Join Rick O’Connor, Sue Finn, and Julia Bonell for an informative webinar on Sunday 19th May, entitled “Teaching neurodivergent children through the Suzuki method”. This session offers insights into teaching and parenting children with neurodivergence, along with practical tips for addressing their needs in group and individual lessons. We encourage all teachers to join this session and to come prepared to share any tips they may have during the open discussion in the latter half of the webinar. Hope to see you there!
Julia Bonell
Julia is a Suzuki mum of four children aged 16, 15, 13 and 10, although only one has stuck with music. Two of her children are neurodivergent, and her journey of supporting her youngest's needs led her to discover the world of Suzuki. Originally an intensive care nurse, she is now a Director of Parent Carer Forum Devon. Her work involves hearing from parent carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and sharing their experiences to improve things in Devon.
Sue Finn
Sue worked in secondary schools for over thirty years, seeing many changes in educational method and philosophy, not least in the area of neurodiversity. She was a Suzuki mum for fifteen years and found the inclusive nature of an approach where ‘the potential of every child is unlimited’ highly inspiring. Sue qualified as a Level 5 Suzuki piano teacher in 2017 and runs her piano studio in East Yorkshire.
Rick O'Connor
Rick grew up living and breathing the Suzuki Method from the age of 2 years old. The youngest sibling of two older sisters who played and his mother being a Suzuki teacher, he was destined to have music as a prominent theme throughout his life.
As a young adult he trained to be a fully qualified level 5 Suzuki teacher and was the co-founder of Suzuki Hub in East London where he taught for 7 years.
He has been teaching professionally for 18 years, the last 4 predominantly online. He is a regular guest teacher at international Suzuki summer schools in the UK such as Bryanston and Temple Dinsley.
Rick now resides in Brazil, where he continues to teach Suzuki and Jazz violin, in person and online, while exploring the wealth of musical culture that the country has to offer.