Photo courtesy of STEP Bham.
Students perform at a past recital in 2018. On May 4, many of the cello and violin students are performing at Vestavia Hills Lutheran Church.
Since the Suzuki Talent Education Program Birmingham made the move to 3210 Lorna Road at the beginning of 2019, it has been much more convenient for many of their students, including those from Vestavia Hills. Rather than going to the Five Points area downtown, Director Troy Bast said, families are able to come practice at their new stand-alone building.
“Overall, it’s been a really good move for us. The building is set up well, so we have five studios for teachers, and we have a performance space and a space for our group,” Bast said.
STEP Birmingham is a music school for students 4 years or older to learn violin, viola and cello lessons. The school is rooted in the basic beliefs and teachings of violinist Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, who believed students can develop a musical ability at a young age in much the same way that they develop a native language.
Bast, who has been playing the violin for 34 years, said it is an extremely rewarding instrument to teach and pass down to another generation.
On May 4, there will be a group performance made up of many of the cello and violin students and even some of the instructors, including Bast, at Vestavia Hills Lutheran Church. The public is invited out to see what the students have been working on this year and learn more about the Suzuki method.
For more information on the program, go to stepbirmingham.com.
