Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Raguse.
Hi Susan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My father was a Classical music aficionado. I don’t know of anyone in his family who had the same taste in music, but I grew up listening to the music of Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Beethoven, and Strauss. Every Sunday afternoon without fail, our house was full of beautiful music. He also liked to turn up the volume while he practiced his conducting “skills”. I had assumed, incorrectly, that my friends listened to similar music too.
At our elementary school in sixth grade, the beginning orchestra from our local jr high visited and played a concert for us. I am sure many played out of tune with scratchy bows and not all the players followed the conductor, but I was mesmerized.
When we began seventh grade in junior high, all of us were given a music aptitude tests. Administered by the same conductor who brought his orchestra students to visit us in sixth grade, we had to listen to various pitches, rhythms, and sounds. I zipped through my aptitude test and finished well ahead of most of the other students.
My parents got a call from the conductor a few days later and when my mother got off the phone, she was very excited. I had passed my aptitude test with flying colors and the conductor wanted me to play in the beginning orchestra!
I begged my parents to let me join and at the end of the following week, they signed me up. I showed up for our first rehearsal, violin in my hand and had no idea that this would be a life changing event.
My parents never had to make me practice and I often played for guests at home. They were patient and appreciative, even though I probably played a bit longer than they would have preferred.
I advanced over the next few years and eventually became concert mistress. (Boys were still called concert masters during that time, but it now applies to both sexes). I played in the school symphony and chamber music ensembles in high school and eventually auditioned for the local Youth Symphony, where I also served as concert master during my senior years.
I also studied privately with a professor at the local university, attended two summers at an elite music camp, and played/performed at any opportunity I had. I auditioned for and was accepted at three universities; I had a full tuition scholarship at the University of Miami and thus I began my college career in the music dept.
Studying in the music department offered unlimited opportunities to play and perform. Music from all periods of music was a smorgasbord of music opportunities.
Like all good things, I graduated and my college career ended. I had begun to think about post grad opportunities and most were to get a Master’s degree in music or audition for a full time, professional orchestra. I moved to Chicago with my then boyfriend, who was also a violin major. We soon found out that getting a full time professional music job was near impossible due to the high number of other music grads trying to do the same. Most union musicians, as we were, worked as independent contractors. The competition for music gigs was tight and most of these people had no health or dental insurance, paid vacation or sick days, and other job benefits that most people expect with full time employment.
It didn’t take long for my boyfriend (now husband) and me to realize that being a full time musician was a dream for most players. My husband got a job in a related field and I started a full time job as a corporate receptionist. Over a period of the next eight years, I worked my way up the corporate ladder to a “real” job. That promotion came with more money, an expense account and corporate travel, as well as other job perks. My brain was finally being challenged again.
Based on the path my career had taken, it was obvious that business, not music, was my future. I was accepted into the MBA program at Loyola University of Chicago and began a part time, five year business program for full time professionals.
About the time I had only a few semesters left before graduating with my MBA, I discovered I was pregnant with our first child. I continued my classes and worked until my delivery date. My husband and I lined up daycare and felt prepared for this life changing event.
Fate (or maybe it was reality) intervened and we found out that babies don’t care about plans their parents had made for them. After I returned to work we found out that providing for our son’s needs took priority over work, education, and household chores. Adhering to a schedule of day care, work, and running a household, it became obvious that we couldn’t “have it all.” Our priorities with our son’s birth was the most important thing for the three of us.
A year later, I graduated with my MBA and a few months later, I handed in my resignation. The relief of being out from under that albatross, enhanced by leaving a horrible boss behind, was the start of a new life and career.
I loved being a full time mother and wife. After about a year or so however, I found myself getting a bit antsy about being home full time. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
As word got out that I was an accomplished violinist, I started getting requests from parents to give their child private lessons. I knew nothing about teaching violin, other than during a college class. I answered the requests by suggesting they find a good Suzuki teacher, The Suzuki Method of Teaching provides the opportunity for children as young as 3 years. The same parent attends all lessons, children listen to the music of songs they have or will be learning and students progress.
A friend I ran into about this time told me about the first Suzuki Institute to be held in the Chicago area. I signed up, attended the classes for two weeks, and became a convert.
Ultimately, I completed all of the training and required observations in the Suzuki Method. I gained experience through teaching my students and as their playing improved, so did my teaching.
About ten years of living in the Chicago area, we moved our family to northern Michigan. It was ideal for children and families and we lived there for almost thirty years. Our children studied violin, flute, piano, and string bass with myself and other Suzuki trained teachers.
During the next ten years, I continued to teach privately, was a summer faculty member at the University of Wisconsin summer institutes developed two chamber music programs in my home town, and twice took my students to play at an invitation only group concert at Orchestra Hall, home of the internationally famed Chicago Symphony.
Together with a friend, we bought and rehabbed a 100 year old house, bringing it up to commercial code. Lessons in violin, viola, cello, flute, and piano were taught in separate studios and we had a group rehearsal room. Hundreds of lessons were taught there; music permeated the rafters.
About ten years, we sold the property and my husband and I moved back to Jacksonville, my home town. I’ve had to start growing a new teaching program and love that music is one of the constants in our lives. I’ve gone full circle; student and professional musician and teacher, to business woman, to full time motherhood, to teacher again. I still love my work and teaching young children to love good music and play to best of their ability. In the words of Shinichi Suzuki, who developed the method of teaching young children, the pupose of good music is to create beautiful hearts.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like anything worth doing or having in life, it has not been a smooth road. Please refer to the lengthy essay I just wrote about learning violin to where I am today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Please refer to my prior (very length) essay that answers most of your questions. I am a musician, but first and foremost I teach young children to play the violin. As those young students mature in age and music skills, I have the responsiblity to teach them even more complicated skills, all while they develop responsibility for themselves and their music.
I am a highly regarded teacher in Suzuki circles. Some of my students have continued their music studies at such noted places as University of Michigan, Eastman School of Music, Wheaton College, DePaul University, and many others.
I am most proud of my work developing children into being musicians and helping them along the way with both music and life challenges. It is rare when I can’t teach a student, even those that have developmental problems. Some of my former students today are physicians, dancers, geologists, a cytology technologist, engineers, etc. They have learned both music and life skills.
What were you like growing up?
I was an energetic, curious child. If you were to talk with my five siblings, you would hear stories about some of the mischief I used to get into.
I felt a need to help other people and in elementary school, I knew I wanted to either be a teacher or volunteer in the Peace Corp. In jr high, I was a gymnast and member of the track team. I loved learning how to play field hockey in high school.
I talked a lot to friends and family alike. One of my report cards in high school had a comment by my teacher that said “talks to much in class.” Ahem, my parents corrected the situation.
I am one of five girls and one brother; he is the oldest. All but one of the six live in Jacksonville; all six of us are very close. My sisters and I, aka “the aunts” are known by other family members as the ones that get things done. Have a family problem? Call one of us and we’ll get right on it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jacksonvillesuzukiviolins.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553112758903¬if_id=1760121534716886¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif
