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String Faculty for the Suzuki Strings Institute is chosen from master teachers. Each teacher has experience in assisting students at all levels to play their best.
Lamar Blum (IL) A graduate of the University of Montana School of Music, Lamar taught public school strings in Missoula before becoming a supervisor of primary music for classroom teachers. After moving to Illinois, a private studio was more suitable to her family needs. Her exposure through Eugene Andrie to the Suzuki method offered new dimensions to the musical community of Elgin. Offering violin, viola, cello, bass and flute by Suzuki instruction was new to the area. It has led the community in music education since 1975.
The Elgin program is looked upon a model program which gives Lamar the opportunity to speak to groups of teachers on studio organization. She is also sought after as a teacher and lecturer for summer and weekend institutes. Lamar is active in the Suzuki Association of the Americas as committee chair and speaker at various conferences. She has recently completed a three year term on the Association’s Board of Directors.
Naming a phalaenopsis orchid for Shinichi Suzuki, she traveled to Japan in 1991 to present one to the then 92 year old educator on the Annual Grand Concert in Tokyo. At that time, she remained to take classes with Suzuki.
In 2001, Lamar retired form the Elgin Symphony Orchestra after 30 years of playing and was named a Musical Treasure of Elgin. In 1999, she was recognized by the Musician’s Union for outstanding contributions to the Music Education of Young People. She holds the 1993 Margaret Hillis Award for the Arts form the Elgin YWCA, the 1991 Entrepreneur Award from Women in Management, 1989 Music Educator of the Year by the Elgin Youth Orchestra and is listed in the 1966 Outstanding Young Women of America.
Lamar is extremely grateful to be a part of the Montana Suzuki Strings Institute. She wants to help provide a wonderful Suzuki experience for each parent and child who participates.
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Judy Blank (MI) received a Bachelors of Music Education from Northern Illinois University. She studied with Pierre Menard and Schmuel Ashkenasi of the famed Vermeer Quartet. She also studied with Ruggerio Ricci, a renowned violin virtuoso. Judy began her Suzuki training in Rockford, IL with Eleanor Stanlis. She has served on the board of the Suzuki association of the Americas for four years. She has been a guest clinician at Suzuki workshops in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, and New Zealand. Judy now resides in Ann Arbor, MI where she has a private studio of 70 students. She also performs in the Ann Arbor Symphony.
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Colleen Fitzgerald (WI), the 2006 recipient of the Certificate of Excellence in Studio Teaching from the Civic Music Association of Milwaukee, has been teaching violin for the past 12 years. Besides teaching, Ms. Fitzgerald is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Teaching Degree from Cardinal Stritch University. During the year she adjudicates at the National Federation of Music Club's Junior Festival Auditions and is a frequent guest clinician at Suzuki weekend workshops throughout the Midwest. For the past 8 summers, Ms. Fitzgerald has had the opportunity to teach students from all over the United States and Europe as a clinician at the Louisville Suzuki Institute-Kentucky, Capital University Suzuki Institute-Ohio, and Montana Suzuki Strings Institute-Montana. Besides her many teaching opportunities, Ms. Fitzgerald performs as 1st violinist in the Newstring Quartet.
Ms. Fitzgerald began Suzuki violin lessons at age 6 and two years later continued her studies with Suzuki Teacher Trainer, Joan Rooney. She is a graduate of the University of Evansville where she studied under world-renowned Suzuki pedagogue, Professor Carol Dallinger, and earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance with Suzuki Pedagogy. She has also received supplemental Suzuki teacher training at the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point, WI and began her Early Childhood Education training under Suzuki ECE Trainer, Dorothy Jones.
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Beth Youngblood (MT) was introduced to both fiddling and improvisation while living in Asheville, N.C., in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She spent eight years touring the country and the world with the Howard Hanger Jazz Fantasy, as well as learning fiddle tunes “back porch style” from some genuine old-timers. She is the current director of the Missoula Branch of the Montana Women’s Chorus, performs as violinist/vocalist with activist singer-songwriter Judy Fjell, the world music ensemble, Mandir, is the lucky mother of 2 musically passionate sons, and maintains a full private Suzuki violin studio in Missoula.
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Timothy “Terry” Durbin (KY) is one of the most sought after clinicians/conductors in the country, bringing smiles and laughter to over 40 workshops and institutes each year. He is a composer who has written many works for string instruments. He has soloed with orchestras in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, and has recorded two CD’s, the most recent being the complete chamber music of Marcel Dupre for the Naxos label. He received his undergraduate degree form the University of Alabama and his Masters in Violin Performance form the University of Illinois. He lives in Kentucky with has wife, Sandy, and their three children. Terry is a believer in magic and the power of music to enrich us and make our lives more meaningful and beautiful.
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Matthew Marsolek (MT) is a composer, arranger, and bandleader for Drum Brothers. He has studied East Indian and West African music for the past 15 years with a variety of teachers, including Mukesh Desai form India and Abdoul Doumbia, Mamady Keita, Joh Camara, and Karamba Diabate from Guinea and Mali, West Africa. Matthew has experience and training in jazz, classical, and Hindustani vocal technique and is also an accomplished jazz and classical guitarist. He has also received awards of excellence form the University of Montana for his musical work with theater and dance. As a recording artist, Matthew has released projects with Drum Brothers and Mandir as well as two solo recordings, the most recent entitled, “The Bhakti Road”. A dedicated and charismatic educator, Matthew teaches classes and clinics in rhythm, and hand drumming throughout the Northwest and in Canada.
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Molly Morrison (MT) holds a Masters in Piano Performance from Arizona State University. From 1987 – 1994 she was an Instructor at the University of Montana and has taught classes in accompanying, pedagogy and piano.
She is an active accompanist with the Suzuki Summer String Institute, the Montana Association of Symphony Orchestras Concerto Competitions, regional Met Auditions and Montana All-State Choirs .
A Montana Master Teacher and a nationally certified music teacher, Molly teaches private students of all ages, presents workshops to music teachers and adjudicates throughout the Northwest. She has recently been named as the NW Certification Chair on the National Certification Commission for MTNA.
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Shigetoshi Yamada (IL) studied at the Toho Gakuen University in Tokyo under Hideo Saito, Etsuko Hirose, Saburo Sumi and William Primrose. After graduating, he was encouraged to study violin in Europe by Shinichi Suzuki. Following Dr. Suzukiʼs recommendation, Mr. Yamada entered the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands. In the Netherlands, he studied baroque violin under Sigiswald Kuijken and Lucy Van Dael. During this time, he performed in an ensemble with Frans Bruggen and participated in a number of concerts with Nicolaus Harnoncourt.
Upon his graduation for the Royal Conservatoire, Mr. Yamada was invited to come to Ann Arbor, Michigan to join the faculty of Ann Arbor Suzuki Institute and join the Ars Musica Baroque Orchestra. With this ensemble, he participated in numerous live performances and recordings.
In Michigan, Mr. Yamada studied modern violin under Ruggiero Ricci and went on to become the principal violinist of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Yamada has given solo recitals in the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany and Venezuela. He has performed as a concertmaster with various baroque orchestras in Dallas, Kansas City and Milwaukee. In 2001, Mr. Yamada performed in the Chicago Symphonyʼs chamber music series. Currently, he teaches at the Music Institute of Chicago; currently a techer-trainer of the S.A.A. He actively researches the development of violin technique from the Baroque period to modern times.
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Susie Rischo (MT) is a professional artist, teacher, former owner of Perugia Restaurant and Gallery and executive director of StoryKeepers, a non-profit organization seeking to inspire individuals to express or preserve their personal histories. She serves on several boards in Missoula and she and her husband, Ray, received the Cultural Achievement Award from Missoula Cultural Council in 2008.
Susie received Bachelorʼs degrees with honors in Elementary Education as well as Art. She served as director of Community Preschool for seven years and has taught in private and public schools in Missoula from preschool, through high school since 1980. She has worked with special populations including students with ADHD, developmental disabilities, gifted and emotionally disturbed. She has given private art lessons and continues to teach, on occasion, at the Missoula Art Museum.
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Faculty 
