Violin

Katrina grew up in a musical home where she learned to harmonize and play music very

young, although she received no formal training until she enrolled in college. She received her Bachelor

of Arts degree with a concentration in piano from the University of Northern Iowa in 2010, and her

Master’s in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Northern Iowa in 2013. Katrina has

taught music students of all ages and skill levels for fifteen years and enjoys teaching all genres of music.

She especially enjoys working with teens and adult learners, and loves seeing students light up when

they make connections between musical concepts and discover new skills.

Danielle has taught violin lessons to students of all ages, from 8 years old to nearly 80, for the past ten years! She loves the creativity of planning violin lessons that align with each student’s needs and interests. Her passion for teaching violin stems from my experiences with her own violin teacher, from whom she took lessons for 15 years, with the Suzuki method and picking up several fiddle styles such as Irish, Old Time, and Bluegrass, as well, which led to improvising with a few local bands in South Dakota. During her years at Grinnell College and studying abroad, she was able to play with different orchestras at the college and internationally. Danielle is also a certified K-12 teacher. Today, she enjoys playing with the Saint Paul Civic Symphony and improvising with friends in many different styles.  Through lessons she hopes to bring each student a sense of joy in learning and purpose later on whether the student brings their skills to make music with friends, in an orchestra, as a soloist, or beyond.

As a classically trained violinist and pianist, Esther has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe.  She began piano lessons at a young age, followed by violin lessons a few years later.  Esther graduated from Luther College with her B.A. in Violin Performance.  She has participated in many violin and piano competitions, music camps and masterclasses, and toured with the Sound of Strings Music School and Luther College Orchestra.  Esther graduated from Luther in 2011, and has been teaching since 2014; she can work with all ages and abilities.  Although her training was formal, Esther enjoys teaching all genres of music and customizes her teaching method for each student.  She aims to share her passion of music with her students, and create a positive learning experience.  She enjoys collaborating and working with students to play with her and other students.