Lessons for adults:

Congratulations - you are embarking on a brave and exciting journey!

I am here to encourage and guide you as you learn and grow with the violin.  I use Suzuki repertoire with my adult students to create a strong foundation of technique.  I also love supplementing our classical music with bluegrass and fiddle tunes, or with other songs you're interested in learning. I support your musical interests at each and every lesson while helping you to develop great technique and a beautiful sound.

VIOLIN LESSONS

My teaching philosophy:

I believe learning an instrument can help to develop character, confidence, and is a whole lot of fun.  It also takes an incredible amount of discipline to practice and persevere, especially in the beginning stages.

That is why I especially love working with beginners of ALL ages, children and adults.  I love teaching students who are ready to learn, motivated, and who love music.

I teach with an integrated Suzuki method, using the Suzuki repertoire and ear-training methods and supplementing with additional repertoire, etudes, and music theory and note-reading activities, as appropriate.  

Lessons for children:

I accept students ages 3 and up.  I require that the student is willing and ready to learn at each and every lesson, and dedicated to daily practice.

Parent/guardian involvement is instrumental in your child's success as a violinist!  I wholeheartedly adopt the Suzuki philosophy of the necessary partnership of loving at-home adult, teacher, and student for your student's best progress and growth.  Careful observation during the lesson helps parents become excellent at-home teachers.  Parents in my studio rent or buy their own full-size (4/4) violin and learn to play alongside their child until the child reaches the middle of Suzuki Book 1. There is nothing more powerful than modeling behavior to your child - when they see you practicing your own violin at home, they will become curious, engaged, and inspired. It is such a joy to connect to our children through music. As a teacher and parent myself, my favorite moment is seeing the light in a young violinist’s eyes as they discover the joy of music-making.

All young children who begin violin study with me start on a cardboard box violin to learn the fundamentals of posture, position, bowhold, crossbody coordination, care and respect for the instrument, and rhythm. Once the child is ready, we “graduate” to the wooden violin. Depending on the child’s age and individual needs, they will learn on the box violin for anywhere from several weeks to many months. On day one with the wooden violin, my students can already make a great sound with a comfortable and balanced posture and setup of both left and right hands. This foundation helps them to develop positive self-esteem, motivation to continue learning, and wonderful, relaxed technique on the instrument for the rest of their lives.

Through our study of the violin, we learn musicianship skills, musicality, and an appreciation for hard work and self discipline.  I always tell the children in my studio, "I am not interested in you being perfect - then we would all just be robots and no one would need to take lessons!  I want you to work hard and do your best."  And that's true - I reward hard work - of both my young students, and their parents, and we have a lot of fun on the journey together.

I have had the privilege of teaching many of my students for 10+ years. I treasure the relationships I build over the years with my students and their families. I feel very lucky to be able to connect with children and families in our community, and make an impact on young lives through music.