Teaching Philosophy

I encourage students’ development through a natural organic process. My music lessons are tailored to each individual. Our music lessons focus on the student's specific needs while enhancing their technical foundation, beautiful sound, and expressive music-making on violin, viola, cello and fiddle..

I teach young children through play to nurture their natural love of music.I encourage good posture and positions as the columns that support string instrument technique. I combine the American Suzuki Method and the American Fiddle Method by Brian Wicklund in my approach to teaching violin, viola, fiddle, and cello.

I help older and advancing students prepare for specific goals such as competitions and auditions and offer tailored instruction to meet each student's needs. As a result, my students have gained entrance to prestigious institutions including Oberlin, University of Montana, MSU, Eastman School of Music, and BYU, as well as many All-State and Civic Youth Orchestras. 

My adult students range from college students to seniors, and from complete beginners to advanced string instrument players. I focus on facilitating what each student wants to achieve.

Irish and Celtic fiddling is traditionally taught through the aural method. My fiddle students engage in rote and repetition during their music lessons. They also enhance their learning by attending sessions and festivals, where they can learn from other violin, viola, fiddle, and cello players. Former students, such as Katie McNally and Chris Overholser, have become internationally recognized fiddlers, showcasing the success of my teaching methods.