About
From a family of professional musicians and music professors, Jessica began studying violin at age 3 and piano at age 5 and has been actively pursuing her career in music ever since. Jessica holds degrees in both Music Education and Violin Performance from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, New Brunswick, having studied with international Paganini competition winner, Liliana Ciulei. She has also studied with Philadelphia Orchestra musicians Nancy Meinhardt, Hirono Oka and Jonathan Beiler. She believes that each teacher was able to provide her with very unique musical insights and guide her musical journey.
Jessica plays many different styles of music and has played in music videos with rapper Jay-Z and vocalist Patrice Jegou Oyelese. In March of 2004, she was chosen and performed as soloist in a Corelli concerto at the Kimmel Center. Jessica has also worked with soprano, Julianne Baird in live concert performances. In 2009, she performed Verdi Requiem at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC. Internationally, Jessica has traveled to Russia, Finland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and Brazil to play violin at many venues. She has also performed in a master class with violinist, Midori.
A former member of both Rutgers Symphony Orchestra and Symphony in C, Jessica is currently playing with the Garden State Philharmonic in Toms River and .
For the past 5 years, she has been teaching violin, viola and cello in Edison, New Brunswick, East Brunswick, Collingswood and Haddonfield and has found teaching to be a learning experience as well as a creative outlet into the world of music.
Jessica believes that the heart of music guides and reasons the technique. It is her belief that people can never stop learning with and through music.
Seeing students progress throughout the lessons is very rewarding, it allows you to feel like you are making a meaningful difference in someone's life by helping to expose them to the beauty of music.
Reviews
Ashley B.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Assessing the learner and the musician is the first process that I go through as your teacher. Some students learn better in drastically different means, some are spatial learners, visual learners or students who prefer to map out their lessons.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Public School Music Teacher for 5 years, private teacher for 10 years, lifelong musician with a family of PhD level musicians and educators.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Standard pricing:
30 min - $25
45 min - $35
60 min - $50
How did you get started teaching?
10 years ago, I started teaching violin at the World Wide Piano and Music Store in Edison, NJ. From there, I have been teaching in Central and South Jersey.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with students ages 4-65 on violin. I have worked with ESL students, students with autism and other disabilities as well as high academically achieving students. Most of my students compete in local competitions as a measure of continuing practice and prepare for 4 recitals in a year.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Most recently, I have been proud to tour Australia and Italy to play violin in unique opera houses and venues.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
The educational philosophy of engaging and continuing to readminister passion for the subject is very important. Practicing consistency and patience are the means to achieving goals. If you are looking for consistency, measure it by performance and goal tracking.
A teacher motivated to learn and to progress will instill that in her students.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Goals?
Commitment?
Consistency?
Being honest about progress