Welcome to my Studio Website!
I am a violist and violinist, teaching and playing in the bay area.
I offer lessons at West Valley Music in Mountain View, California and in my home in Alameda. My studio is open to all levels of violin and viola playing, although I specialize in viola, as well as beginner through intermediate violin.
My Teaching Philosophy:
I believe that a student is capable of doing anything, and that musical ability is something that can be taught to anyone who works diligently. I teach each student according to their unique set of skills and challenges so that I can help them understand their strengths and build upon their weaknesses.
Two of my major teachers worked very closely with the renowned pedagogue Ivan Galamian and so my own training is influenced by the Galamian method-which is a more traditional method built upon ease and profiency with the instrument. In addition to this excellent training, I also studied the Alexander technique for three years with San Francisco-based teacher, Robert Britton. Alexander Technique is a method of discovering body awareness and avoiding pain and injury. This method also heavily informs my teaching, and I use it to teach my students playing in the most natural way possible.
I use the rich Suzuki literature of graded solo pieces for both my violin and viola students. I also guide my students through study of standard etudes and scales.
It is my goal as a teacher to:
1. Engage my students’ creativity and nurture their self-expression
2. Build a foundation of solid instrument technique so that any type of expression is possible.
3. Help them build discipline. I teach my students improve their time management and organization skills through weekly goal setting.
4. Learn body awareness through use of the Alexander Technique.