2500 Hudson Place E, 6700 46th Place N, St. Paul/Minneapolis MN, 55119
Instruments:Violin

Styles:Classical
Levels:Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Experience:12 years
Rate:$50 / hr

Personal Statement

I am a Suzuki violin teacher trained in books one through ten. In addition, I have taken the Suzuki Violin Practicum unit with Christie Felsing and other enrichment courses.

I like the delayed note reading with the Suzuki method because a student is able to focus more on technique. However, later in book one as a student’s technique is more developed, I believe it is also important to develop note reading skills as becoming a good note reader is just as important. The Suzuki method has been a well established way to study the violin. Concertmasters of major orchestras including the Cleveland and Minnesota Orchestra began to play the violin using the Suzuki method. Although one may not have aspirations of becoming a professional violinist, I firmly stand by this method of teaching the violin given the results it has produced for violinists.

I feel it is important to regularly evaluate a student’s chinrest/shoulder rest setup to optimize physical comfort when playing the violin. I also teach vibrato in the early stages if a student desires.

Marnie Thies