Best Violin Lessons in Dallas, TX

ving. I believe that music should always be fun, even when it's hard. I help foster a lifetime love of music, and work with him/her to design a custom program just for them.

I'm classically trained, but love all music, especially baroque, renaissance and Celtic styles. Medieval and renaissance music has a special place in my heart because I spent several years playing it as part of a string quartet.

I am available for online lessons all over the world, and I'm happy to record them so you can review them all week long.

*** Lesson Details ***
A typical lesson consists of checking student's progress, addressing any immediate issues, and developing technique/knowledge.

In 3-6 months, your child should be:
* Reading music consistently at a level appropriate to their progress.
* Developing an understanding of rhythm and meter.
* Placing their fingers properly for the most part.
* Developing correct posture and holding their instrument and bow in a relaxed manner that suits their body type and facilitates the freedom of movement required for making great music.

I specialize in working with kids of all ages - from 5 to 95!

ersonally conducted 3 of the 5 orchestra and taught each class daily, either in sectionals or group instruction and conducting

At Texas Tech University, I worked two years as a teacher for the nationwide outreach program, String Project. With String Project, I would teach classes of 15 to 20 students at a time. These classes were forty-five minute violin classes held at the university twice a week. Each student had an additional thirty minute weekly, private lesson. My work, along with 4 other teachers, earned a position to lead two clinics at the annual ASTA convention, held in Atlanta Georgia in 2009.

During the Spring 2011 semester, I spent my week in the Houston area as an orchestra teacher at Fort Settlement Middle School. During my time at Fort Settlement, I ran a program of 164 middle school string musicians on violin, viola, cello, bass and harp. The orchestra ranged from beginner to upper-intermediate levels. I had the opportunity to take 3 of the orchestras to UIL contest. All three groups came back with outstanding awards, including Sweepstakes, the highest award possible.

I am a sought after violinist, pianist, accompanist, teacher, conductor, and adjudicator for several ensembles, musical organizations, and student recitals. I began my musical career at the age of eight playing the piano. I have continued to play and take piano lessons throughout my life. When I entered the sixth grade, at the age of 11, I began my violin studies. These violin and piano studies led to my eventual audition and acceptance at Texas Tech. Though one may think two is enough, I did not. After a year marching in the colorguard in high school, I began lessons on the clarinet at the age of 15 and joined the band. I continued to perform on the clarinet in the marching and concert bands throughout high school and college.

With 6 years of private, group and public teaching, I am a state certified music teacher for early childhood through 12th grade. Since the fall of 2011, I also teach full time as a middle orchestra teacher in Lewisville ISD. I am a current member of TMEA, TODA, TMTA, and ASTA. I have taught a wide range of students and enjoy sharing my passion for music making. As a teacher, I want my students to understand and learn music in many different aspects. Understanding how to read notes and rhythms is important, but combining them with the emotion and sensitivity of music makes playing any instrument fantastic. Music theory and technique are other important aspects of playing all instruments and are stressed in each lesson as well. As students practice and develop their skill and understanding, it is my desire for students to express the music from the depths of their heart.

*** Lesson Details ***
I am generally a very easy to get along with, but I do have high expectations from my students. For beginners, I run my lessons in sections with stretches, detailed warm-ups, repertoire, theory and end with an overview of the lesson and expectations for the next lesson. With my intermediate and advanced students, I expect them to come in already warmed up and prepared. I will have them play through technique exercises with brief reviews and explanations for the next expected exercise. We then go immediately into repertoire where students will "perform" prepared pieces for me. I stop and work on things throughout and then set an expectation for the next lesson for repertoire before ending the lesson.

*Note* I do expect all students to have an instrument to practice on. I highly encourage all beginners to RENT their first instrument from an instrument specialty store and not purchase one from a "department" or "super" store or online. Instrument specialty stores are always available to do repairs and upgrades with very decent prices. Purchased beginner instruments are hard to sell once grown out of. I do have names and numbers for multiple violin and piano shops in the DFW area, as well as a piano tuner.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Front Room: Piano, music stand and mirror, chairs and couch, highly encourage parents to sit in on lessons

*** Travel Equipment ***
Students will need to provide all of their own equipment. I will bring any additional books on an as need basis. I will bring my own violin to violin lessons, but students will need to provide their own with accessories.

*** Specialties ***
Kodaly and Suzuki

n Details ***
I am mostly laid back, however, I do demand excellence and great tonal projection. For clarinet, I really like Klose's method, however, I use a lot of Rose Etudes, Voxman, etc. Sightreading is a focus in clarinet lessons as well as ear training and theoretical concepts such as building tetrachords, identifying major or minor intervals, familiarity with major and all forms of the minor scale as well. Special attention is given to hand position as well as noticing and achieving tonal excellence. For violin, special emphasis is placed upon proper bowing technique, left hand position, and ear training to improve intonation. Scales and arpeggios would be the building blocks to flawless technique. Method book that I prefer would include the Suzuki and Flesch methods. In all instruments that I teach, I also utilize You Tube videos to enhance the learning process.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I expect all students to have a stand and a metronome/tuner. With piano students I have a variety of educational games that make learning fun and easier. I usually travel with a whiteboard and manuscript paper in order to test music writing ability.

*** Specialties ***
I teach mainly in the classical genre....for Violin I like the Suzuki method, though I can teach through any method. I am aware of the freedom of jazz improvisation as well.

hony Orchestra at the University of Michigan, opera and ballet orchestras, and string orchestras, holding frequent principal positions throughout her career. She is an avid chamber musician, having performed with numerous string quartets and other small ensembles. She has premiered several new works for solo viola, string quartet, and orchestra. She is passionate about teaching every bit as much as performing.

Trio and Duo Chromatica with whom she has premiered numerous works by Texas-based composers. She has also served as concertmaster of the University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra, the University of North Texas Festival Orchestra, the Unity Orchestra, and the Arizona State University Orchestra, and was a member of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.

Mia served as Violin Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas where she maintained a studio of private violin students and coached chamber music ensembles. She has also taught for El Centro College, Tarleton State University, Arizona State University String Project, and the Tallahassee Youth Orchestra. She holds a Master of Music from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Music from Florida State University. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts as a student of Felix Olschofka.