About Us

Meet our instructors

All our instructors are certified in Suzuki Books 1-10. They are all passionate about honing the art of teaching and are committed to pursuing additional training and education throughout their careers.

Annalise Ohse

Executive Director | Violin 

Read BioAnnalise’s teaching style has been described as a “rigorous focus on technique with a sense of panache, whimsy and bold musicality.” She is “warm and engaging” and “a perfect bridge between parent and child in the early stages of learning the instrument.” 

Annalise holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut, where she received her initial Suzuki teacher training. Annalise revisited her Suzuki studies and received additional teacher training from the School for Strings in New York City. Having completed training in all books 1-10, she is dedicated to lifelong learning, taking numerous enrichment courses to expand her knowledge of the Suzuki method and strengthen her skills as an educator.

Growing up near the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, Kansas, Annalise was exposed to alternative styles at an early age. As a child, she won numerous youth fiddle competitions throughout Texas and Kansas. Today, Annalise incorporates some of the skills and benefits of the fiddle tradition to her Suzuki violin students.

Annalise formerly taught for the Blair Academy of Music at Vanderbilt University and was the string instructor for Harding Academy in Nashville, TN. She now teaches exclusively for Franklin Suzuki Academy. Annalise is an active clinician, teaching workshops across the country. In the summers, she enjoys teaching combinations of fiddle and Suzuki classes at the Hartt Suzuki Institute, Ogontz Suzuki Institute, Greater Austin Suzuki Institute, and Intermountain Suzuki String Institute. She is an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association, and the American String Teachers Association.

Heather Harris

Chief of Operations | Cello

Read BioHeather Harris is a passionate cellist who loves to teach, perform, and create. She has her master’s degree in Cello Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy at Western Illinois University where she studied with Dr. Tanya Carey. Heather is registered to teach all 10 Suzuki cello units.

Heather began her teaching career in Seattle Washington where she joined forces with a fabulous team of teachers including Suzuki teacher trainers and clinicians Yuko Honda, violin, and Barbara Balatero, cello. She soon had a full studio with a waiting list. Heather has recently moved to her native Nashville, TN, and is currently accepting students ages 3 and up.

In addition to teaching, Heather is passionate about collaborating with other musicians, and the challenge of improvisation. One of her greatest loves is live, spontaneous worship settings.

Sarah Mitchell

Program Director | Violin, Viola

Read BioSarah Mitchell began studying the violin at age 4 as a Suzuki student of the late Dr. Michael Gattozzi at the University of Alabama. After moving to Tennessee, she continued her violin study with Mary Kathryn Vanosdale at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music.

Her other teachers have included Soh-Hyun Park Altino, Beverly Shin, Julianna Waller, and William Hayden. She received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Western Kentucky University and began her Suzuki violin teacher training at the University of Memphis with Kimberly Meier-Sims, earning a Master of Music in Suzuki Pedagogy. Her violin teacher training also includes courses and workshops with Lorraine Fink, Carrie Reuning-Hummel, Carol Smith, Mark Bjork, Hiroko Driver, Joseph Kaminsky, Mary Cay Neal, Terry Durbin, Ed Kreitman and Cathy Lee. In addition to her violin study, Sarah has also trained with Dorothy and Sharon Jones to become a Suzuki Early Childhood Education teacher.

In 2003, Sarah was invited to help launch and direct the Pre-College String Program at Western Kentucky University, teaching Suzuki violin and beginning viola as Professional-in-Residence. In addition, she helped introduce string education in the Bowling Green/Warren County public schools. While in Bowling Green she was a member of the Bowling Green-Western Symphony Orchestra and the Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra, occasionally performing with the Owensboro Symphony.

From 2005-2015, Sarah served on the faculty at Buffalo Suzuki Strings, where her advanced students performed at the Suzuki Association of the Americas conference and around the world as members of the Buffalo Suzuki Strings Friendship Touring Ensemble. While at BSS, she also served as lead teacher for the Suzuki Early Childhood Education program for infants and toddlers and directed the Fiddle Club performing group made up of violin, viola, cello, and guitar students. Sarah enjoys fiddling, and as a fiddler has performed with Brother Trouble, Danny Potter, and Rory Feek.

Since moving back to Tennessee, Sarah has served a term on the board of the Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association and has enjoyed being a part of the wonderful community of Franklin Suzuki Academy, teaching violin and viola, baby and toddler music and fiddling, and contributing as Artistic Director and now as Program Director.

Andra Prewitt

Violin & Viola

Read BioAndra Prewett served as Franklin Suzuki Academy’s Executive Director from 2015 until 2024.  Under her leadership, the organization earned its 501(c)3 nonprofit status and was nominated for Best Music School from Nashville Parent Magazine in 2021. Andra holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from Lawrence University. Her teachers include Matthew Michelic, Peter Slowik, Roland Vamos, and Li-Kuo Chang of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Andra is a sought-after private teacher and guest clinician. Her popular “Playing Fiddle in a Band” workshop, geared towards middle school through college classical string players, has been presented throughout the country over the past decade.  She is the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award from Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. She is also a Suzuki community leader and has served on the Board of Directors of the Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association since 2015, where she spearheaded major infrastructure updates that increased memberships and allowed for new events, such as the annual concerto competition and teacher training seminars.

As a violist, Andra has played with the Oshkosh and Green Bay Symphony Orchestras.  Her string playing can be heard on the Emmy-award-winning soundtrack of Nashville Public Television’s Buffalo Bill’s American West, as well as many songs by Nashville-based recording artist and producer, Ryan Prewett, who is Andra’s husband.  She also played fiddle professionally in Nashville for five years before committing fully to Suzuki teaching and leading Franklin Suzuki Academy.

Locations

9000 Concord Rd.
Brentwood, TN 37027 

101 Legends Club Lane
Franklin TN, 37069

Email

franklinsuzukiacademy@gmail.com

Mailing Address

PO Box 1163
Franklin, TN 37065

Phone

615-567-3723

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