Welcome to Ms. Mari’s violin & viola studio. In our studio, every student “can”. I tailor every lesson to include concrete goals, manageable assignments to practice, get better at violin/viola, and make it fun. My goal is to foster deep, meaningful connections to my students and their families through our instruments.

Through weekly private lessons, you will:

  • gain a love for music

  • develop the fine motor skills necessary

    • learn beautiful tone production, proper posture with Koko the Koala, finger placement, rhythm identification, and more!

  • become musically literate

    • we’ll learn Mozart but we’ll also learn Taylor Swift and Journey! Sightreading Challenges might be Stars Wars one week and Adele the next.

  • learn to work through challenge to feel success

  • learn how to be accountable and diligent

  • become resilient and tenacious

    • learning an instrument is HARD, that’s ok! Let’s break it down into small chunks together so we can tackle it!

  • be part of a supportive studio of other fun students

  • take charge of your own musical goals

  • be ready to make music with others in chamber groups or symphonies

  • learn how to practice at home

    • all my students have a notebook or excel spreadsheet outlining warmups, posture reminders, repertoire assignments with games to play at home

My approach is patient and intentional, based in artistry and kindness. I value musical curiosity, student-led discoveries, creative solution-finding, and joy for learning.

Welcome to Our Studio!

Private lessons are provided weekly for all ages and are offered in 30, 45, and 60 minute intervals. Our awesome studio also performs a recital 2 times a year. In our studio, we learn how to build confidence, work through challenge, and explore your unique voice.

  • Violin & viola lessons are available for all levels, from beginner to advanced, college-level, or adult. Each student’s lesson is tailored to their goals. I expect students to practice daily, as progress occurs outside the lesson. By holding my students (and parents) to a high expectation, I find that they flourish and see their own progress.

  • I am a certified Suzuki instructor and teach using a modified Suzuki method (think Suzuki and more!). In tandem with the Suzuki books, I’ve also developed countless handouts from Pre-twinkle packets, sticker Practice Challenges, to Sightreading Challenges to support motivation and curiosity. We’ll play games with Koko the Koala, amass a very impressive sticker collection, roll the famous GIANT dice, pick out your favorite highlighter tape color, and count repetitions with a dino or unicorn Fidget toy. I figure out how my students are motivated (sticker charts, recitals, peer-motivated, research-motivated, etc) and lean into that. I work alongside the parents to ensure the students know how to practice at home (without fighting! Psst: the answer is games disguised as repetitions). I also incorporate aspects of performance, history, music theory, and composition in my lessons. I have hundreds of pop arrangements of students’ favorite songs so expect to play anything from Billie Eilish to Harry Styles.

  • Tuition for lessons is $45/30 min, $65/45 min, $85/60 min in my studio and online. All students invest in a monthly tuition model during the school year to reserve the lesson day and time you register for. Find studio policies here.

  • I also offer in-home lessons (where I come to you!) with an additional $10 travel fee within 5 miles. Space is limited.

Here's What To Expect When you Invest:

My Teaching Philosophy:

I believe that every child has the ability to learn music and be brilliant. Musicality is innate but the skills to play at a high level take expert instruction, patient practice, and hard work. My approach is simple: meet my students where they are, nurture their strengths, challenge them appropriately and intentionally, work alongside them towards concrete goals, celebrate the wins, and always lead with musical curiosity.

Do I expect my students to become professional musicians?

NO. Why not?

Because truthfully, the skills we learn in lessons are not JUST for learning the violin or viola. They’re life skills.

We’re learning how to show up, how to have patience with ourselves, how to set goals, how to work through challenge, how to ask for help, how to analyze, how to play with others, how to be kind to ourselves, and so much more.

Once you’re ready to take part in an ambitious, supportive environment with expert instruction, complete the form below and you will get a response within 48 hours.