Centenary Suzuki Institute
June 3-6, 20262026 Faculty
Confirmed Faculty for the 2026 Centenary Suzuki Institute:
Mark Mutter, Violin
Mark Mutter is a registered Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. He received his Bachelor and Master of Violin Performance studying with Walter Schwede, Angel Reyes and Camilla Wicks. His orchestral career began in Hong Kong as the Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He also taught at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts. Mark studied Suzuki pedagogy with John Kendall, Ronda Cole, Teri Einfeldt, Jacquie Maurer and Geri Arnold. He is the Executive Director of the Suzuki Music Academy of Michigan formerly known as Suzuki Royal Oak Institute of Music. He oversees 10 teachers that teach over 150 students. He has been a clinician at Workshops and Institutes throughout the U.S. and Asia. Mark has led the SMA Tour Group on concert tours throughout Europe and Canada as well as two performances in Carnegie Hall. He is presently on the conducting staff of the Wu Family Academy, the Detroit Symphonies youth orchestra program. He conducts the Concert Orchestra and Pizzicato String Ensemble.
Scott Conklin, Violin
Dr. Scott Conklin regularly appears as a recitalist, soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and clinician throughout the United States and abroad, and he is Associate Professor of Violin at The University of Iowa School of Music and a violin teacher at the Preucil School of Music. Conklin has performed with numerous orchestras, including the Louisville, Nashville, and Berlin Symphony Orchestras. He is the 2008 Iowa String Teachers Association Leopold LaFosse Teacher of the Year, and his album Violinguistics—American Voices is available on Albany Records. During his youth, Conklin studied with Carol Dallinger, Violin Professor at the University of Evansville. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied violin with David Updegraff and chamber music with Peter Salaff. Conklin also earned Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees from The University of Michigan School of Music as a student of Paul Kantor.
Stacy Garner, Violin
Stacy Garner, violin, is a Suzuki Violin Teacher Trainer and a Suzuki Strings Specialist in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD in North Texas, where she teaches private and group Suzuki lessons and co-conducts the HEB Suzuki Strings Elementary Honor Orchestra. Formerly the Faculty and Artistic Director of the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute, the Suzuki Program Director at the Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City, Utah, and President of the Suzuki Association of Utah, Stacy has a degree in Violin Performance from the University of Utah where she studied with Gerald Elias and Mischa Boguslavsky. Ms. Garner has completed hundreds of hours of Suzuki training, primarily with Edmund Sprunger, Jeanne Grover, Linda Fiore, Mark Mutter, Cathy Lee, Carey Beth Hockett and others, and is truly passionate about Suzuki Education.
Stacy has presented educational sessions to both parents and teachers at state, national and international Suzuki conferences and conventions and is a frequent contributor to the Journal of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Stacy is on faculty at Suzuki workshops and institutes across the United States and internationally, and has been featured presenter for the Suzuki Association of the America’s “Parents as Partners” series. In April of 2018, Stacy was awarded the Suzuki Association of the America’s Certificate of Achievement, an award given to teachers that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to excellence in their teaching, and in 2023, Stacy became a Violin Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas.
Stacy is a Suzuki mom to five children: a violist, a violinist, a pianist, and two double bassists, all of whom provide her most in-depth Suzuki training.
Lisa Deakins, Fiddling and Violin
Lisa Deakins is a violinist, fiddler, and registered Suzuki violin teacher living in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She began playing the violin with the Suzuki method as a young child and is a versatile musician who enjoys performing and teaching across the United States. Lisa has earned the Certificate of Achievement from the Suzuki Association of the Americas, an award given to teachers that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to lifelong learning and excellence in their teaching. Her music has taken her to renowned stages including the Grand Ole Opry, the Crook & Chase television show, and Song of the Mountains. Lisa’s love for music began at the age of four when she started Suzuki violin lessons with Carole Shoaf in Burlington, NC. She continued her music education at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Commercial Music Performance. Lisa also holds a Master of Music degree in Suzuki Violin Pedagogy and Music Education from East Carolina University. While living in Nashville, Lisa worked professionally as a fiddle player and background vocalist for country music artists Pam Tillis and Whisperin’ Bill Anderson. She is very fortunate to have grown up in the Suzuki method as Nashville is largely a “play-by-ear” town! She has appeared in venues throughout the United States and Canada, including frequent performances on the Grand Ole Opry. Lisa has also performed with Charlie Daniels, Bobby Osborne, Chris Young, Little Jimmy Dickens, Marty Raybon, Jamey Johnson, and The Daughters of Bluegrass. Additionally, after moving to Mount Pleasant, Lisa founded the Gravel Road Acoustic Trio, whose unique blend of vocal harmony precision and creative song selection make them a popular choice for entertainment throughout the southeast. She is also a country/folk musician on staff at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. Lisa’s professional recordings include “Double Fiddle Time,” “Gravel Road,” and “Where We Belong,” with the Gravel Road Acoustic Trio. She can also be heard on the Daughters of Bluegrass CD titled “Bluegrass Bouquet,” for which she received an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for “Recorded Event of the Year.” Lisa holds the title of Fiddle Champion of the Coastal Carolina Fair Fiddling Contest and has placed multiple times in contests in various states. Lisa is registered in the Suzuki Violin Method of teaching and is the owner of Deakins Suzuki Strings. She enjoys teaching children of all ages in her home studio in Mount Pleasant, where they participate in weekly private lessons and group lessons. Lisa is a frequent guest clinician for fiddle and violin and has taught at Suzuki institutes and workshops across the country, including Stevens Point, WI, Los Angeles, CA, Orlando, St. Petersburg, and Miami, FL, Chicago, IL, Salt Lake City, UT, Augusta, GA, and Granville, OH. Lisa is an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and you may have seen her articles published in the American Suzuki Journal. She has also taken additional Suzuki coursework including “Musicality from the Beginning” and “Expecting Excellence at All Levels In the Suzuki Violin Student.” Lisa’s students also study alternative fiddling styles as well as classical playing. She has compiled, arranged, and edited a series of music books for Suzuki students called “Fiddlin’ Favorites,” licensed by the International Suzuki Association. Lisa’s students have won fiddling scholarships and contests and have a passion for many genres of music. More information on Lisa’s books can be found by clicking here. Lisa lives in Mt Pleasant with her husband, who is also a musician, and her young son. She is excited to embrace all three points of the Suzuki triangle: student, teacher, and now parent! Click here to go to Lisa’s website.
Derek Deakins, Orchestra and Chamber Music
Bachelor’s of Music, Belmont University Master’s of Music, East Carolina University Doctorate of Music, Liberty University Dr. Derek Deakins is a fiddler, violinist, and registered Suzuki violin teacher originally from Kingsport, Tennessee. Derek’s musical journey began with Suzuki violin lessons at the age of five and has taken him all around the world as a professional musician. Derek has performed in several foreign countries and all of the 48 contiguous United States in venues ranging from Madison Square Garden to the Grand Ole Opry. Derek graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee with a Bachelor’s of Music degree in Instrumental Music Education and holds a Master’s of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting (East Carolina University) and a Doctorate in Music Education (Liberty University). While living in Nashville, Derek performed with major recording artists including The Osborne Brothers, James Monroe, Mac Wiseman, Charlie Daniels, Craig Morgan, Tracy Byrd, Andy Griggs, Neil McCoy, and Blake Shelton. His television appearances include Grand Ole Opry Live, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, The Jimmy Kimmell Show, and Late Night with Craig Ferguson. Derek has recorded and produced four professional albums, titled “If I Could Give the World,” “The Fiddle, Bluegrass, and Me,” “Double Fiddle Time,” and “Where We Belong.” Derek is a National Board Certified teacher who has enjoyed working as Director of Orchestras at Wando High School in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina. He also pioneered the guitar program and Advanced Placement Music Theory program. Derek is a champion of the South Carolina Coastal Fair’s fiddle contest and has co-authored a music book called Fiddlin’ Favorites Volume 2 for violin students. Additionally, Dr. Deakins is honored to be a musician and teaching artist on staff at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. When Derek is not teaching or performing, he is playing guitar and singing with his wife, Lisa, in the acoustic trio called Gravel Road Bluegrass. Visit Derek’s website for more information.
Heather Hadley, Cello
Heather Hadley maintains a thriving studio of young cellists of all levels, and as a SAA registered Teacher Trainer conducts the cello long-term training program at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. She is in demand as a clinician for workshops and institutes across the country, and has contributed to the SAA’s Parents as Partners video series and the American Suzuki Journal. Her degrees include a BM from Lawrence University in Performance, a MM from the University of Colorado in Performance and Pedagogy, and a Suzuki Certificate from the University of Denver. She has been a member of the faculty of Boulder Suzuki Strings since 2003, and is thrilled to be involved in helping the Lamont Suzuki program in Denver grow. Heather is passionate about helping all students and families experience the full benefits of a Suzuki education. When not teaching or performing she enjoys spending time in the Colorado sunshine with her husband and two daughters.
Joanna Binford, Viola
Joanna Binford is currently a viola and violin instructor with the Suzuki Strings Program at the Academy of Music, based in Norfolk, VA. She freelances in the Hampton Roads area and performs frequently with the Virginia Symphony.
Her education includes an M.M in Viola Performance, B.M. The University of Kentucky; post degree viola studies with Paul Neubauer (The Juilliard School); solo and chamber music studies included participation at Banff and Kneisel Hall summer festivals, violist of the Endless Road Strings, Niles Graduate String Quartet (Univ. of Kentucky) and participation in the Lexington Baroque Ensemble.
Awarded the Kentucky Chapter of the American String Teachers Association 2013 “Outstanding Service” award and District 7 KMEA “Outstanding College/University Music Teacher of the Year”, she is a sought after Suzuki institute and workshop clinician around the country. Ms. Binford is a member of the Suzuki Teachers Association of Hampton Roads. She prepared viola students to perform on the STAHR tour of Peru (June 2014). In addition to her Suzuki classes, Ms Binford also teaches a Fiddling in D class, coaches chamber music and offers an Improvisation Techniques Workshop, upon request. She is featured on several recordings, including the 2016 release of “Almost Home” by the Endless Road Strings, an ensemble specializing in alternative styles.
In addition, Ms. Binford has served as a back-up musician for celebrities such as Arlo Guthrie, Mark O’Connor, Dave Brubeck, Anne Murray, Bob Hope, Ray Charles, Rod Stewart, Ray Price, David Gates, Dinah Shore, Ann Hampton Callaway, Natalie Cole, Stewart Copeland, and the Moody Blues. As a member of the Lastinger Ensemble, she appeared in the movie Simpatico, which starred Jeff Bridges and Sharon Stone.
James Hutchins, Violin
James Hutchins lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wonderful and gorgeous wife and his fabulous and entertaining son. He grew up in the Suzuki Method, has been a Suzuki teacher for over 25 years and is a proud Suzuki dad. James is a registered teacher trainer who has taught at workshops, institutes and classes around the world, including South Korea, Iceland, Peru, Lithuania, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Bermuda, the Bahamas and throughout the States. In 2018, James was a guest Clinician at the 67th Suzuki Method Summer School in Matsumoto, Japan. His studio has performed for former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton at the White House, at the National Zoo, the U.S. Capitol,the Maryland State Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Aquarium and on the Millennium Stage and with the National Symphony at The Kennedy Center. They have also played the National Anthem for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Wizards and Nationals. James also had the honor of performing for Dr. and Mrs. Suzuki at their home in Japan.
Claire Hotard, Arts/Origami
Claire is a former public school teacher and current homeschool teacher who brings creativity, joy, and thoughtful exploration to the art she teaches. With a background in special ed and gifted education she enjoys helping young musicians express themselves through visual media that complement and enrich their musical studies. Her classes focus on origami, crafting, and art by building tools that help enrich practice and connect music and art.
Outside the institute, Claire is a practicing small animal veterinarian, caring for dogs, cats, and the occasional bird or bunny. She also spends her time exploring, learning, and creating with her two children and husband. They live in Folsom, LA on their small farm with ponies, goats, chickens, and other critters.
And more to be announced soon…
Administrative staff
Daniel Santelices, Chamber Program Director
dtmsantelices@yahoo.com
(318) 773-8673
Charles Regauer, Suzuki Institute Director
cregauer@centenary.edu
(505) 504-8456