Betty POWER - Teacher Profile

Betty has a life-time of training, experience and research in children's music education. As a primary music specialist in the USA, she pursued graduate studies in Dalcroze, Orff, and Kodály, and was introduced to Suzuki Piano Teacher-Training by its co-founder, Mrs Haruko Kataoka, at the American Suzuki Institute in the 1980's.  From 1987-1990 Betty attended Dr Suzuki's Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan and is only one of a handful of Western teachers who completed studies there with a graduation recital by invitation from Dr Suzuki.  Her students have gained special recognition at festivals and won piano competitions in the UK at local, regional and national level.   A number have been awarded chorister-ships or went on to study music at conservatoire & university while another was Young Composer with the National Youth Orchestra.     Following the birth of her son in 1993, Betty established MusicNOW!, a popular and highly-successful parent-toddler music programme for 20 years.  To help prepare young children and their parents for piano lessons, her "First Steps" classes continue to focus on training basic musical competencies through musical play: rhymes, songs & singing games, rhythmic movement & percussion.  Betty and her husband Stephen Power are teachers and directors of Cambridge Suzuki Young Musicians since 1993, a unique programme which combines Suzuki Piano, Kodaly Musicianship training, music reading through a wide-range of repertoire and annual Summer School highlighting contemporary music, composition and chamber performance with professional musicians.  Parent inquiries always welcome from age 2.6, with lessons potentially commencing from age 3.6-4 yrs.