About Sarah
Sarah, a violin instructor in her late 20s, offers comprehensive online lessons. Holding a Bachelor of Music from Dalhousie University and advanced degrees from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Royal Academy of Music, her musical education is extensive. Recipient of numerous awards, including grants from Arts New Brunswick and Music New Brunswick, Sarah brings a wealth of performance experience to her teaching. Fluent in English and French, she specializes in RCM curriculum, Suzuki method, and advanced music theory. Sarah's teaching philosophy emphasizes holistic development, technical excellence, and fostering a lifelong love for music. Book an interview now.
BOOK AN INTERVIEW WITH SARAH NOW
At the core of my teaching philosophy for violin performance lies a deep commitment to nurturing the artistic growth and technical proficiency of each individual student. I believe that the journey of learning the violin is a unique and personal experience, and my role as an instructor is to guide, inspire, and empower students to achieve their fullest potential as musicians and individuals. 1. Holistic Development: My approach emphasizes the holistic development of the student. I view musical education as encompassing emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects. 2. Individualized Instruction: Recognizing that every student possesses distinct strengths, challenges, and goals, I tailor my teaching to each individual.. 3. Technical Excellence: Sound technique forms the bedrock of exceptional violin performance. I focus on establishing proper posture, bowing techniques, intonation, and finger dexterity from the outset. 4. Musical Expression: Music is a powerful language of emotions, stories, and ideas. I guide students in delving beyond the notes, encouraging them to explore the intentions of composers, experiment with phrasing and dynamics, and develop their unique musical voice. 5. Critical Thinking: I foster critical thinking skills by encouraging students to analyze and interpret music independently. 6. Lifelong Learning: Learning the violin is a lifelong journey. I instill a sense of curiosity and a love for exploration in my students. 7. Resilience and Perseverance: Learning an instrument can be challenging, and setbacks are a natural part of the journey. I teach students the value of resilience and perseverance, helping them view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. 8. Fostering a Love for Music: Ultimately, my goal is to foster a genuine love for music that extends beyond the practice room and the concert stage. I aspire to nurture a lifelong appreciation for the beauty, depth, and emotional resonance that music brings to our lives. By guiding and inspiring students through a personalized and holistic approach, I aim to shape not only skilled violinists but also passionate and thoughtful musicians.
Name: Sarah (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 29
Gender: female
I hold a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Dalhousie University, a Master's of Music and Artist Diploma in violin performance from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. I did additional studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. My principal teachers include Ida Bieler and Philippe Djokic. Throughout my education in performance, I undertook many courses in pedagogy, and outreach performance. This includes: Open Academy at the Royal Academy of Music, Wigmore Hall Educational Learning, Assistant director of outreach and education at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Teaching Fellow at the Vivaldi Project in Winston-Salem, NC. I have over 8 years of private violin teaching experience, including 3 years as Teaching Artist with Sistema New Brunswick where I taught group lessons, private lessons, chamber music, and orchestra sectionals.
Arts New Brunswick, (Canada) Artist-in-Residence and Professional Development Grants Recipient Music New Brunswick, (Canada) Live Performance Grant Recipient MTNA National Chamber Music Competition (USA), 1st prize Southern Division and National Finalist (2019) Chrysalis Chamber Music Institute Scholarship, UNC School of the Arts, USA (2016-19) String Music Atlantic Award (Canada) (2016) Bornoff Garamie String Award, Dalhousie University, Canada (2016)
Professional festivals/series -Jeunesse Musicales Canada -Early Music Festival Saint John -New Brunswick Summer Music Festival -Festival Musique de Chambre Lac Baker (Artistic Director) -BeaverBrook Chamber Music Series Professional Orchestras: -Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle (USA) -Winston-Salem Symphony (USA) -Carolina Ballet Orchestra (USA) -Symphony New Brunswick (Canada) Summer training: -Chamber Music Academy of Southern Germany -Tafelmusik Summer Institute -Zephyr Chamber Music Festival -National Arts Centre Young Artist Program -Orford Music Academy -Domaine Forget Academy Pedagogy -Written article about Ida Bieler educational method -Pedagogy classes with Elizabeth Faidley
English
French
Rates and Studio Policies
Registration Fee: $25.00 (One-time lifetime registration fee may be used by all family members)
Rates for instruction:
30 minute private lesson: $39.00
45 minute private lesson: $49.00
60 minute private lesson: $59.00
Travel charge: additional $15.00 per visit (for lessons in a client's home as opposed to my studio)
1. Cancellation Policy
Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.
2. Cessation (quitting) Policy
A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.
3. Illness Policy
Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.
BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.
No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.
4. Rescheduling Policy
Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.
Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy
Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.
It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.
5. Evaluation Period
There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).
Online lessons
Sarah can provide online instruction. While other platforms are possible BAH strongly recommends the use of the Zoom video conferencing platform as it is optimized for music lessons and audio quality.