Background
I began the violin at age 9 in the public schools of Allentown, Pennsylvania where I grew up. I immediately started private violin lessons with David Madison, Associate Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He was a student of the famous violin pedagogue, Leopold Auer, and it was through him that I developed a solid foundation of violin technique. I attended Temple University where I earned a Bachelor of Music with a Violin Performance Major. There I was a student of Helen Kwalwasser, a performing and recording artist and award winning violin teacher. It was under her tutelage that my heart and passion for music blossomed. I also have studied with legendary violin teacher, Dorothy Delay, and Hyo Kang at the Aspen Music Festival and Sarah Lawrence College. As a student I played professionally with the Reading Symphony in Pennsylvania and the West Chester Symphony in New York.
After college, I was a member of the Kansas City Symphony for 5 years. Upon moving to the Twin Cities 23 years ago, I became an active freelance violinist playing for the Minnesota Orchestra, Skylark Opera, Festival of the Lakes in Alexandria, and South Dakota Symphony as well as for churches, colleges, touring ballet companies, shows, and recordings. I am the founding member of the Evergreen String Quartet.
I believe that because of the excellent instruction I received from my teachers and because of my professional performing experience I am well equipped and qualified to teach the violin. My students have won competitions and participated in the area youth orchestras. In the past three seasons of Minnesota Youth Symphonies, my students filled seven concertmaster positions in the orchestras. I have nine years of teaching experience. Besides teaching at home, I have also taught at Northwestern College Music Academy, North Central University, Eden Prairie High School, and The Saint Paul Conservatory of Music. I studied violin pedagogy under Mimi Zweig and Darcy Drexler at the String Academy, University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
While attending the Aspen Music Festival in 1977, I met my husband, Carl. He is also a musician and plays the double bass. We are now the proud parents of four adult children, Jeremy, David, Rachel, and Benjamin.
If you are considering violin lessons I would love to meet with you and answer any questions you may have. Please call me to set up an appointment for a free consultation.
Purpose
I believe that my mission as a teacher is to guide the student in building a solid technical and musical foundation for performing on the violin. My goal is for each student to develop his/her skill to the best of their ability and experience the joy and satisfaction that comes from making beautiful music and sharing it with others. Given the right musical environment, any child can learn to play the violin. This includes supportive and actively involved parents and listening to good music from an early age. Man is created in God’s image and therefore has the capacity to create, produce, and appreciate beauty. It is a privilege to serve God by teaching children to make beautiful music on the violin.
Method
My approach to teaching beginners is influenced by Mimi Zwieg String Pedagogy. Beginners are given Pre-Twinkle songs and games that lay the groundwork for a solid technique. Then they are guided through Suzuki Books 1 and 2 to set a good foundation that will be built on for years to come. Music reading begins in the middle of Book 1 and other teaching materials are added to enhance their progress. Those materials may include I Can Read Music by Joanne Martin, Fiddle Magic by Sally O’Reilly, and Wohlfart Etudes, Op. 45.
When the student is ready, they are introduced to shifting and vibrato. As I continue to teach through Suzuki Books 3 and 4, I introduce other repertoire and establish a healthy diet of scales, etudes, and exercises. I expect memorization of repertoire and encourage performing whenever possible. I treat each student as individuals and adjust my program to meet their needs. My focus is on the process of learning and I show students how to practice. Mistakes are not viewed as negative experiences but as opportunities to learn. I learn also from my students as we journey together with the violin.