About Violin Lessons with Carolyn
Students can begin Suzuki violin lessons as early as 3-years-old. To be successful on the violin at such a young age it is important that parents attend lessons with the student and commit to practicing at home. Listening to the Suzuki repertoire regularly is a key element in the Suzuki method. Students who are interested in beginning violin lessons can start listening to the repertoire on Spotify or purchase the cd or .mp3 online. Young students often start learning on a box violin until they are ready to hold a violin properly without dropping it. Students work on rhythm, pitch, movement, and coordination as they learn practice habits and develop the technique to play their first song. Monthly group classes give students the opportunity to play together.
Older students can begin violin too. Carolyn starts most students with the Suzuki method books but some students take violin as a supplement to school orchestra music and prefer to work out of other method books. As students advance more supplementary material is included in lessons such as the Solos for Young Violinists series and etude books. Listening is always important and Carolyn's lessons focus on good posture and proper technique at every level. Carolyn teaches note reading to all students as well.
Carolyn belongs to the Suzuki Music Association of California Coastal Branch and teaches private violin lessons in multiple locations in the California Bay area.
If you are interested in taking violin lessons with Carolyn, please submit the new student form for more information about pricing and scheduling.
Carolyn's violin studio is currently full but you are welcome to join the waitlist.
Bio
Carolyn is passionate about nurturing her students and guiding them into their full musical potential. She began violin as a Suzuki kid, studying with Katy Green in Caldwell, Idaho. In middle school and high school, Carolyn played with the Caldwell school orchestras where she discovered her love of chamber music. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music from Northwest Nazarene University, studying with Jennifer Drake and Dr. Jennifer Sullivan, performing with the Meridian Symphony and coaching chamber ensembles. After university, she took a gap year to travel and nanny in Australia and Germany, where she was introduced to busking and had the opportunity to collaborate and perform with international friends. In 2013, Carolyn moved to the Bay Area California where she taught private lessons and general music classes at a music school in San Jose. In 2017, she began Suzuki teacher training at summer institutes where she has taken courses with Cathryn Lee, Allen Lieb, Charles Krigbaum, and Mark Mutter. Carolyn taught 5th grade orchestra for five years through CSMA's Music for Schools program in the Mountain View School District. She is currently a graduate student working towards her master's degree in music education from San Jose State University where she studies with Dr. Catalina Barraza and plays with the University Symphony.
In her spare time, Carolyn enjoys running, swimming, and gardening.