This course is for viola and violin students from the beginner through the high school level, and any age from 5-99! My goal is for my students to foster a healthy and long-term relationship with their instrument. The course focuses on practicing and truly understanding technique, with an emphasis on listening. Weekly assignments tend to include technical exercises, scales, and classical pieces of the student's choice. Basic improvisation is also an interest of mine and, I find, a valuable experience for my string students. I believe repertoire is largely a matter of student taste. Students of mine have learned pieces in the Suzuki books and other classical repertoire volumes, but have also learned pop and fiddle songs according to their interest. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Violin Performance from the University of Puget Sound, where I graduated in 2015 before moving to Vienna to study privately for three years. I am currently on hiatus from a Master of Viola Performance degree at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague . I have been teaching violin intermittently since 2009. While my musical education is classical, my performance interests are much wider. I have performed jazz and pop improv, and am currently exploring how hip hop can be implemented on the viola and violin.