"I began playing the violin at age 10 and by the time I turned 15 I had decided that making music was going to be my career. Thus, I started taking private violin lessons, paid for by myself, shortly thereafter. I then went to Luther College on both a music and academic scholarship, where I received a first rate education both inside and outside of music. From there I spent 3 years at the University of South Dakota working on my first MM in Violin Performance under the direction of a fantastic musician and teacher. Currently I'm attending Kent State for a MM in Chamber Music to further refine my own technique and artistic capabilities.

Since I was 17 I have always enjoyed teaching violin to others whether they were older or younger than me. Thanks to my educational experiences I have a vast array of ideas to choose from when teaching private lesson. My general approach to teaching violin is to be realistic, positive, and encouraging. In general I do not have a set curriculum because learning the violin is done at ones own pace. What I do have, however, are fundamentals which I help all students to master: posture and holding the instrument, rhythm, intonation, and musicianship. In order to achieve this I assign repertoire, etudes, scales, and exercises to guide each individual student on their path to competently playing the instrument with confidence and poise." less...