|
Kelly Christ
Ms. Kelly has been teaching violin and viola for over 15 years and to students ages 3 to A Suzuki student herself since age five, she studied violin and viola with Margaret Shimizu, Samuel Goh, and Elisa Boynton. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Lewis & Clark College, which deeply informs her teaching. Her Suzuki training includes a two-year apprenticeship with Martha Shackford (Violin Books 1-10, Viola Books 1-3), additional viola training with Betsy Stuen-Walker, and coursework with Susan Baer and Ed Sprunger. Before returning to her hometown of Sierra Madre, she performed professionally with numerous ensembles in Portland. Along with her private studio, Ms. Kelly coaches viola for the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras and is the Director of the Los Angeles Suzuki Institute. She is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the Suzuki Music Association of California. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, walking with her puggle, watching shows with her husband, and making music and playing games with her 2 sons. |
|
Suzuki Method
Developed by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, the Suzuki Method™ has several core components. While each teacher might offer their own interpretation of the Method, we have a few core tenets that guide our work. We believe that all children are capable and deserving of becoming great musicians! The first course in our Teacher Development program is called Every Child Can! because, well, that’s what we believe. Those of us who practice the Suzuki Method know that talent is learned, not inborn. With the right support, every child can be successful. We teach music based on how young people learn language. Dr. Suzuki called this the mother-tongue approach. When teaching young people how to read, we do not ask them to read before they can speak. Young people do not learn words for the purpose of learning to read a book; they learn to speak so that they can express themselves. In our approach, we do the same! We teach students by ear first, and we teach so students can express themselves through music. Each technical exercise is presented within the context of music and intended to develop the ability to communicate through music. We encourage students to listen to music – a LOT! We know children learn words from listening. Similarly, listening to music offers students a bigger vocabulary for musical expression. We love having families involved in student learning. Whether it’s a parent, grandparent, guardian, or an adult who is regularly involved in a young person’s life, we believe finding an adult that can support a student in their learning – in addition to their teacher – is a wonderful way to support student success. We know that for some students, this may not always be possible. Some of our teachers find creative and innovative ways for additional at-home support – and we encourage this too! We lead with a positive environment and encouragement in our music lessons. In addition to private lessons, students should expect to take part in group lessons and performances. Students are encouraged to learn with and support one another in their growth. The purpose of learning music is not to become a professional musician (though, for some, that’s important too!), but instead, our goal is to support young people in their development as life-long learners with kind hearts! Music gives us skill sets well beyond our instruments, and we focus on developing those skill sets alongside our instrumental technique. |
