Aber had big impact here Few people have an impact on a community or university like Margery Aber. Aber, who died Thursday, Aug. 16, at age 87, is credited with making the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point one of the country's foremost centers for the advancement of Suzuki Talent Education. Her life didn't start out like it would have such an impact. Aber was born in Racine and graduated from Oberlin College in 1937 during the Depression. Her first job was teaching violin in public schools in Detroit, Mich., and she continued teaching there for 30 years. She attended after-school classes at Wayne State University to fulfill Michigan requirements for educators, then earned master's degrees in music and music education from Columbia University by attending summer sessions. She also had a part-time after-school position at Wayne State University in Detroit, teaching string pedagogy. While teaching and working on yearly solo recitals for her students, she performed as concert mistress of the Faculty Symphony Orchestra and played in the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra and in various chamber music organizations. In 1967 she was invited to join the faculty at UW-SP, about the same time she made a scheduled trip to Japan to learn from Dr. Shimichi Suzuki, innovator of talent education. She signed the UW-SP contract while in Matsumoto, Japan, and became an active disciple of Suzuki, traveling to different parts of the world to study with him and assist him. She found that children seemed to develop much more beautifully with the Suzuki method, which involves instruction in string instruments, but its first purpose in education is to nurture love and peace among people as they develop. Aber saw value in expanding the Suzuki method into UW-SP's teacher education program. Because the approach to teaching involves imitation and repetition, she said it had been found to be especially effective in introducing children to such diverse disciplines as foreign language and mathematics. "It doesn't matter which subject be approached, use of the Suzuki method helps develop the character of children so they can become more sensitive, selfless and loving people," she said. "Those things are the ultimate because when we have them, anger is eliminated and we have peace and harmony." In 1971 the "germanic" idea of an American Suzuki Institute patterned after the Matsumoto school became a reality in Stevens Point. Approximately 350 participants attended the first summer institute that year, and the number has continued to grow. When she reached mandatory retirement in 1984 at the age of 70, close to 3,000 attended. Although she officially retired from UW-SP, she remained active, continuing to give private lessons at her home. She also performed in a recital of chamber music at UW-SP to celebrate her 80th birthday. She was at this year's institute earlier this month, which about 5,000 attended, 2,500 in each of the two sessions. She signed copies of her recently published book, "Hip, Hip Hooray! Thirty Years With the American Suzuki Institute," which recalls the early history of the institute, interesting stories, annual highlights and choice photos. Aber's legacy will live on, fostered by her belief in a "method" that has grown in acceptance throughout the world, a "method" that she helped spread. - Gene Kemmeter