About HuronStringSchool

Huron String School began as Central Huron String School in the fall of 1984 with about 20 students. Originally serving only Clinton and Seaforth areas, with Elayne Ras and Dave Stelpstra as teachers, it expanded to Goderich in 1985 when the Bluewater String School was formed. Both teachers taught there until December when David left BSS to pursue a career in banking. He continued with CHSS until 1986, and Elayne continued the programs in both places, eventually moving to Goderich in 1988 and centralizing and amalgamating both schools as Huron String School. Now the director of the school, she has been joined in previous years by commuting apprentice teachers, and currently by Jo-Ann Ras as a Music & Movement/Theory Specialist. The program now serves students from all over Huron County ranging in age from 2 ½ to adult, studying violin, viola and cello. The students can range from beginners to beyond the Suzuki books level, and the most advanced students participate in our own Orchestra plus a performing group for area weddings and special events. HSS presents two full group concerts twice yearly, and two solo recitals throughout the year. The Orchestra performs at the twice yearly “Sound of Goderich” concerts, and has performed at Canada’s Wonderland. Several HSS students have been members of the London Youth Symphony.

Elayne Ras began Suzuki violin lessons at the age of 11 at the first Suzuki school in Toronto, after studying piano with her mother since age 5. Her early Suzuki teachers were Erica Davidson and Hazel Comer. During high school, she was an accompanist for many Suzuki classes, and achieved her Grade 9 piano, and Grade 10 violin certificates with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She attended the University of Western Ontario, and received her HBMus (Performance) studying with Lorand Fenyves, and her BA in Psychology. Elayne has worked with many wonderful Suzuki teachers while pursuing teacher training, including Alice Joy Lewis, John Kendall, Margery Aber, Nancy Lokken, Becky Sandrok, and Brian Lewis, and in 2002 became a registered violin Teacher Trainer with the SAA.

In 1984 Elayne began teaching in Huron County, Ontario, and in 1988 she founded the Huron String School when she moved to Goderich. The school offers violin, viola and cello instruction, orchestra, senior ensembles, group lessons, and Theory/Music and Movement classes. Several of her students have been members of the London (Ontario) Youth Symphony.

Elayne has been on the faculty at Institutes and Suzuki workshops across the US and Canada, and has adjudicated for music Festivals throughout Ontario. She is Past Chair of the Suzuki Association of Ontario, presented a session on Rural Suzuki Teaching at the 2002 SAA conference in Minneapolis, anda session on a “Teen Mentoring Course” she developed with Paule Barsalou at the 2007 SAA Leadership Retreat. In addition, Elayne conducted a community Band of all ages in Goderich for 19 years, and is currently a member of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra.

In Sept of 2008, Elayne moved to Guelph, Ontario, where she teaches part-time with the Suzuki String School of Guelph, while continuing to commute part-time to teach with Huron String School.

Jo-Ann Ras has been teaching Theory through Movement classes at HSS, an introductory course for the youngest students in Music Theory, since 2002, and will be teaching the new Baby/Toddler classes as well. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Huron county's children, not only from her past as a private piano and theory teacher who taught students from beginners right through ARCT, but also through certificates she has obtained in Orff, Kodaly, and Music for Young Children. She did post-secondary training at the Royal Conservatory of Music in piano and theory, and has worked at “Adventure Place” in Toronto, a centre for children with special needs for over 35 years. In those years with Adventure Place, she has been a “Teacher Therapist” in the classroom, currently directs the music and drama program, teaches music/drama for groups of autistic children, and teaches baby/toddler groups in some Toronto daycare centres in her weekly commute to Toronto, even though she's “semi-retired” and lives in Bayfield. She also is the Storytelling co-ordinator for the Celtic Festival, has specialized in Ragtime piano, and accompanies for the Harbouraires Men's Choir.