"The violin gave me my voice and my identity. As a shy and introverted young girl, I never felt comfortable speaking in front of anyone, in English or in Japanese; but somehow, having the violin in my hand gave me a source of confidence in who I was which remains to this very day.
After attending the Suzuki Book 1 violin recital of an older boy I admired, I was set on playing the violin. I remember proudly being front and center as the shortest and youngest violinist playing the advanced pieces at Suzuki group recitals. I also remember the excitement of inviting all of my school friends to my solo Suzuki Book recitals and the great anticipation of being rewarded with strawberry bavarois made by my mother for the reception afterwards (which made focusing during the last pieces of the recital very difficult). My Suzuki education has had a great impact on both my musical and personal development for which I will always be grateful."