Born and raised in Germany, my music education started early in life with a wonderful fundamental music program comparable to Kindermusik today. The fun and excitement compelled me later to become a Kindermusik Instructor myself and give my children the gift of turning into Kindermusik Graduates. It is an excellent preparation for formal lessons.
I started formal violin and piano lessons at the age of 8. My violin teacher saw right from the beginning the potential in me of persuing a career as a violinist as I had my first public performance only three months after starting lessons. There was a packed audience and even the local newspaper had a write-up about me. One of the listeners, a doctor, felt so touched by my playing that he had been continuously asking my parents about my violin career for 30 years, every time he met them in my hometown. Finally I called him from America, actually I have never met him in person, asking what has kept him thinking about my violin playing for all these years. His answer was that he felt tears rising up when he saw me standing there as a young girl, playing violin so engaged and lost in the music. I am describing this early beginning so broadly because it has defined my way of teaching and being a music teacher.
The following years of violin lessons were very productive and progressive as my teacher had great plans for me. This all changed when he wasn't able to continue teaching for personal health reasons. My next teacher was a missmatch right from the start, there was no inner connection and engagement from his side. He never brought his own violin to play with me, my lesson time was his snack time and he filled the room with cigarette smoke. Although unhappy I fought my way through for several years. In my teenage years I became sick with pneumonia and was on bedrest for some weeks and therefore couldn't prepare properly for a planned competition. My teacher sent me regardless and wouldn't even show up for support on that day. This moment of being set up for failure turned out to be a traumatic incident in my life that had followed me for many years into my adulthood. Thankfully my passion for music remained and this experience caused me to be very conscious about creating a positive and encouraging environment in my studio filled with acceptance and true interest in the person.
After High School I started getting prepared for audition at music conservatories. During that time I discovered the Tübinger Musikakademie with a unique approach of teaching music. I also fell in love with this medieval university town that offered me the possibility to study Musicology, Art History and Pedagogy. So I ended up studying violin and piano at the Tübinger Musikadademie and the mentioned subjects at the Eberhard-Karls-University in Tübingen where I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Musicology in 1989 and a Master's Degree in Art History and Pedagogy in 1995.
Midway through my studies, my path led me to Paris, France, for two years, to work as a German assistant at two High Schools and also to study Art History at the Sorbonne, finishing with a Master's Degree (Maîtrise) in 1992.
During my years of studying I performed with several orchestras throughout Europe and began teaching violin and piano in my early twenties, actually working at three music schools at the same time beside having my private studio.
For many years I am part of my church's worship team as a violinist and love to serve my Lord Jesus Christ with my musical gift.
The combination of all my experiences and studies has developed me to be the teacher that I am today. Foremost I am interested in discovering my students' heart and passion for music. I truly want my students to connect with their heart and the desire to learn how to express themselves with music through their instrument. I understand the importance to be very sensitive of how to protect this special gift of musical expression that each person carries. When I teach, I see the whole person like a beautiful creation that unfolds. There is not only one aspect or two how to learn an instrument but a full array of colors and shades that need to be developed to allow the person to become one with the instrument and be the unique expression of the music they are playing.
Throughout my thirty years of teaching, I have seen amazing things happening in my students. From starting out being unsure about their abilities to becoming very confident and successful musicians with a joyful heart and full of energy in their playing. Over the years I had several orchestra teachers commenting on this after listening to my students playing during recital times. As far as I can tell, most if not all of my students keep playing music long after they moved on to college and into adulthood. The gift of music is for a lifetime!
My dedication to see this happening fills me personally with great joy. Teaching is my passion and seeing my students smile every week is a beautiful reward.