agreed, not knowing that I was making a lifelong career choice !  I loved the violin so much!! At 14 I began teaching neighborhood students and started my official SAA Suzuki Teacher Training at 18. At 17, I received a full scholarship to Utah State University. I graduated from USU and received my degree cum laude in violin performance at the age of 21. I then traveled to Matsumoto, Japan, where I studied for two years with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki (the founder of the Suzuki Movement) along with Toshio Takahashi, Miss Yuko Mori and other great teachers.  After receiving my degree from his Talent Education Research Institute, I had the priviledge of teaching at workshops, Institutes around the world  including Huddersfield, England, Jackson Tennessee, Mesa Arizona, Bloomington Indiana, Los Angeles (at risk students,) Livermore, Berkeley and Freemont California, Stevens Point Wisconsin, Lincoln Nebraska, Sacramento California, here in Utah for many years at ISSI .  Eventually I settled down here in Utah.  I have performed with the California Symphony, Germantown Symphony, Jackson Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, Ballet West Orchestra, and others. I still love to play the violin!  But even more, I love to teach.

I follow Dr. Suzuki’s method. The most important points to him were to help students learn to increase sensitivity towards others through music. To develop a fine character through playing the violin from their heart, with living soul.  To learn kindness as a habit. And in all of these things, the students all become more caring, musical, creative, interesting, clever, motivated, and they enjoy! Though the families work very hard at lessons and at home, the fun and love are always there. It is a process. Every child can be developed.  Each student learns in their own way. All students can learn beautiful tone. These goals go hand in hand, such as “beautiful tone” and “beautiful heart.” They are all lifetime skills.

My husband Mark and I live in the Sugarhouse/Wells district of Salt Lake City, Utah.  I teach in our living room/converted creative studio.  We have a goofy dog named Millie and two gerbils, Gigi and Gidget. 

SAA Registered Training

Core Units

  • Every Child Can! Ed Sprunger and Team taught with Cleo Brimhall
  • Suzuki Principles in Action Pat D\'Ercole
  • Violin Unit 1 Miss Yuko Mori (Special Japanese training) and Beth Titterington
  • Violin Foundation 1A Cleo Brimhall
  • Violin Foundation 1B Diane Gollnick
  • Violin Unit 2 Hiroko Driver
  • Violin Unit 3 Craig Timmerman
  • Violin Unit 4 William Starr
  • Violin Unit 5 Doris Preucil
  • Violin Unit 6 Anastasia Jempelis
  • Violin Unit 7 Cathy Lee
  • Violin Unit 8 Dr. Shinichi Suzuki 
  • Violin Unit 9-10 Cathy Lee
  • Violin Practicum Pat D\'Ercole 
  • Also Early Childhood Education and all other units studied at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. Solo Graduation Date - May 15, 1987