Student Policies and What
To Expect at Your Lessons
Everything you need to know
before you begin your lessons.
» Download Student Policies
» Download What to Expect
Want to Become a Student?
Give us a call at our
studio today!What are Students Saying?
Read their thoughts here.
Helpful Links
Resources for students
and musicians.
» String Shop of Arizona
» The Music Store
From my first lesson at the age of nine I was hooked on playing the violin. My very first teacher, Mrs. Carol Berns used the Suzuki method to teach me the basics of violin position and playing. After a couple of years of playing I joined a local youth orchestra which launched me into participating in many other youth music groups and festivals. After high school graduation I attended Arizona State University where I studied viola with teachers Mrs. Patricia Cosand and Dr. William Magers. While at ASU I played in various music groups including the ASU Symphony Orchestra and ASU Mariachis. I graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education.
I began teaching violin and viola privately in 1995 and immediately loved it. In addition to my private teaching I’ve taught orchestra classes at McKemy Middle School and Broadmor School in Tempe. I have also taught general music classes at The Awakening Seed School in Phoenix.
Member of The Final Touch String Quartet.
Member of Mission del Sol Presbyterian Church Bell Choir
Member of Chandler Symphony from 2002 – 2007.
Everyone is different and everyone has varied strengths and weaknesses. Each of my students is unique in every way. If I tried to teach each child with the same methods I would fail them as a teacher. My first goal with each student is to observe their strengths. Once I have this knowledge it allows me to customize my method of instruction.
A student will only learn and progress when he/she is motivated to do so. As a teacher I keep lessons positive and challenging so that the motivated student will improve their musical skills. I keep my expectations clear and my objectives linear; by doing this I set up my students for success. There is nothing more exciting and satisfying for both students and teachers than seeing/hearing progress.
I believe we learn music much the way we learn language. We first are immersed with sound. Eventually we learn to mimic what we are hearing. Soon we are learning words and meanings. Eventually we put longer and longer thoughts together using our vocabulary. Finally, we learn to read and write our language. Can you imagine trying to learn the Japanese language without EVER hearing someone speak it? You would surely fail at learning Japanese. It is the same for the violin; we must hear it to understand and learn it. The process of music learning STARTS with listening and singing; without these the student is forever frustrated.