Meet the Faculty of the
Suzuki Music School of Arkansas


Mr. Thomas Chun-yu Chen (Violin) came to United States in 1997 after 2 years of
 serving the Ministry of National Defense Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan where he was resident composer, and member of the presidential string quartet that frequently performed in presidential concerts. Mr. Chen was a member of many orchestras and Mr. Chen gave recitals through United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. 

He is a violin performer, violin teacher (including the Suzuki method), and violinmaker. Mr. Chen received his performance diploma from Wa-Kan Art High School, BFA degree in violin performance from Fu-Jen Catholic University, MM degrees with Suzuki Pedagogy training from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and MA degree in music education from Lindenwood University. He also studied for many years with Mr. Eliot Chapo and Dr. Karen Clark at the Florida States University, and with Dr. Wonbin Yim at the Cincinnati Music Conservatory. He is currently a DMA candidate at the University of Memphis, studying with Mr. Timothy Shiu.

A member of the VSA (Violin Making Society of America) and VMAAI (Violin Makers Association Arizona International), his instruments have won numerous awards at the VMAAI annual competitions in 2007, including a "Silver medal (Second Place) Overall in Large Viola Section",  "Silver medal (Second Place) Overall in Small Viola Section", and "Silver medals (Second Place) Tone Award on both Large Viola and Small Viola Sections". Mr. Chen's violin making is virtuoso and professional. He has been working and researching violin making for years. He is always seeking better ways of making violins to help to advance violin education.

He combined violin making technology and ideas about sound into his violin teaching and performance. His designs advanced the vibration and structure of small and full-sized instruments by combining his "interactive vibration idea" and "multiple vibrate harmonic sounding". The combination created a clear tone that enabled young children to do advanced ear training on the violin. This method completely advanced the way of learning the violin. His double uneven oil varnish technology created a focus- rounded tone reaction on the pitches' progression, resulting in a clear and natural focused note-changing during the playing. The ideas and the results helped take his violin pedagogy to a higher level.

Miho Oda-Sakon (Violin) is currently an Artist in Residence at SMSA. Miho grew up in Japan where at age 4, she began her education in violin by the Suzuki Method. She was awarded the Diploma Certificate, the highest level of recognition given, by the Talent Education Institute of Suzuki Association in March of 1980.

Miho holds the Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in violin performance from the Tokyo College of Music. She was taught the violin by Yoko Kubo who received the 3rd prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1962 and the 1st prize in the A. Curci International violin competition in 1967. In 1990, Miho pursued additional study at the Indiana Uniiversity with Yuval Yaron. She has won numerous awards for performance and has extensive performing and recording experience as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player.

She began teaching the violin in 1989, and has worked as a professional musician since 1991, giving concerts and performing in Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Phiharmonic Orchestra. She performed concerto by M. Bruch as a violin soloist with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra
in the Czech Republic in 2002. In addition she has produced “Concerts with Children” at the Tokyo Children’s Library. Her recitals and concerts have been enjoyed by many admirers. Miho has experience teaching children as young as four years old, and as old as twenty.

Catherine Becker (Violin) is currently a double violin/business major at the Univeristy of Arkansas.  She is presently studying violin with Dr. Rissitza Jekiova-Goza.  Catherine has studied the Suzuki Violin Method with Karen Jeter, Dr. Meredith Nisbet, and Barbara Johnson.  Catherine completed Every Child Can! in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Marilyn O’Boyle, Suzuki Violin Book 1 with Beth Titterington, and Suzuki Violin Book 2 with Stevie Sandven.  In addition to her Suzuki training, Catherine has participated in numerous workshops.  She has been teaching violin since she was fifteen.

Catherine teaches private violin lessons at SMSA.

Mary Ann Haley (Violin) received her B. Music degree and Teaching Certification from the University of Arkansas and her M. Music in Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado.  She has taught at the Suzuki Music School of Arkansas since 1991 and served as its Director from 1995-2000.  She is registered with the SAA and has trained with Suzuki Master Teachers including Kay Collier Stone, Alan Lieb, Debbie Goolsby, Pat D’Ercole, Doris Preucil, Nancy Lokken, Barbara Rubenstein, Ronda Cole, and Mark Bjork.  She has maintained a large private violin studio since 1970 and has been an Artist in Residence in public and private schools in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and Montana.  Mary toured as a National Young Audience violinist with the Cascade String Quartet and performed over 350 educational concerts and demonstrations from 1985-1990.  She has conducted violin master classes, orchestra and chamber music workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada.  In addition to her violin studio, Mary is a tenured violinist with the Arkansas Symphony (Little Rock), is founder and “coach” of the Fayetteville Fiddle Choir and teaches at the Grand Lakes Fiddle Camp in Grove, OK. 

Stevie Sandven (Violin) is a registered SAA teacher trainer. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from Drury College in Springfield, Missouri; a teacher certificate from Webster College in St. Louis; and the Master of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory where she was a student of Tierberius Klausner.  Ms. Sandven studied Suzuki violin pedagogy with Alice Joy Lewis, Sandy and Joan Reuning, and Yuko Honda.  She has been active in SAA, as a member of the Teacher Training Approval Committee and as editor of the ethics column in the SAA Journal.  She offered the keynote address at the 2002 SAA Convention.  Ms. Sandven’s teaching career has involved 17 years as a studio teacher and 11 years as a public school instructor and orchestra conductor.  She was also founder and conductor of two youth string orchestras with the Kansas City Youth Symphony. 

Ms. Sandven teaches violin group classes and  Every Child Can! at SMSA;  offers teacher training through Violin Book 8, and mentors developing violin teachers through SMSA’s Teacher Development Program.

John Finch (Bass, Cello) received a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance and a Master of Music Degree in Cello Performance from Louisiana State University where he was a student of Thadeaus Brys.    He has completed most of his Doctoral work at North Texas State University where he was a student of Adolfo Odnoposoff   Mr. Finch has taught in both private and public schools.  He has been teaching cello for over 25 years, performs with the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and also teaches at the University of Arkansas as the lower strings teacher.   John is SAA certified in Cello Books 1-6 and has studied with Rick Mooney, Jean Dexter, Nancy Hair, and Pam Davenport.   

In addition to teaching cello private lessons and group classes at SMSA, John frequently offers programs featuring cello demonstrations to regional children through area libraries, and public and private schools.

Donna Jean Glasgow (Piano) was born in Nashville, Arkansas, where she received early instruction in piano from her mother. She was subsequently enrolled in formal piano lessons and studied with Virginia Ruth Nutt and Cleone Goss of Nashville. 

Donna Jean graduated from Henderson State University with a bachelor's degree in music education with a specialty in instrumental music, majoring in clarinet and piano. After receiving her degree she attended graduate school at Henderson while teaching traditional piano in Prescott, Arkansas. She subsequently was director of bands in the Nashville public schools. She moved to Little Rock in 1978 and became principal clarinetist for the River City Community Band and UALR chamber orchestra.  She was accompanist for the Little Rock Community Children's Chorus as well as the Arkansas Choral Society. In 1984 she enrolled her young son, Alan, in violin lessons with the Suzuki Institute for Musical Training.  Joseph McSpadden, founder of SIMT and SAA board member, mentored her and encouraged her to acquire credentials to teach Suzuki piano and join the faculty.  Donna Jean received her teacher training from Linda Jackson at Memphis State University and subsequently studied Japanese Pedagogy with Haruko Kataoka.  Her training is registered with the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Donna Jean is a charter member of the Suzuki Association of Central Arkansas, where she has actively participated for the past 20 years.  As a member of SACA, she has helped organize numerous Suzuki piano workshops.  She has taught Suzuki piano for the past 10 years at Adventures in the Arts in Little Rock, as well as for the past 5 years at the Community School Music at the University of Central Arkansas.  She has also served as choral accompanist at the Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church.

Claire Detels (Piano) An Emeritus Professor of Music who taught at the University of Arkansas from 1982 to 2008, Dr. Detels is now concentrating on piano teaching at the Suzuki School of Music in Fayetteville; and piano performance as accompanist at the Unitarian Fellowship, and director of the Butcher-Detels Four-Hand Piano Duo (on the Arkansas Artists on Tour roster, see www.fourhandfun.com for more information).  Dr. Detels’s musical training includes a B.A, from Colorado College (1975), M.A.(1979) and Ph.D. (1982) from the University of Washington, and recent Suzuki piano study at the St. Louis Suzuki Institute (2007-8) under Joan Kryzycki  and Karen Bartmann.  She has also studied piano from Alan and Alvin Chow, Max Lanner, Reah Sadowsky, Neal O’Doan, Randolph Hokanson and jazz artist Claudia Burson; harpsichord from Margaret Gries and Larry Palmer, and organ with Carole Terry.  She has performed throughout the South Central region as a keyboard soloist and accompanist with such groups as the Early Music Consort of Kansas City, the Duo Courante and the Ensemble Courante, the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra., and with various ensembles and faculty performers at the University of Arkansas, and, most recently, with the Butcher-Detels Duo. She has also been active in state and national education matters, as board member of the Arkansas Music Education Association, the national Gender Research in Music Education group, and as co-Chair of the Aesthetics and Education committee of the American Society for Aesthetics.

Debbie Oliver (Piano & Voice) holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Ms. Oliver has taught private piano and voice for the last 17 years and has directed church music programs for the past 18 years.  Debbie previously served as member with the Arizona Opera Company, Opera Colorado and the Fargo/Moorhead Opera Company.  Debbie is SAA certified in Piano Book 1.

Debbie is also available to teach voice lessons at the Suzuki School.

Brenda Parker (Piano) is originally from Elmira in upstate New York.  She comes to SMSA with 15 years experience teaching Suzuki piano lessons.  She and her husband Chuck relocated to Northwest Arkansas from Toledo, Ohio.  Brenda has  studied piano with Reginald Gerig at Wheaton College, and with Frances Renzi at the University of Toledo. Brenda has completed all 7 levels of Suzuki Piano.  Her Suzuki Trainers have included Carole Bigler, Mary Craig Powell, Nehama Patkin, and Christine Allen. 

Brenda is a member of MTNA and is active in both the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association and the North Arkansas Music Teachers Association.  In addition to teaching, she has experience as a church organist and pianist, and choral accompanist.

Brenda teaches private piano lessons in Rogers on Mondays and Fridays and at SMSA Tuesday through Thursday.  She also teaches group piano at SMSA.  Brenda chaired the production of SMSA’s Celebrate Music! Workshop featuring Valery Lloyd-Watts during the 2004-2005 school year.

Mark Smidt (Piano) earned the Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from John Brown University and the Master of Music degree in music history from the University of Arkansas. He was a staff accompanist at the University of Arkansas, Department of Music before joining the SMSA faculty in 1990.  Mark has completed coursework for Suzuki Piano Books 1-6.  His Suzuki Teacher Trainers have included Carole Bigler, Nancy Pederson, Jeanne Leudke, Doris Harrel, and Nehama Patkin. He is currently a piano student of Jura Margulis at the University of Arkansas. 

Mark teaches private piano and group classes at SMSA. He also teaches pre-school music at the New School in Fayetteville and holds the position as the organist at Sequoyah United Methodist Church. He has served as principal keyboard for the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Mark serves on the advisory boards for the Starr Young Artist Competition and the recently formed John Harrison Opera Foundation. He is editor for the Arkansas State Music Teacher, the journal of the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association, and sits on the board of that organization.  He has served as president of the North Arkansas Music Teacher’s Association and chair of the ASMTA Region 1 Festival.  Since 2005, he has served as the director of the Suzuki Music School of Arkansas.

Jeannie Lee (staff accompanist) has a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College. As a Rotary Scholar, she studied for one year at the Université de Poitiers in France. She has worked as a collaborative pianist with the Suzuki Music School since 1987. Jeannie has experience both as a Suzuki parent (daughter Kirsten studied violin with Martha Shackford and Vivian Crespo) and as a Suzuki piano teacher (she completed teacher training for Piano Books 1A and 1B with Doris Koppelman).

In addition to her collaborative piano work at SMSA, Jeannie serves on the SMSA Advisory Board since its inception in 2004. She works at the University of Arkansas Music Department accompanying students and teaching music history and in the Drama Department music-directing the mainstage musicals. Jeannie is also organist for First United Presbyterian Church.

Catalina Ortega (Flute) holds a degree in Flute Music Performance from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia. In May of 2008, she completed her Master of Music from the University of Arkansas under the direction of Dr. Ronda Mains.

Ms. Ortega has performed in some of the main auditoriums in Colombia as a soloist and touring with chamber ensembles. She was assistant principal flute in the Medellin Philarmonic Orchestra (Colombia). Also, she has been developing a teaching career at the University of Antioquia (Colombia) for four years.

Ms. Ortega has performed in master classes by Katherine Hoover, Jim Walker, Tadeu Coelho, Clara Novakova, Luis Julio Toro, and Gabriel Ahumada.

Currently, Catalina Ortega is a Graduate Assistant in Flute and will begin a Certificate in Advanced Instrumental Performance at the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2008.

William Reyes (Guitar) is a native of Fayetteville, Arkansas.  He received the Bachelor’s Degree in Guitar Performance at the University of Arkansas where he was a student of James Greeson in classical guitar and jazz theory.  William has completed a  Master’s Degree in composition at the University of Arkansas.  William has studied Suzuki guitar with Dave Madsen.   He is certified in Guitar Books 1, 2, and 3.

William teaches both private lessons and guitar group classes at SMSA.  He has also given guitar instruction at the University of Arkansas, The Academy of the Arts at the University of Arkansas, Ft. Smith, and the Bentonville Boys and Girls Club’s “Got Music” program.  William performs locally as both a solo artist and with the Trio de Janerio, a jazz band.  He enjoys traveling and Latin dancing.

Michael Sorenson (Guitar) received the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.  He has been studying guitar since 1978 and has attended master classes by Lily Afshar, Dusan Bogdonovich, Andrew York, Bryan Johnson, Virginia Luque, Corey Christiansen, Stanley Jordan, Ted Ludwig, and Gyan Riley.  He is currently registered in the Music program at the University of Arkansas and is a student of James Geeson.  He teaches private guitar at SMSA.   He has completed Book 1 training with Dave Madsen.