Green Mountain Suzuki Institute July 9

2011 Electives Teachers

Kate Gridley (art) maintains a painting studio in Middlebury, Vermont, where she lives with her husband and two teen age sons. She has taught at Middlebury College, The Gailer School, The Bridge School, Frog Hollow and The Town Hall Theater. Her courses have ranged from " Painting Techniques of the Renaissance" to "The World of Beatrix Potter", to classes in drawing, watercolor, and oil painting. Kate's work hangs in national and international public and private collections.

Alexis Houston Maurya (Yoga) has studied and practiced Hatha yoga, as well as meditation for twenty-two years and was given permission to teach asanas in 2003 by the Green Mountain School of Yoga. She has taught yoga at Inner Traditions, an international book publishing company in Vermont, at Twin Farms Spa and Resort in Barnard, Vermont, and for the Rochester Public School in Vermont, for their wellness program. She has taught yoga to children at GMSI for two summers. She also teaches privately and does yoga and meditation workshops in Vermont, Cape Cod, and Delhi, India. In 2009 she edited a book for her meditation teacher, called With Love, Swami Probuddhananda: letters on Advaita Vedanta. Currently she is writing a yoga curriculum for kids ages 5 through 17. Currently she teaches, practices and does free lance writing. She lives in Delhi, India with her husband, and teaches in the US during the summer.

Erik Nielsen (Composition) has been composing for 30 years and his catalog includes works for chorus, orchestra, solo instruments, chamber music of many configurations and electronic music. He has had his works performed throughout the U.S., including such venues as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Erik works with composition students in Vermont and elsewhere throughout the United States through private lessons, summer camps and organizations like the Vermont MIDI Project.

Scott Paulson (Carribean Steel Drumming) has a B.A. Music from Johnson State College, VT, and has taught instrumental music programs, jazz bands, steel bands and percussion groups in area private and public schools since 1996. He has done Steel Drum workshops for such entities as The Vermont Alliance for Arts Education and for The Killington Music Festival Suzuki School. He has played and recorded with a myriad of groups in various genres and on a variety of instruments, notably as leader/front man/steel pannist/bassist with the eclectic group SKABAZZA, which performed at the 1998 Phish festival "Lemonwheel" in Limestone, Maine. He currently plays lead pan in several of his steel bands,and has played Bass Guitar with folk artist/instrumentalist "Spencer Lewis and the Thrufters," and with GUSANO (Latin and New Orleans Funk), and with 3...2... Get Ready, and Highland Bagpipes with The Catamount Pipe Band.

Pete Sutherland (Traditional Fiddling), though known especially for his way with Appalachian styles, would say he's more of a generalist, having spent quality time with Yankee, Irish, Scandinavian and French Canadian fiddling. He has taught and performed at dozens of folk festivals and camps. Pete currently teaches in Monkton and Burlington and is on the Applied Faculty at Middlebury College. The latest CD to feature Pete's fiddling is "Streak o' Lean" on his own Epact Label.

Other Electives Instructors TBA: Chorus, Improvisation, Theater, Movement

2011 Administrative Staff

Jody Woos (Executive Director) is a Suzuki piano teacher in New Haven, VT. She did her Suzuki teacher training with Marilyn Taggart and Cynthia Huard. She has also been influenced by the wonderful teachers of her two sons, Doug, age 21, and Tim, age 18, and by the teachers at GSMI. She is returning to the institute this year in her ninth year as director. She is also very proud to be a founding Board Member of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival which will take place August 21-August 21, 2011.

Susie Smolen (Associate Director, Sing, Move and Laugh) is a music educator and performer who has taught and entertained both children and adults in a variety of settings. After receiving her BA in Music Performance from Johnson State College (recorder) Susie went on to receive her Vermont Teaching License (Music K-8). Susie teaches guitar and recorder to both children and adults from her home in Rochester.

Piano Teachers

Violin/Viola Teachers

Cello Teachers

Flute Teachers