Laurel Thomsen: Violin & Viola Performance, Instruction, Recording

The attitude and enthusiasm I have brought to teaching private violin, viola, fiddle, and cello lessons in Monterey and Santa Cruz, California since 1996, and online via Skype, FaceTime, and Zoom to students on every continent except Antarctica since 2009, is rooted in my own daily discoveries as a performer and international touring artist, as well as the pedagogy of Ivan Galamian, Shinichi Suzuki, Dorothy DeLay, Paul Rolland, Simon Fischer, and Kato Havas.

Caring, passionate, and perceptive, I value holistic approaches. My methods focus on the importance of both the muscles and the mind when learning to play a violin, viola, or cello. Lessons integrate Classical technique, fiddle flavors, and performance/sports psychology, in an encouraging environment that values the importance of a student's unique learning style and the body's natural biomechanics, to facilitate playing that is free of tension, both physically and mentally.