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We are a premier music school located in the San Francisco East Bay, California. We welcome any music student who wants to learn to play a string instrument. Our educational philosophy is primarily based on the exceptional principles of the Suzuki Method. Our prime offerings are therefore our expert lessons in Suzuki violin, viola, cello, and bass.

SSA welcomes school age string students for private instruction, group classes, orchestra, and chamber music, any teaching method of instruction.

SSA offers group lessons in guitar and early music education classes in Music & Movement in cooperation with Livermore Area Park and Recreation District (LARPD).

Sycamore Strings Academy is partnering with the Livermore-Amador Symphony Association, our local symphony, in operating a Summer Youth Orchestra for musicians age 13 – 21, LASYO, Livermore-Amador Symphony Youth Orchestra. The orchestra meets during the summer months each year, now for two years in a row. The session for 2010 ended with a remarkable concert on July 31.

See this link: LASYO performance July 31. Conductor is Goran Berg, assistant conductor is Katherine Boster.

Information and registration for the 2011 summer youth orchestra, please contact Betsy Hausburg:  vdt.director@sbcglobal.net or (925) 443-6953. Link: Livermore-Amador Symphony Youth Orchestra. LASYO rehearsal pictures, summer 2010:

Sycamore Strings Academy is also a partner with the Livermore Valley Performance Arts Center (LVPAC), using facilities at the Bothwell Performing Arts Center in Livermore. SSA also cooperates with the Crowden Center for Music in the Community (CCMC) in Berkeley and the Holy Names University (HNU) in Oakland. SSA is an approved vendor, providing music instruction to students of Connecting Waters Charter School, an organization for home school students in the area.

SSA’s classes are held primarily in Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon.

Enrollment forms for string instruments: the Enrollment Form is located on our Admissions page. Please, to ease on our administration, always start the process getting enrolled by early filling out and sending in the enrollment form to SSA!

Class Offerings for Fall 2010

Suzuki Classes

• Group & individual classes in Suzuki violin, viola, cello, and bass for certified Suzuki teachers. Beginners from age 3 to 8. This is a branch of our academy we want to grow this fall. We are therefore very happy to welcome a new member of our great violin teacher faculty, Vivienne Kim (see faculty page for her bio). Ms. Kim will be teaching from September and take on mainly beginner students. We want to especially welcome young beginner students of age 3 – 8, to meet our new teacher!
• Note Reading & Music Theory. All Suzuki students at appropriate level of age and technical ease and facility on their instruments will get education in note reading & music theory, developed and implemented by our expert teachers and directors.
• Parent education is offered prior to starting beginner students: Introduction to Suzuki. For latest information about this important class, follow this link: Introduction to Suzuki. This year, the Introduction to Suzuki course is held in cooperation with the Holy Names University in Oakland.
• Junior string orchestra for first time orchestra experience. Special tuition discount for this year’s LASYO students.
• Senior string orchestra for advanced Suzuki students. Special tuition discount for this year’s LASYO students.
• Chamber orchestra and chamber music classes for advanced Suzuki students. Special tuition discount for this year’s LASYO students.
• CELLO & BASS – We are happy to keep on developing our cello and bass program for students of all ages. We welcome beginners from age 3 and up to our Suzuki program, lead by our cello & bass teacher Beth Foort. School age students are welcome to all our highly qualified teachers.

For Students on Violin, Viola, Cello & Bass

• Private instrumental quality instruction, designed for school age children who wants to take private lessons on their string instrument. Adjusted traditional & Suzuki inspired methods will be applied by our qualified faculty to best fit each student.
• Orchestra and Chamber Music classes by audition. You can apply and attend orchestra or chamber music classes only. You don’t have to take private lessons with SSA to be member of our orchestra or chamber music class.
• We have a special need for cello and bass students. Our very qualified cello teachers are Tamara Bohlin, advanced cello, and Beth Foort, string bass & beginning cello. We are this fall seeking advanced cello students for our outstanding master teacher Tamara Bohlin.

Performances

• Annual concert series with student performers. SSA performs 15 times in 2010! Performance is integrated in the annual curriculum as part of the education for everybody, young beginner as well as experienced older students.
• Ensembles of advanced students groups for hire to perform at public and private events, like weddings, choir concerts, church events.

Guitar

• Our very popular Guitar With Christina program where you learn to accompany your favorite songs! Taught in group classes for age 7 and up.

Music and Movement

• As a young student, before or during instrument studies, we offer Music & Movement classes from toddler age and up, arranged by LARPD, designed by our own early education educator, Christina Berg.

Our Motto: Everyone Can Learn!

• As a Suzuki student you will receive a child centered, individual music education as well as a group education. Parents and students have the opportunity to learn together in accordance with the teachings of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki from teachers with certified Suzuki training.
• All SSA students on the violin, viola, cello, and bass students will have access to quality private lessons and classes in orchestra, fiddle, chamber music, and multiple performance opportunities.
• Our affiliation with the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center assures the usage of existing performance facilities like the Bothwell Performing Arts Center and the Bankhead Theater.
• Our partnership with Livermore-Amador Symphony concerns LASYO, the Summer Youth Orchestra, active in June – August. The orchestra will be conducted by Goran Berg, SSA Director.
• We offer our renowned annual concert series with formal concerts, student recitals, fiddle sessions, and community performances. Our performances are a very important part of our students’ education. We annually every fall perform our own Young Musicians’ Festival for invited groups as well as the SSA students.
• Our partnership with the Crowden Music Center in Berkeley assures a direct connection between SSA and the music education world of the Greater Bay Area. Teachers from the SSA faculty currently teach Suzuki classes at CMC. An annual Summer Suzuki Workshop is organized as part of CMC’s summer program with a faculty of outstanding national Suzuki teachers. The 2010 summer workshop will be held at Crowden July 29 – Aug. 1.
• Our partnership as vendor to the Connecting Waters Charter School provides financial support for home school students when studying with SSA.