Tracy Wright Corvo Photography
The Hawaiʻi Music Teachers Association is proud to announce violinist Dr. Nikki Routman Ebisu as the 2022 HMTA Teacher of the Year for her outstanding contributions to Hawaiʻi’s music community as an educator and former HMTA President (2020-2022). She is a leader, mentor, and advocate in our community, and her sincere dedication to music education remains highly inspirational and extraordinary.
We want to thank our judges Dolly Kanekuni (Hawaiʻi Childrenʻs Theatre, Past President), Philip Steinbacher (Island School, Choir & Music Director), and Kaycee Milne (Strings of Hawaiʻi, Founder) for their time and expertise.
Duane Padilla Photography
Violinist Dr. Nikki (Routman) Ebisu enjoys a multifaceted career as a teacher, performer and clinician. Her collaborative chamber music and orchestral performances have taken her all across the globe, from Europe, the USA and Asia. As an active music educator, she is in large demand in Hawaii – both as a Japanese bilingual violin instructor and also as one of the few remaining to have studied directly with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, the founder of the Suzuki Method.
Dr. Ebisu is the Owner of Violin Artistry Studio in Honolulu and a current part-time Lecturer of Violin at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. On the performance stage, Dr. Ebisu is a violinist with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Maui Pops Orchestra and Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre. She continues to perform recitals, attend conferences and present workshops regularly. As an instructor, she specializes in violin education for students ages 3 and up, from beginner through advanced levels. Her students have been accepted to prestigious music festivals and schools, and received high recognition in local, national and international competitions.
Her musical journey began in Denver, Colorado at age two, observing the lessons of other Suzuki students. She attended the Talent Education Institute (Suzuki Method) in Tokyo, later transfering to the Preparatory Division of the Toho Music School in Tokyo at the age of nine.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Pre-Medicine from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Masters in Music and Doctorate in Musical Arts (Violin Performance) from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her primary violin teachers include Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, Sumiko Edo, Lacy McLarry, John Arnold, Dr. Eugene Gratovich and Oswald Lehnert.
She is currently the Immediate Past-President (ex-officio) of the Hawaii Music Teachers Association, and also affiliated with the Suzuki Association of Hawaii and Hawaii American String Teachers Association. During her term as HMTA President, the organization was nationally recognized as the '2022 MTNA State Chapter Affiliate of the Year'.
She is the proud mother of two children, and in her little spare time, enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, cooking, doing crossword puzzles and reading.
Q and A with Dr. Ebisu:
What was your reaction when you first found out you are Teacher of the Year?
Shock! I immediately wanted to share the news with my husband and children, who’ve made endless sacrifices to accommodate my busy schedule and studio. My brother teased me to say “Who did you bribe??” LOL. All joking aside, I am honored and humbled to receive this award. I plan to teach until I'm 90, so I hope my family is prepared. :)
What was the most challenging thing in your teaching career, and what did you do to overcome it?
The greatest challenge in my career was to figure out what I wanted to do with the violin after many years of school and training. I was definitely passionate about the violin and performing, but I wanted to find purpose and value in my life. I assumed I was going to become an orchestral performer or college professor, but it was difficult to find a job while living in Hawaii, far from auditions and interviews. I was discouraged and ready to quit and change careers.
My entrepreneur father advised me to find my strengths. He asked me "What did you have to offer that is unique?" He said to go out there and tell the world who I am. I was too afraid to risk it, without any money or experience, in a new city. His advice: “One cannot make money and grow without spending some. Take risks and prosper.”
I rented a room, purchased a piano, stool, music stand and chairs for the parents. It was all I could afford on my credit card. I realized quickly that my passion and strength is teaching kids in a community where I can speak Japanese fluently, and I learned to specialize in Suzuki Method training for ages three and up.
It’s been seventeen years, and I couldn’t be more proud doing what I do in Hawaii. I’ve come a long way, and I thank my dad for encouraging me to risk it. You never know what you might discover about yourself by taking a chance.
What is your favorite drink and why?
COFFEE!!! Oh yes. In all forms. Iced, hot, sweet, black, with milk, soy, almond, you name it. Why? To me, coffee is a verb and a noun.
Name a non-musician that continues to inspire you in your teaching.
It's easy to name a celebrity or philanthropist like Oprah, but I continue to be inspired and humbled by the folks that keep our day-to-day lives running. The janitors, plumbers, handymen, electricians, school parking traffic signalers, doctors, nurses, teachers. What would we do without them? It was apparent during the pandemic when our lives shut down and we couldn't depend on others. I speak for myself, but I realized how much I underappreciated those folks when I couldn't access those resources in times of need. We are quick to recognize political figures and celebrities, but I want to raise awareness and give praise to those that work hard for our community.
What instrument did you REALLY want to learn when you were a child?
I always wanted to play the cello, and I was envious of my brother, who played the cello with the Suzuki Method. He was so talented, he was invited to perform in a masterclass for Yo-Yo Ma in Tokyo when he was 8 years old. He quit a couple years later because he said he didn't want to end up like me in World World Three every evening with our mother over practicing, so he put a padlock on his cello and threw the key out the 5th-floor lanai window… that was the end of his cello career.
Today, my 9-year daughter plays cello and my son plays piano as his primary instrument and cello in the school orchestra. I just live vicariously through them. Maybe one day I'll take lessons.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I am definitely a morning person. I like to drink my coffee and get my day started. I don't take naps (haven't in 20 years!) so I'm exhausted by night time and wiped out. I wish there were more hours in a day, too much to do!
If you could be fluent in another language, what would it be?
I wish I could speak Spanish! It is such a universal language and so similar to other languages. I regret that I didn't pay more attention in Spanish class in high school.... All I can do is find the bathroom and order food.
What is unique or special about being a music teacher?
In school, most kids get to know their teachers for 10 months at most, and then move on to another class and teacher the following year. For us music teachers, we build a close bond and teacher-student relationship, week after week, year after year.
Many of my students start violin at age 4 and stay until they graduate, at age 17 or 18. That's on average 48 weeks a year for 14 years!!! I very much feel like the Auntie, and part of the family. I am now getting to an age where I am watching my students get married and teaching grand-students (the children of former students). My heart tickles with joy.
I believe that my role as a music teacher is not only to teach the violin, but also to be a mentor, role-model and life coach, with a healthy balance of discipline and fun.
“Dr. Nikki Ebisu is an outstanding musical educator who teaches with precision and focus. She is a master at communicating technique clearly and concisely, even to the littlest violinist. Through her passion and dedication, Nikki has played an integral role in developing many of her young "twinklers" into musicians able to perform at the competitive level. We are so fortunate to have Nikki teach our family across two generations and it has been a privilege to witness an already excellent teacher grow even further into a recognized educator and leader in the music community.”
— Studio Parent
“Dr. Nikki, as she is affectionately known by her students, is a 21st century Suzuki Teacher Mentor. She brings with her the foundational Suzuki Method Training and melds it with relevant and up to date pedagogical methods. Dr. Nikki nurtures the student, the family, and beyond. Her contributions to the musical community models the depth of involvement and giving back/paying forward to nourish this art form. Dr. Nikki also encourages and fosters violinists to continue their pursuits well beyond the confines of her studio. Thank you, Dr. Nikki for continuing to broaden the expanse of violin music’s reach.”
— Studio Parent
“During the years our daughter studied music with Dr. Routman Ebisu, she grew not only as a violin student but as a person who understands the importance of the process to get to the goals, that is, in this case, performance. Nikki teaches her students and parents the meaning of "artistry" in music and how to make it part of our lives. Her measured strictness and relaxed attention to details are only part of her private and group lessons. Kindness and generosity fill the air. At the end of the weekly lessons our daughter left Nikki's studio with renewed inspiration and will to do better. I as a parent enjoyed sitting in the waiting room and listening to what was happening in the studio. Dr. Routman Ebisu is our daughter's teacher for life."
— Studio Parent