Take Your Violin (and Viola) Skills to the Next Level With Personalized Lessons Tailored to Your Needs and Interests

I am a seasoned and highly experienced musician and private music instructor who grew up in a classical music/education-oriented household (dad was a concert pianist and public school music teacher). I offer an engaging, positive, and thorough teaching style, and I'm comfortable working with students of all ages and skill levels, with my youngest so far being 5 and my oldest 57. I have been playing viola and violin for 30 years, singing since I could talk, and I added bass guitar to my primary instrument lineup in January 2020. As a teenager, I toured internationally with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony (viola), playing in venues such as the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Spain. Upon graduating high school in 2004, my first jobs right out of high school were teaching violin and viola lessons and playing in a string quartet at gigs such as weddings and funerals. I also joined the Pikes Peak Philharmonic that year and played with them for two seasons. In addition, I am also a classically trained mezzo soprano with 20 years of professional experience in the Colorado Springs Chorale, Colorado Symphony Chorus, Opera Theater of the Rockies, and I have performed at major music festivals such as Bravo Vail and the Aspen Music Festival, most notably alongside the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

I offer a friendly, engaging, thorough, and challenging but not punishing teaching style. Flexibility is a bonus, as I understand that things happen sometimes! When you take lessons with me, I will always have my own instrument with me so that you can see and hear everything I am teaching and so I can play along with you if needed. My setup is optimized for playing music live on streaming platforms, with a high-quality microphone, camera, lighting, and backdrop curtain to minimize distractions. I teach both violin and viola, and I am able to teach a variety of styles such as Celtic fiddle, classical violin/viola, and pop violin, but all are rooted in solid classical technique that is used across disciplines and styles. Whether your need is in bowing, tone, rhythmic accuracy, sight reading, or simply polishing pieces for recitals and performances, I am able to tailor my approach to best serve your needs at your own individual skill level. Beginners, intermediate students, and advanced students of all ages are welcome, though I generally specialize in teaching preteens, teenagers, and adult students. Learning materials can be provided by the student or by myself, and I keep a library of both physical and digital sheet music.