ABOUT US 
WRSS is a not-for-profit music school comprised of Suzuki violin, viola, cello and piano students from the greater Cleveland and Akron areas. Many of these students perform in various school and community orchestras, as well as at area churches and community events. The WRSS faculty members have received extensive SAA-approved Suzuki training and are active teachers and performers both in the community and at summer Suzuki Institutes.
HISTORY
Margaret Wutz and Marlene Moses founded The Western Reserve Suzuki School in 1995 with only a handful of students and a shared vision of providing Suzuki education to Akron-area families. Today, the school’s enrollment is nearly 100 students, with the faculty consisting of three violin teachers, two piano teachers, one cello teacher, three theory teachers, one movement teacher, and support staff.
THE SUZUKI METHOD
The Suzuki Approach was developed in Japan by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki as a way of teaching music to young children. It is often called the “mother tongue” method because children learn music in the same way they learn to speak their native language – by first listening to the music they will play. 
One of the most important tenets of the Suzuki approach is parental involvement. The parent is an active participant in the lessons and acquires the skills necessary to be the home teacher, whose duties include providing a loving, nurturing environment conducive to learning.
The pace of learning is completely individual and unique to each child. In this one-step-at-a-time approach, each skill is broken down into manageable units of practice and each skill is mastered before moving onto the next skill.
Repetition and positive reinforcement are important components of the mastery process. Note reading is a necessary but separate skill that is introduced when the student has mastered the elements of posture and is playing “hands together.”
PROGRAM SPECIFICS
WRSS offers instruction in violin, viola, cello, and piano. Along with weekly private lessons, students participate in bi-monthly Saturday morning classes which include group classes, play-ins, theory classes, and informal and formal recitals. WRSS students are also invited to participate throughout the community for organizations such as the Akron Women’s City Club, Kiwanis, Children’s Hospital, Goodwill Industries, American Red Cross, E.J Thomas Hall and an annual National Anthem performance at Jacob’s Field for the Cleveland Indians.
Bi–monthly group classes take place in Hudson and weekly private lessons take place in the homes of the instructors. Daily home practice and daily listening to the Suzuki CDs contributes to successful lessons and continued progress. A five-week parent class is offered for parents of new beginning string students. This course covers the Suzuki philosophy as well as the basics of becoming the home teacher.
There are two sixteen-week semesters beginning in September and January. Once the required lesson observations have been completed, a student may enroll prior to the September start date. Tuition is billed quarterly, at the beginning of each eight-week session.
