Faculty
The Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) is committed to Dr. Suzuki's belief that every child can be educated and that high ability can be nurtured in every child. With this commitment in mind the SAA has designed a comprehensive Teacher Development Program to assist teachers in creating the best possible learning environment for their students, an environment that puts a priority on the development of fine character along with excellent ability and musicianship.
Along with pedagogical skills for working effectively with students of all levels and different learning styles, the SAA emphasizes teacher development opportunities in all areas of parent and student support and engagement. The SAA has formulated requirements to ensure high standards for teacher training, and to make possible the recognition of such training.
All Amarillo College Suzuki Program private lesson faculty have completed levels of specialized SAA training, and are encouraged to continue regular continuing education opportunities. Many faculty also have state teaching certificates and other varied string pedagogy and educational training.
Beverly de la Bretonne
Music Director, Violin Instructor and Ensemble Coach
Suzuki Association of the Americas Certified Teacher Trainer
Suzuki Violin Books 1-10 training with John Kendall and William Starr.
Suzuki Principles in Action (SPA) with Sharon Miller
Mark O'Connor Method Certified Teacher
Amarillo College Professor Emeritus, 2013
Bachelor of Music Ed, University Louisiana Monroe
Master of Music Ed, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville0
Music Building 305
Email
Phone: 806-371-5342
Beverly de la Bretonne retired in 2004 after twenty-five years as a full-time faculty member of the Amarillo College Music Department. She directed the AC Chamber Orchestra, taught Freshman Theory and Ear Training, String Methods Class and was the violin/viola and flute teacher. Mrs. de la Bretonne continues part-time on the music faculty at Amarillo College. A founding member of the Amarillo College Suzuki String Program in 1979, she is also currently Music Director of the AC Suzuki Program, a registered Suzuki teacher-trainer, teaches a full violin studio, group classes and is frequently invited to teach in workshops around the country. She has been listed as an outstanding teacher in Whos Who in American Colleges.
A native of Monroe, Louisiana, her major areas of study were violin, flute and piano as she obtained her B.M.E. degree from University Louisiana Monroe. She was Music Department Honor Graduate and was listed in Whos Who in American Colleges. She received her M.M.E. degree (studying Suzuki Pedagogy with John Kendall) from Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville in 1969. After graduation, she was invited to coordinate John Kendalls Suzuki Program at the University. After ten years in this position, she moved to Amarillo to take the position at AC.
Mrs. de la Bretonne is a member of the Amarillo Symphony and the AC Faculty Trio/Quartet. She performs frequently in the community and in her church music program and she is actively involved in community youth education programs, coaching the second violin section of the Amarillo Symphony Youth Orchestra, and performs with a quintet from the Amarillo Symphony for third grade students in local public schools.
Camille Day Nies
Amarillo College Department of Music & Theatre Chair
Professor of Music at Amarillo College
Suzuki Program Viola Instructor and Ensemble Coach
Suzuki Every Child Can! (ECC) with Sue Baer.
Suzuki Violin Books 1-8 training with Beverly de la Bretonne, Marilyn O'Boyle, Stevie Sandven, Joanne Bath & Doris Preucil.
Suzuki Viola Books 1-6, 8 training with Elizabeth Stuen-Walker.
Suzuki Viola Book 9 training with William Preucil.
Suzuki Principles in Action (SPA) with Sharon Miller.
Mark O'Connor Certified Teacher.
Bachelor of Music Business, WTAMU
Master of Music Performance (voice), WTAMU
Music Building 308
Email
phone: 806/371-5346
Camille's Webpage with links to biography, schedules, etc.
Homero Campos
Guitar Instructor and Group Leader, Ensemble
Suzuki Every Child Can! (ECC) with Beverly de la Bretonne
Suzuki Guitar Book 1 training with David Madsen
Suzuki Guitar Book 2 training with David Madsen
Master of Arts- Music Composition, West Texas A&M University
Bachelor of Music, Musicians Institute
Music Building: 201A
Email
phone: 806/371-5357
Homero Campos began teaching guitar at Amarillo College in 2007, emphasizing a mixture of classical and jazz styles in building student skill levels. A versatile and active performer, he is called on for jazz, rock, blues, classical, fusion, theatre, country and folk work in the Amarillo area. Building on a long history of private teaching, Homero has trained in the Suzuki method with teacher-trainer David Madsen, and began the popular guitar component of the Amarillo College Suzuki Program in 2014.
Diana Dow
Violin Instructor
Suzuki Every Child Can! (ECC) with Jenna Potts
Suzuki Violin Book 1 training with Jenna Potts
Suzuki Violin Book 2,3 and 4 training with Mark Mutter
Email
phone:806-371-5340
Music Building MB111
Diana Dow is a 1980 graduate of Amarillo High School where she participated in the amazing orchestra program taught by Ron Wells who led the orchestra to earning the TMEA Honor Orchestra in her sophomore year. She was also a member of the TMEA All-state orchestra for 3 years and a student of John Sumerlin at WTSU.
She has had the privilege of playing with the Amarillo Symphony, Tupelo Symphony (Mississippi), Lubbock Symphony, and The Orchestra of the Pines located in Nacogdoches, TX. She established and taught two homeschool string orchestras: The East Texas Home School String Orchestra in Lufkin, Texas and The Coastal Bend Strings in Corpus Christi, Texas. She has taught private violin/piano lessons for nearly 30 years.
While homeschooling her 6 boys she was active in homeschool co-ops which gave her the opportunity to teach a variety of classes including: Ukulele, Recorder, a Charlotte Mason style music class, Latin and Crochet. Her 6 boys and their wives have blessed her so far with 16 grandchildren.
Diana also loves to teach the Bible to women and children. She has a blog where she offers encouragement, ideas and original songs/hymns she has written: Bible Songs and More (www.biblesongsandmore.com). She also has a second blog that is more family/home focused: A Keeper At Home (www.dandidow.com).
Tiffany McDaniel
Amarillo College Music Department and Suzuki Administrative Assistant
Suzuki Violin Instructor, Violin Group, Ensemble Coach, Workshop Coordinator
Suzuki Every Child Can! (ECC) with Beverly de la Bretonne
Suzuki Violin Books 1-4 training with Beverly de la Bretonne
Suzuki Principles in Action (SPA) with Sharon Miller
Mark O'Connor Method Certified Teacher
Bachelor of Music Business, West Texas A&M University
Associates in Applied Music, Amarillo College
Music Building 304, 310
Email
phone: 806-371-5340 (AC)
Tiffany Jackson McDaniel began playing the violin at age 3 in the Amarillo College Suzuki String Program, founded by the late Suzanne Grooms and Helen Gerald. Throughout her career she has studied with Beverly de la Bretonne and Annie Chalex. She was a member of the TMEA All-State Orchestra for 2 years, a 7 year member of the All-Region Orchestra, a four year winner of the National Orchestra Award (High School Division) and won 'Outstanding' marks at both the Greater Southwest Music Festival, and UIL Solo Competition for 9 years. Tiffany was also a featured fiddler in "TEXAS:A Musical Drama"/"Texas: Legacies" for 6 years, and a member of the touring branch of the show, "Texas Express". Tiffany currently teaches Suzuki violin in the Amarillo College Suzuki Program, where she received training from Beverly de la Bretonne, and serves as administrative assistant for both the music department and the Suzuki program. She performs regularly with the Amarillo Symphony, of which she has been a member since 1998, and is principal 2nd violinist of the Amarillo Opera orchestra. When she isn't playing or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chris, hanging out with her daughter, Hazel, and keeping up with their rambunctious dogs, Captain Crunch (C.C.) and Pearl.
Bethany Mueller
Cello Instructor and Group Leader, Ensemble
Suzuki Every Child Can! (ECC) with Trina Carey Hodgson
Suzuki Cello Book 1 with Susan Gagnon
Bachelor of Music Technology, West Texas A&M University
Master of Music Performance (cello), West Texas A&M University
Music Building 107
Email
phone: 806-371-5340 (AC Music Office)
Bethany Mueller is a cellist born and raised in Amarillo, Texas. Thanks to music education in public schools, Bethany was introduced to the cello. After high school, she worked at a local music store where she met her husband and started her family; in 2018, she made the decision to go back to college to pursue a music degree. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Music Technology in 2022 and a master’s in Cello Performance in 2024. Her teachers throughout her life have given her a sense of belonging in the music community and a drive to create a fulfilling future for herself and her family. Bethany enjoys playing cello everywhere she can and spending time at home with her husband, daughter, and pets. She’s looking forward to passing on a legacy of teaching the cello to the next generation!
Additional Group Teachers
Joanne Fryml, Rhythm and Movement
Joanne Fryml is a vocalist and former choral director as well as a fellow Suzuki parent with two sons in the Suzuki violin program. She received a bachelors degree in choral music education from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina where she met her husband, AC Choral Director Nathaniel Fryml. She taught high school choral music and private voice in South Carolina before moving to Los Angeles for her husband's schooling and taking time off from teaching to raise her three boys. She has sung in community choirs in South Carolina and California, and she maintains an active presence in the Amarillo Master Chorale when her young familys schedule allows for it. She developed a love for music at a young age and has sung in church choirs since the age of 5. She now enjoys serving in the music ministry at her church as well as listening to jazz, standards from the 1940s, classic Broadway showtunes, and movie soundtracks. She loves to cook, swim, pretend to be a movie critic, and she can often be found drinking re-warmed coffee while trying to keep up with her three boys.