Suzuki Strings of St. Petersburg

Suzuki Strings of St. Petersburg
Music is the language of the heart without words. - Shinichi Suzuki

A tribute to a man of true greatness

ART MONTZKA
(July 4, 1933 –November 25, 2002)

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you,
whose presence calls forth your best.” - Epictetus

This speaks to what Art Montzka did for me. Just being around Art elevated my being. Art and Marilyn Montzka raised their children during the same period that I was growing up and studying under Art’s tutelage. Many of us looked up to Susan and Ann who seemed to have this ‘star quality’ from an eight year olds eye. Eric and Karl were a bit younger than I, and it seemed they might become rock stars. Eric was discovering his love for the drums and Karl had many options. I marveled at how everyone in the family seemed to ‘follow their dream’ with support and love from Art and Marilyn. What may not seem to be a big deal to some is a very big deal to me. To be accepted, encouraged, supported, and loved without condition was not something that was too familiar to me. Now, I see that it is possible to choose the company you keep, the work you do, and the life you lead. As an adult, I am able to choose with whom I spend my time. Fortunately, I chose to spend a few of my most cherished weeks this year with Marilyn and Art Montzka as well as their daughter, Ann. Their influence has been profound. Art Montzka assured me that many or most people in the Suzuki movement share this unconditional regard for one another. Either way, my life dramatically changed when I re-connected with Mr. Montzka in 1998 and began pursuing a ‘Suzuki’ teaching career. I withheld this joy from my life for many years, fearing that I may not be able to meet the challenge. Mr. Montzka made me feel at ease with this pursuit. He has been one of my brightest ‘twinkle stars’.

Mr. Montzka gave his students the gift of loving ‘work’. He showed us how to find joy and fulfillment in whatever we did. Even though I played violin for Mr. Montzka for ten years, he was patient and supportive while I pursued a high school and college career in tennis. I continued to play violin in community orchestras after high school. Yet, I became a tennis teaching professional for the next ten years. Meeting Mr. Montzka’s friend, Stan Smith, last summer was especially enjoyable because we joked about Stan Smith, the “tennis professional”. I just humored myself by imagining that another Suzuki teacher was a ‘tennis professional’. And I also wore Stan Smith tennis shoes in the 1980’s, just as Stan did—I imagine that the Smith family tired of this comparison long ago. But, staying true to my passion for tennis and music made work extremely enjoyable. Even though I followed the tennis path professionally, Mr. Montzka always offered encouragement. His support helped mold me into a better teacher; he helped me learn that I could learn anything. I could be good at anything. What greater gift can a teacher give a child than the ability to believe in oneself, to seek joy, love and fulfillment? Mr. Montzka did this for me, and tons of other students.

Art Montzka began teaching my friends and me in 1974. I was 8 years old. He was such a consistently positive presence in my life for the following decade, and as I left home, his values and love for music and life came with me. My gratitude is immense.

This man, so humble and unassuming, seemed to be everywhere I was. He’d come to Jefferson Elementary School in his wood-paneled station wagon every Tuesday and Thursday morning when I was 8 -10 years old. I was shy. He made me laugh. We got a few M&Ms when we were done. Then, at Clinton Rosette Middle School, he was there everyday at lunch time to teach us, often carrying a string bass along with him in the station wagon. His presence made us want to do our best. And at DeKalb High School, every afternoon he’d prod us to raise our level to even greater heights. He took us to competitions, six of us returned to the All State orchestra for three years. We genuinely wanted to improve. Not knowing how expansive his love for children and music were, as a child I thought he was just following my class around. Little did I know he was cultivating hundreds of musicians by visiting up to seven schools a day. He had a way of making me feel so special, always aware of the ‘quality’ of time…however brief.

I joined the Tampa Bay Symphony in 1995. Eventually, I contacted Mr. Montzka and began inquiring about teaching violin as a career. I began reading Suzuki material and noticed his photographs were in every publication I came across. Art Montzka had so many facets. And he never boasted or sought attention. He was just there, his loving, nurturing self spilling over to all that he touched. New wealth arrived for me when Cathy McGlasson moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in 2001. In February of 2002, Cathy accepted me as a student. To confirm what Art tried to tell me, Cathy has been another ‘Suzuki’ philosopher and has been a great source of acceptance, encouragement and love. Art assured me this was a quality present in many ‘Suzuki’ teachers...nonetheless, I was skeptical. I seem to keep learning this lesson: by giving, you receive…in teaching and in love, joy, peace, oh, basically everything.

I was so fortunate to spend some time with Marilyn and Art Montzka as well as Ann and her children, Genna and Ben while in Stevens Point, Wisconsin the summer of 2002. Art hung out in my class quite a bit. It was my first ‘institute’ and it was extraordinary. While Nancy Lokken was teaching and Art was taking photos, I was able to capture a few photos of the two of them….two outstanding Suzuki clinicians. He finally filled out the ‘biography’ form I had sent him a year earlier for my teacher ‘Wall of Fame’ back in St. Petersburg, Florida. He offered comfort when I frequently felt overwhelmed by the love I was seeing all around the institute. We joked as I hoped he would not be insulted by my taking his photo with an $8.99 ‘throw-away’ camera…all the while he was taking shots of us with his ‘hi-tech’ expensive cameras. I captured some good images.

Friday, November 22, 2002, I drove all night to arrive at Border’s books in DeKalb, Illinois to greet Marilyn, Art, Ann, and Brian Lewis. I spent a wonderful weekend with them. I observed teaching on Saturday, and attended a beautiful concert on Sunday. Dinner Sunday was an especially marvelous celebration of love, music, & friendship. I didn’t want to leave. Art’s last words to me were… “There comes a time when you have to say good-bye”. Needless to say, I was not prepared to hear the news when he passed away the following day. My reaction was one of extreme sadness but an immediate acknowledgement that his great work must continue through his legacy, his family, his students, and the students that live beyond us.
The wonderful work that the Montzkas continue to do further illustrates how their philosophy of teaching and living spreads exponentially. To those of us that witness this as students, it makes sense that in giving the gifts of love and joy and developing talent through music, thousands more will benefit in the long run. It’s an awesome example of how ‘good’ good can be. Art Montzka gave such tremendous gifts: the gift to always want to do better, to be ‘true’ to oneself, to put fear aside in pursuing any dream, to laugh often and much…these are some of the greatest gifts he gave. Art would want us all to carry on this great legacy. I miss him so very much. His influence is forever imprinted on my heart.

Jennifer Diedrich
St. Petersburg, FL

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