Education Portal

Welcome to my education portal! On this page you can find information about private lessons for students regardless of age in violin, viola, and music composition. Lesson scheduling is flexible in regards to scheduling on weekly and monthly basis.

Currently I have the following availabilities for in person lessons in the Estes Park, CO area, and virtual lessons:

  • Violin & Viola Lessons – Accepting Students; contact me for to get started
  • Music Composition and Theory Lessons – Accepting Students; contact me to get started!

Lessons Costs

30 minutes – $45
45 minutes – $55
60 minutes – $65

Lesson Location

Lessons will occur remotely via Skype, Zoom, or Google Meet as arranged between myself and the student.

Teaching Background & Philosophy

I have nearly a decade of teaching experience that includes teaching beginning violinists, violists, & composers through advanced students. In addition to private lessons, I have taught orchestra, chamber music, and master classes, and can help prepare students for those experiences beyond the private lesson.

While performing and composing are often viewed as dissimilar skillsets, my philosophy of teaching shares common principles:

  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion, in the lesson, through the materials, and through discussions that occur around music and collaborative music making.
  • A solid background of instrumental/compositional technique to promote technical advancement, good physical health, and a solid understanding of musical function.
  • Stylistic and technical skills for the 21st-century musician will be included in ways that enhance the student’s understanding of musical technique and the musical language while encouraging the development of skillsets unique to contemporary music in avant-garde and popular styles at the appropriate level.
  • A cultivation of creativity, encouraging a wholistic understanding of music from a linguistic perspective incorporating Montessori teaching philosophies to develop musical skills from multiple perspectives.
  • An emphasis on the human side of music – not only does this include a development of skills relating to organization, communication, collaboration, and work ethic, bit it also means encouraging the exploration, relaxation, and play that is involved in music making

Suggested & Required Materials

Due the individual needs of each student, it is impossible to have a comprehensive list of required materials. A basic material list for violin, viola, and composition lessons are below:

Violin & Viola Lessons

  • Staff Paper
  • Pencil
  • Any repertoire and etude books assigned to the student. This may include:
    • The Suzuki Method
    • Stanley Fletcher’s New Tunes for Strings
    • The Royal Conservatory Repertoire and Theory Series
    • Other books & scores as assigned by myself
  • A properly fitted instrument
  • Bow
  • Rosin
  • Foam Shoulder Pad (for most students I will not allow them to use a Kuhn-style shoulder rest)

Composition Lessons

  • Staff Paper
  • Pencil
  • An instrument (or vocal abilities) of some sort.
  • Advanced students will need access to a music engraving software such as Musescore or Dorico.
  • Texts and scores as assigned by the instructor.

Studio Policies

I. Registration and Payment:

Registration for lessons is on a rolling basis while there is space remaining in the studio. Upon registration, an invoice will be provided electronically through the website for the initial payment.

Payment plans are available in monthly and quarterly options. Payment is due 24 hours before the first lesson of each period and lessons cannot begin until payment has been processed. Lessons that are cancelled due to lack of payment are forfeit, and two lesson forfeited will open the lesson spot to the waitlist.

II. Attendance and Cancellations

No refunds will be given for lessons missed by the student. When twenty-four hours of advance notice is given, I will do my utmost to accommodate the student with the exception of repeated and systemic rescheduling.

All lessons missed due to a teacher cancellation will be rescheduled.

Students should strive to be on time at all times. Lessons in which the student is more than 10 minutes late will be considered forfeit without prior communication.

III. Communication

All communications outside of lessons between student and teacher will occur via email, or via phone. Text messaging will not be considered acceptable communication.

IV. Photo / Video

Lessons will be recorded for the benefit of the student. If photos / videos will be used outside the lesson, a photo release form will be provided to the student.

V. Personal Conduct

I require professional conduct out of all students regardless of age. In the lesson, we will be respectful or difference in culture, race, ethnic origin, religion, biological sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation of the student, myself, and the artists whose work we are investigating. Any behavior that is demeaning or hateful will not be tolerated and may result in termination of the student.