My Musical Background | Utah Viola Teacher

 

 

I have shared a little bit of my background in music already, but today I thought it would be fun to share a more extensive view of how I learned music as I was growing up.

 

Preschool Years

My mother absolutely LOVES music, so I was exposed to quality music at a young age. I remember listening to the radio station Classical 89 on every car ride. I was even a little embarrassed that my dad would blast classical music while driving around with the neighborhood with the windows down. I am also the 7th of 9 children, and all of my siblings played an instrument at some point. Because of this, I was constantly listening to them practice and going to various concerts and recitals.

I began my violin studies at age 3 with the Suzuki method. At age 4, I began piano lessons as well. It was around this time that my mother discovered that I have perfect pitch. While practicing note flashcards, I would sing the note, correctly, before giving the answer.

My preschool years were a special time for me to enjoy music without too much external pressure.

 

Elementary Years

As I got older, I started to become more involved with music in a group setting. I was part of my elementary school’s chorus, and I also played in orchestras. My favorite musical memories from this time are going to International Suzuki String Institute. I spent a week at this camp every summer, and I absolutely loved it. I met other people who loved music just like me, and I had the opportunity to learn from incredible teachers.

 

Middle School Years

In middle school, I joined my school’s choir. I was given leadership opportunities in this choir, such as running small sectionals and playing piano or various percussion instruments for concerts. I also participated in my local youth orchestra, which gave me opportunities to collaborate with other musicians and have exciting tour opportunities. I really started to challenge myself in my private lessons during this time and started putting more hours of practice in at home.

 

High School Years

In high school, I was blessed to be part of an excellent choir program. I made it into the Chamber Choir, and I had opportunities to perform with the choir both on piano and on violin. I continued to participate in my youth orchestra group and served as the concertmaster for several years. I started to think about making music my career at this point. My violin teacher was a big influence in my life at this time. She is a big reason why I dreamed of being a violin teacher someday. During my senior year, I auditioned for and was accepted to all of the college music programs in Utah, so I had some options to consider.

 

College Years

I chose to major in Music Education at BYU, with violin as my main instrument. I think of this time as a fiery furnace for me– it was so incredibly hard, and it forced me to grow a lot. I loved playing in the Philharmonic Orchestra and singing in the Women’s Chorus. I had incredible mentors who taught me how to refine my playing and how to teach in a group setting. I also became interested in the viola at this time and started studying it in addition to the violin.

 

My Career

I accepted a full-time job teaching middle school orchestra upon college graduation and taught there for 2 years. We had our first child and moved to the Salt Lake area soon after my time there, and I focused more on my private studio. I have been teaching for 11 years now, and I absolutely love what I do.

 

If you’re curious about what my music education taught me, you can read about it here!

 

Heather

 

I’d love to work with you! Please contact me for more information about music lessons!