Prior to joining the faculty at Western Springs School of Talent Education and the Naperville Suzuki School, Sally Gross was a cello teacher with the Suzuki String School of Guelph, Ontario since 1981 and became the Artistic Coordinator in 1989. In her 30 years of teaching she has seen many young cellists grow up into extraordinary adults. Watching and learning from their development, both musically and emotionally has given her powerful insights into teaching.

Sally grew up in the Chicago area, graduating from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree, where her teacher was Marc Johnson. She received her Masters of Music in Performance with an emphasis in Suzuki Pedagogy from Ithaca College where she did her cello Suzuki teacher training with Carey Beth Hockett. In addition to completing all the cello teacher training units many times over, Sally also completed six violin teacher training units with Sanford and Joan Reuning.

Ms. Gross has been a Registered Teacher Trainer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas since 1990 and has taught numerous short term Institute courses as well as many years of apprenticeship courses in southern Ontario and the Chicago area. Sally is pleased that she has been able to support and guide so many new Suzuki cello teachers. She is an active clinician throughout Canada and the United States, especially Ontario and Illinois. She is a founding director of the Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute and will be celebrating her 30th year in that position in 2013.

In September, 2004 Sally joined the faculty at the Western Springs School of Talent Education and the Naperville Suzuki School bringing her expertise in cello teaching and teacher training to the Chicagoland Suzuki community. In 2008 Sally was the Coordinator for the Suzuki Association of the Americas National Conference and continues to serve the SAA through committee work.

In 2010 Ms. Gross was one of 9 teachers in the country awarded the Suzuki Association of the Americas Certificate of Achievement, an award given to teachers that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to excellence in their teaching.