Kassia F  
Instruments: Violin
Styles: Classical

I began teaching private lessons towards the end of high school. As my love for teaching grew, I realized how many students there truly were in my hometown who had the talent and thirst for proper education in music, but did not have the resources. This is when I became involved with a program for underserved children which eventually became the Fine Arts Institute in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The program began small and only offered violin lessons. There were only a handfull of students to whom I taught for two weeks in the summer. The program has grown tremendously since then; now offering lessons in piano, voice, bass, cello, viola and violin.  I am now teaching a three week intensive as an extension of this program twice a year. My studio has grown to about 40 students, most of which are returning students each time. Through this program I have conducted orchestra sectionals, taught theory classes, studio classes, as well as accompanied students on piano or violin for recitals. 

For my entire teaching career thus far, I have taught the Suzuki method. I find the sequence of pieces in each book is quite suitable for a young musician. However, I do believe note reading and general music theory should be incorporated into lessons right from the beginning, especially if the child does not have a background in piano. In addition to Suzuki, I like to integrate various exercises and scales into the lesson and daily practice routine as well. When a child reaches the level Suzuki book four or five, there is additional repertoire I like to add.