Creating Learning Community Awards
Mary Cay Neal

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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Doris Preucil is the founder and Director Emeritus of the Preucil School of Music. She is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, and was a violinist in the National Symphony. She has served on the faculties of Western Illinois University and The University of Northern Iowa. A Suzuki teacher since 1963, she is a Past President and Teacher Trainer of the SAA, the author of the Suzuki Viola School, and a founding member of the International Suzuki Association.

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William Preucil Sr., violist, has performed in thirty-five countries on six continents. He received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and the Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, was principal violist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and a founding member of the Stradivari Quartet. He is Emeritus Professor at The University of Iowa, where he was given its annual M.L. Huit Award for Teaching Excellence in 1992.

Mr. Preucil is the recording artist for the method books of the Suzuki Viola School and has served the Suzuki Association of the Americas as Chair of the Board of Directors and also the International Suzuki Association as its Vice President. As a registered Teacher Trainer with the SAA, he has taught master classes and workshops in Europe, Asia, Australia, and throughout North America. He is a longtime member of the American String Teachers Association who presented him with its Artist Teacher Award of 2009, and also of the American Viola Society where he served as Vice President and received their award for Creative Achievement in 2008.

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Sandy Reuning is the retired director of Ithaca Talent Education and also a retired adjunct professor at the School of Music, Ithaca College. He was coordinator of the master’s program in Suzuki pedagogy and director of the Suzuki institute. Sandy is a past president and board member of SAA and currently serves on the violin committee. Sandy and Joan’s association with the Suzuki movement began in 1964 after hearing the Japanese Tour Group in Philadelphia, and their students were used for demonstration by Dr. Suzuki at workshops at the Eastman School of Music and Syracuse University between 1966 and 1969. In 1974 they went to Japan and studied with Suzuki, and Sandy has made numerous return trips. Sandy was on the faculty for the 1978 International Suzuki Conference in San Francisco and the 1999 conference in Matsumoto. He was director of the Friendship Concerts of 100 Japanese and 100 American students in 1987 and chairman of the 1981 International Conference in Amherst, MA. Sandy has taught at worksh

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