Buffalo Suzuki Strings 50th Anniversary

Lauren Eastlack is Co-Executive Director and a violin instructor at Buffalo Suzuki Strings. Graduate of Indiana University Jacob’s School of Music, Lauren began her studies at the age of five at Buffalo Suzuki Strings studying with various violin teachers including Mary Cay Neal.  Lauren earned a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance, a Masters in Music in Violin Performance, and a Performer Diploma Certificate during her time at the Jacob’s School of Music. Her primary teachers were Paul Biss and Mimi Zweig. Between 2007 and 2009, Lauren earned a position as Associate Instructor of Violin at the Jacob’s School of Music. She studied pre-college string pedagogy with Mimi Zweig and Brenda Brenner, Director and Assistant Director of the String Academy at Jacob’s School of Music. Lauren taught individual and group lessons at the String Academy.  Lauren is continuing to work through her Suzuki teacher training in violin with Mary Cay Neal. In 2015 Lauren participated in the stage one training for the Suzuki Early Childhood Education program in London, Ontario with Sharon and Dorothy Jones. Prior to her work at Buffalo Suzuki Strings, Lauren was a full-time instructor of violin at the Carolina String Academy at Ashley Hall School in Charleston, South Carolina.

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David Levine, currently assistant music director of Buffalo Suzuki Strings, has taught violin and viola for the program since 1996. David completed a BS in music education and a BA in music from the University of Connecticut and an MM in Suzuki pedagogy from Ithaca College, studying with Sanford Reuning. He has studied violin and viola with Theodore Arm, Linda Case, Debra Moree, Sanford Reuning, and Almita and Roland Vamos. David has also taken violin training courses with Teri Einfeldt, John Kendall, Mary Cay Neal, Carrie Reuning, and Stevie Sandven, as well viola units with Elizabeth Stuen-Walker. David, an active clinician, has taught at Suzuki workshops and institutes in Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, DC, Wisconsin, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa. David lives in Buffalo with his wife Shannon Levine, the cello teacher at Buffalo Suzuki Strings, and their daughters Anna and Miriam.

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Mary Cay Neal is the founder and director of Buffalo Suzuki Strings, which is now in its 51st year of operation. Mary Cay teaches violin and conducts the BSS Friendship Touring Ensemble, whose message of “World Harmony Through Music” has been shared in 22 countries since 1984. She has studied with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki on many occasions, including teacher-training workshops at the international conferences in Hawaii in 1975 and 1977, Munich, Germany in 1979, Amherst,NY in 1981, and Matsumoto,Japan in 1983, and has taught at the International Suzuki Teacher’s Conference in Edmonton, Canada , in 1985, Adelaide, Australia, in 1991, Matsumoto,Japan in 1999, and Torino, Italy, in 2006. Mary Cay is a registered teacher trainer and has served on the SAA board of directors for three terms. She has taught teacher training and violin at many Suzuki Institutes and workshops in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and South America.

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Linda Ross is a music teacher with a BS from Ithaca College and an EdM from SUNY at Buffalo. She is retired after 33 years of teaching Elementary General/Vocal music in Amherst, NY. She began her association with Buffalo Suzuki Strings (BSS) in 1987 when her daughter, Shannon, began her violin studies there. Since that time, she has served BSS in multiple capacities:  President of the Parents’ Association, Accompanist, Rhythm Reading Teacher, Advanced Ensemble Coordinator, Member/Secretary of the Board of Directors, Administrative Director and Co-Tour Planner/Coordinator. Her work with the BSS Friendship Touring Ensemble has taken her to England & Ireland, Brazil, The World Convention in Turin, Italy, Spain, Argentina and most recently to South Africa and China.

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