"Music has been a defining force in my life, thanks to the unwavering support of both my parents. My mother, a music teacher, championed my classical training on the violin, which has helped shape me into the engineer and astronaut I am today. The discipline, work ethic, and creativity fostered through music set me on the path that led to this extraordinary adventure into space."
"I feel that one of the skills from music is the ability to break down any problem and practice very small pieces of it until you can build a whole, and that feels so applicable to space flight. You are learning, with repetition, how to break down the things you can't accomplish, and then see them through, with practice, and get to the other side."
— Sarah Gillis, SpaceX Astronaut & former Suzuki violin student, from an article on Violinist.com
About Emily Campbell
Ms. Campbell holds a MM in Suzuki Pedagogy from Ithaca College and a BM in Violin Performance from St. Olaf College. She furthered her violin studies at the conservatories in Cologne and Detmold, Germany.
Violin teaching and pedagogy are Ms. Campbell's passion, and she has many years of experience. She has received training in the Suzuki method, Musikgarten, Music Mind Games, and Dalcroze Eurythmics and has been a faculty member of the Westminster School, the Levine School of Music, Ithaca Talent Education, the Blue Ridge Suzuki Camp and the Levine String Camp and Strings Plus. For the past five years Ms. Campbell has taught as a Strings coach in the Strathmore and MCYO funded program, East County Strings.
Ms. Campbell has performed locally with the Fairfax Symphony and the Arlington Symphony. She has also played with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, the Minneapolis Chamber Orchestra and with the Minnesota Opera Orchestra.
Currently Ms. Campbell directs her Suzuki violin program out of her home studio in Silver Spring, MD.
Gallery
Suzuki Violin Lessons
Suzuki lessons for students age 3–18. Parent participation is required.
Private Lessons
Weekly one-on-one instruction with small-step skill building and mastery reinforcement.
Group Lessons
Bi-monthly group sessions to review repertoire, develop technical skills, and build musical expression together.
Performances
Group performances and solo recitals at least twice a year to build confidence and stage presence.
The Suzuki Method
The Suzuki method of violin playing was brought to the U.S. from Japan by music educators in the 1970s. Shinichi Suzuki was a Japanese violinist and pedagogue who realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach.
My Approach as a Suzuki Teacher
- Educate the parent in violin playing, and in how to provide a positive, nurturing musical environment.
- Teach small-step instruction of each skill, and reinforce mastery of each skill in weekly private lessons.
- Teach bi-monthly group lessons where we review the repertoire to develop technical skills and musical expression.
- Promote daily listening and aural exposure to Suzuki repertoire and other music.
- Help students develop good posture and basic technique before introducing note reading.
- Teach repertoire in addition to the Suzuki repertoire to help motivate each student.
- I strive to nurture in my students a sense of confidence and a manner of kindness and sensitivity to beauty.
Getting Started
If you are interested in Suzuki violin lessons, the first step is to observe in my studio. Once your child is enrolled in private lessons, you will have group lessons every other week and performances at least twice a year. The parent will attend all lessons with the child and will model the home practice after the activities and focus of the lesson. The parents’ role at home is to provide an environment that nurtures the child’s ability – this includes daily practice, listening, and attending live concerts.
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I look forward to hearing from you!