Fiddle Lessons in Portland, OR. Amazing Teachers.

I teach any style.

Initially trained as a classical violinist, my current passions include Southern Old-Time, Irish, French-Canadian Fiddle music and Klezmer. In June 2011, I became the first teacher in Washington State to be certified in the Mark O'Connor Violin Method, a developmental curriculum of American folk music for students of all levels. A frequent studio recording musician, I also perform locally and tour regionally with various ensembles.

Teaching Approach

In my lessons I offer personalized instruction according to the needs and desires of the student. My teaching philosophy centers around the idea that traditional violin-based folk music ("fiddle") can be used as a tool to learn and refine the techniques required to play the violin.

I believe learning to play the violin can be a rewarding, intuitive and maintainable experience for a person of any age, and that no prior musical experience is necessary. I am also available as a coach for students of orchestra and string ensembles.

My ...

Irish, Scottish, Celtic, bluegrass, country. Let's get fiddling!

Orange Blossom, Mississippi Sawyer and Devil's Dream are a few of the basic fiddle songs I like to teach. The key to Fiddling is being able to play in tune and fast with a few basic rhythm patterns. I teach theory, scales, rhythm, pattern recognition, how to work with a metronome from slow to fast, proper bow grip and placement as well as proper posture for the violin.

I am a multi-talented string player specializing in jazz, celtic (irish) and traditional fiddle styles.

Fiddle is the best instrument! (Ok maybe I'm biased!)
I enjoy helping all levels and ages to learn awesome tunes while using great technique!