Laurel Gagnon Violin & Viola Lessons
About
I'm a young violin instructor who is passionate about teaching music to students of all ages. I graduated from Park University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Violin Performance, and I am currently working on my master's degree. I enjoy performing, and I often perform throughout the Kansas City area, as well as various opportunities around the world. I also travel to various international violin competitions; in January of 2018, I was awarded fourth prize at the Singapore International Violin Competition.
I enjoy teaching because I am sharing my love for music with my students. The most rewarding part of teaching is watching students grow personally as they learn to play and instrument and improve their musical and technical skills. I have taught every age, from 4 year old beginners to adult students. I've worked with college music majors who are looking for an extra bit of help, and high school students preparing for all-state and all-district auditions. I have been officially teaching for the past five years, but I taught my little sister to play violin when I was a teen, and was always helping my brothers with their practice.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
For beginning students, I start with the "I Can Read Music" and Suzuki Book 1. I am not a certified Suzuki teacher, nor do I teach in sync with the Suzuki style, but I do use the Suzuki book repertoire as I like the progression of ideas presented in the series. For middle school and high school students, I often work on all-district and all-state audition repertoire, prepare the students for school orchestra playing exams, or help them with tricky spots in their school orchestra pieces. I also prepare them for various other orchestra auditions or solo competitions. I take each student's individual needs into account and work on scale or Kreuzter etudes, and assign them solo repertoire suitable for their playing level and practice habits. For adult students, I try to find what kind of music they are interested in, and I work with them and their individual goals to learn and improve their musical skills!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I've been studying the violin since I was three years old. One of the most interesting parts of playing the violin has always been figuring out what I can do to fix problems. This has carried over into my teaching style; I love to figure out how to fix problems in my students' violin or viola playing!
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
My typical pricing is $30 for a 30 minute lesson, $40 for a 45 minute lesson, and $50 for an hour lesson.
How did you get started teaching?
I started teaching when I was a teenager, helping my brothers with their practice. I even spent some time teaching my little sister how to play the violin. Since I've been in college, I've been teaching privately.
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with 4 year olds, middle schoolers, high schoolers, adults, special needs kids, college aged kids....