Viola with Sarah E.

My training in viola comes from distinguished performers and educators in the classical music community. I have studied with Lawrence Dutton (of the Emerson String Quartet), Nicholas Cords (of Brooklyn Rider), Karen Ritscher (of Manhattan School of Music), and Nancy Buck (of Arizona State University). My teachers have been taught by some of the most notable string pedagogues of their generation, including Dorothy Delay, Karen Tuttle, Lilian Fuchs, Harvey Shapiro, and Heidi Castleman. This broad survey of teaching styles and philosophies gives me a wide array of knowledge which I apply to each student. I have been teaching for over a decade in many settings. These include: my own private studio, TakeLessons, music stores, performing arts studios, and at the university level. Before earning my masters degree in performance, I was honored to be awarded a Teaching Assistantship for the viola studio of Professor Nancy Buck at Arizona State University. As part of my teaching position, I taught undergraduate viola lessons and group classes. I have been teaching online lessons since 2017 and am proficient using technology for distance learning. I also have experience teaching students with various ages, levels, and physical or learning abilities. My Students Can Expect: -to feel empowered, inspired, and excited by music -lessons customized their learning style and needs -organized plans of study with progress in mind -to enjoy making music and growing My Approach: -informative lessons delivered in an engaging and fun way -equal focus on technique and artistry, integrated when possible -emphasis on posture, mindfulness, and injury prevention -development of practice strategies and critical thinking—learning more than just the notes -preparation for performances and auditions -varied skill-building: sight-reading, music theory and history as needed, aural training, and more -discussion of higher-level musical concepts I enjoy using the following materials, based on experience level: -Suzuki Repertoire -the Essential Elements series -Etude books: Wohlfahrt, Mazas, Kreutzer, Sevcik, Schradieck, and more -Scale books: Mogill, Galamian, Flesch -Various repertoire -Creating transcriptions of modern songs upon request Most importantly, I want my students to feel capable, inspired, passionate, and successful in their musical studies.