Administration

Gwendoline Thonrnblade, Suzuki School of Newton Founder and Dir. emerita

SSN was founded by Gwendoline Thornblade (BDS, London University. M.Sc.D., Boston University) in 1986 who believed that Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy that all children could learn to play beautiful music —regardless of any innate musical talent—would be central to her teaching and to her school. Our mission is to instill a love and respect for music in our students that will be a source of joyful music making throughout their lives.

In addition to her time as the school’s director, Ms. Thornblade also taught violin, viola, orchestra, and chamber music. She was formerly a player withthe Boston Philharmonic and the Heritage Players, and continues to perform with the Longwood Symphony and Lexington Sinfonietta. A clinician who led workshops throughout the USA, Canada, and Israel, Ms. Thornblade completed her Suzuki training with John Kendall, Bill Starr, Ronda Cole, and Carol Sykes among others.

Ms. Thornblade was also an incorporating member of SMS, Inc., a board member of the Suzuki Association of the America for three years. She was also a Board member of ACMP, Boston Cecelia, and the Suzuki School of Newton. She formerly served on faculty at BCMS, ANMS, Newton Public Schools, Longy School of Music, and the New England Conservatory.

Marlene Lerer, Suzuki Preschool of Newton Founder and Preschool Dir. emerita

The Suzuki Preschool of Newton was founded in 2009 when Marlene Lerer moved to Boston from Atlanta, GA where she had successfully founded the first Suzuki Preschool in the United States. Dr. Shinichi Suzuki himself visited her school in Atlanta, GA, and endorsed the wonderful work being done there with the children.

Marlene Lerer is a longtime educator specializing in early childhood education. She has 42 years of experience in the field and has been featured on NBC Nightly News, CNN, and other media channels. She is a member of the National Association for Young Children and the Commonwealth Institute for Professional Women. Marlene holds a M.Ed. in Administration and Curriculum Development and a B.S. in Early Childhood Education. She is the founder of the Suzuki preschools in Atlanta, Georgia, and Newton, Massachusetts. Marlene has written many developmental curricula for the young child used in preschools. She’s an active member on the board of the Suzuki schools and is an educational consultant in Florida.

Sidney O’Gorman, Registrar and Operations Coordinator

Sidney O'Gorman is a composer, tenor vocalist, music educator, and arts administrator. He writes music that is forged from a collaborative process with his performers and prioritizes a clear structure and sound world. His work has been described as music of "vulnerability" and of "clarity and sharpness of [...] intention" in his use of narrative as an integral tool for the construction of material and form. He received his master's degree in Music Composition from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and received his bachelor's degree in Music Theory and Composition from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. 

His dedication to the success of arts administrations comes from his work as a Graduate Assistant at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, where he oversaw the course scheduling for undergraduate students and served as a liaison to a number of resident artists. Among his other administrative positions is also his Assistant and Team Supervisor role at Place Planning as well as his presidency of the Student Chapter of the Society of Composers Inc at the University of Miami for which he facilitated meetings, planned concerts, and contracted resident ensembles. 

As a composer, Sidney has experience writing for a diverse number of projects including scores for film, chamber ensembles, wind ensemble, electronic music, and choir. His notable projects include his master's thesis piece, Salvation in a Sun-Shower, written for four tenors and string quartet as well as Keep the lid on for solo percussion. He continues to write music with his close friends and collaborators and hopes to further focus on teaching.