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My teaching method

I am a Suzuki trained violin instructor who has an obsession with playing Irish Fiddle.  

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Sonoma County has a rich musical community with lots of places for fiddlers of all levels to play and find community.  But the violin can be a challenging instrument to learn.  A good teacher can help you improve your playing quickly so you can participate fully in the music scene and find others to play with.  Music is meant to be shared and the better your skills are, the more you will be able to fully participate and be welcomed to local gatherings.

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I LOVE the Suzuki method for beginning fiddlers since it emphasizes learning by ear using the "Mother Tongue" method.  You can find out more about the method at the Suzuki Association of the America's website.

 
I have experience with kids across the learning spectrum and I believe that anyone can learn to play and enjoy music.   And because of my experience learning Irish music as an adult, I have a sympathetic understanding for adult beginners and those wanting to branch out from their classical backgrounds.

More about me

I started as a classical Suzuki Method student at age 4.  My teachers included Betty Newell and Jane MacMorran and I had master classes with William and Judith Starr among others.  

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I studied for 6 years with legendary Irish fiddler Kevin Burke.  Every lesson with him was a deep dive into the history of the tradition or the music and techniques used by some of the greatest players of Irish music that HE learned from growing up in London.  He is truly a master of the instrument and he has greatly improved my musicality and understanding of Irish music.

 

I've continued to study with other great Irish Traditional players like Billy McComiskey and Aidan Connolly.

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