McEntire Violin

The new student learns a couple of songs in the very first lesson. They continue to learn from listening to recordings and watching videos, watching the teacher and repeating what they have learned. We use games and visuals to reinforce learning. I use graded materials that help the student to progress at highly-graduated steps.

I began my violin studies at the age of 7 and continued private studies through college under the expert tutelage of Dr. Frederick Neumann. My graduate studies and 20 years of experience were in the area of church leadership and pastoring. I continued violin studies while living abroad, as well as Suzuki Teacher Certification courses in the U.S. I am computer-literate, having created software for music studios and other areas. I utilize computer-aided tools in my teaching. I have been teaching violin since 1993.

I lived in South America for 20 years, teaching theological seminary courses, helping to start local churches, and giving musical presentations with my family. When we returned to the U.S., I decided to teach others what I had always enjoyed--the unique music of the violin. I explored different methods of teaching and eventually chose the Suzuki method for its clear and well-organized program. After studying for a summer with a recognized Suzuki teacher, I began my teaching career. I continued to pursue further training through the excellent Teacher Certification program of the Suzuki of the Americas organization. For the last 27 years, I have continued to teach with this program.

I have taught children as young as 3 years of age (I prefer at least 4 years of age) through the teens. I also enjoy teaching adults. My pupils have come from all types of background, race, ethnicity and gender. Each one has come with their unique personality--some very shy and cautious, others wide open and adventurous. Some have had learning challenges; some have been musically gifted. All have learned to appreciate and to play the violin.

If the pupil is a child, preference should be given to finding a teacher who knows how to relate to and motivate a child. The teacher should be proficient on the violin and able to communicate its essence. The lessons should be fun, variable and age-appropriate. The bulk of the learning takes place during practice; thus, the parent of a young pupil should be an observer in the lessons and supervisor in the practice. The ideal situation could be for the parent to learn along with the child.

1. Am I captivated by sounds of this instrument?

2. Am I willing to dedicate a part of every day to practicing, with perhaps one day off each week? (In the case of a young child, the parent must also be willing to dedicate time.) To learn to play the violin beautifully, a commitment of several years is needed.