About

Longer bio:

My work has two threads: violin and Alexander Technique. I began studying violin at age seven. I had a well-rounded childhood and was a strong in many academic subjects. When I was 16, I fell in love with music and found myself practicing many hours a day, obsessed with figuring out violin technique and learning to perform with confidence. I earned a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Western Washington University. During college, I began teaching violin lessons and was instantly hooked! I also learned to climb with the Bellingham Mountaineers and volunteered for several years as a climbing instructor, a totally different type of teaching where I worked with adults from all walks of life.

My interest in the process of teaching and learning led me to graduate school at the University of Washington, where I completed a Masters in Educational Psychology. I conducted an in-depth research study about student-teacher interaction. Music ended up being the most interesting educational setting for me: the deep relationship between teacher and student, precision necessary to play the violin well, and every child’s unique learning style made for an irresistible combination. I filmed myself teaching three young violin students over three years and analyzed 100+ lesson videos. I learned to identify patterns, become more observant, and tailor instruction to each child’s unique personality and level of development. This experience continues to inform my teaching today, and I regularly study child development, psychology, and parenting theory.

After graduate school, I opened a thriving private studio in NE Seattle, where students regularly stayed with me for 7-10 years. I continued to train with some of the best violin pedagogues in the world. I did Suzuki teacher training for Books 1-10, the majority of which I took with Cathy Lee, who has an incredible knowledge of the bow arm and a gift for communicating big ideas simply. I studied traditional pedagogy with Margaret Pressley and attended Mimi Zweig’s summer pedagogy workshop at Indiana University and the Starling-DeLay Symposium at Juilliard. I’ve been a guest teacher and clinician at various workshops, competitions, institutes, and schools. I am very active in my professional community: I am a teaching member of Alexander Technique International, serve on the board for the Suzuki Association of Washington State (SAWS), am co-chair of the SAWS annual workshop, and made the schedule for the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival Association for several years.

Freedom of movement and release of tension were always a priority for me, but became even more important after I experienced some overuse injury challenges. I began studying the Alexander Technique in 2013 and found it to be life-changing. It is the most practical tool I’ve ever encountered and it has become like the yeast that leavens my teaching: it makes everything work together! I completed the long process of becoming a certified Alexander Technique teacher in 2019. I teach the Alexander Technique to adults from all walks of life and integrate it into my violin teaching.

In 2021, I closed my Seattle studio and my family and I relocated to my hometown, Bellingham, WA, fulfilling the dream of being close to family, friends, and nature. I took a sabbatical to care for my two young children and enjoy our new life chapter. As of early 2023, I have a small teaching practice with a few spaces available, with plans to keep building. Interested in working together? I’d love to connect. Contact me at lisatonerviolin [at] gmail.com.