Elisa R  
Instruments: Voice, Violin, Viola, Music
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Folk

I have been teaching since I was in middle school, when my orchestra teacher asked me to help him teach the elementary school students. I have loved to teach ever since! I also started tutoring academic subjects as a freshman in highschool. So I grew up teaching other children that were around my age, just a few years younger, or even older than me. Throughout my educational years, I taught students privately. Some other positions I have held include the following: Music Theory Teacher – Portland Youth Philharmonic: Portland, OR, 2024-present Beginning Violin Teacher – Metropolitan Youth Symphony: Portland, OR, 2024- present Program Manager – Music Workshop, Portland, Oregon, 2023-2024 Applied Behavior Analyst Clinical Therapist – Behavioral Health Works, Portland, OR, 2019-2021 Director of the Revueltas Ensemble – Oregon Bravo Youth Orchestras (El Sistema): Portland, OR, 2017-2019 English Teacher – American Eagle School, Ruah Experimental Elementary School: Taipei, Taiwan, 2016-2018 Substitute Teacher – Sandusky and Perkins Public School District: Sandusky, OH, 2015-2016 Lead String Teaching Artist – Ventura Harmony Project (El Sistema): Ventura, CA, 2013-2015 Music Specialist and Teacher – Oxnard Public School District: Oxnard, CA, 2014-2015 I also obtained training and was licensed as a behavioral therapist for children with autism, and have conducted educational psychology research and published scientific articles. So I am a music teacher with a strong background in psychology and therapy. Orchestral Experiennce: 2019-Present: Symphony Tacoma: Assistant Principal Viola, Tacoma, WA 2023-Present: Sarasota Opera Orchestra Core Member Viola, Sarasota, FL 2019-Present: Oregon East Symphony: Section Violist, Pendleton, OR 2018-2023 2018-2023: The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: Acting Assistant principal, Vancouver, WA 2014-2020: Santa Barbara Symphony: Substitute Violist, Santa Barbara, CA 2015-2016: Canton Symphony: Substitute Violist, Canton, OH 2016: Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles, CA 2011-15: American Institute of Musical Studies Opera Orchestra, Graz, Austria 2012-13: Banff Festival Orchestra & Banff Master Classes for Strings and Winds, Banff, Canada 2004-05: Oregon All State Orchestra on violin and viola, Eugene, OR 2003-04: Mel Brown Jazz Workshop under Thara Memory and Eddie Parente, Monmouth, OR 2002-05: The Metropolitan Youth Symphony of Portland Oregon, and Europe Tour, Portland, OR

Over my years of experience, I have developed my own method of teaching and pedagogy. I have received training from some of the best living violinists and I have utilized what they taught me, and distilled my teaching down to science. I think of components of playing technique like variables that are manipulated and isolated to refine and improve technical proficiency. I teach people how to practice effectively to save time and learn faster and more efficiently. During my time at Oberlin, I took a certification class specifically about string pedagogy. I am very well versed in various methods of technique training for all instruments in the violin family. With beginners. I teach in a modified Suzuki method that includes music reading after a few months. In general I focus on technique and then add in the more fun musical gestures. I also teach ear-training alongside violin/viola study. I believe that it is incredibly important in mental and aural understanding of music and necessary in creating a complete musician. I love children and also received a BA in Psychology that mostly focused upon Developmental Psychology. This aspect of my education aids in my understanding of a child’s mind and helps me to be sensitive to their needs as young learners. I really care for my students and go out of my way to make sure they receive maximum care in the process of nurturing and developing them as people and musicians.