Violin & Viola Lessons with Emily Benoit
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Interested musical styles
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Introduction: Welcome to my violin and viola studio in Pittsburgh, PA, and online! I believe that every student can enjoy the process of studying an instrument, and can learn to play with ease and joy. As a result, I work to determine each student's learning style, look for ways to encourage individual ownership of learning, and adapt my approach to help meet each student’s needs and goals. I teach both Suzuki and traditional lessons, and draw from a variety of musical styles and approaches to help students develop a broad range of skills that include a strong technical foundation, ear training, sight-reading, ensemble playing, and musical self-expression. Through this approach, I hope to help students develop a lifelong love for music that will serve them in all future endeavors, musical or otherwise.
Teaching and Education
In and around Pittsburgh, Emily is a strong champion of music education, and she currently runs a thriving teaching studio. She has experience teaching students of all ages, preparing students for success in competitions, auditions, and recitals, and is trained in a variety of teaching approaches that include the Suzuki method. Emily is an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and studied at the Greater Washington Suzuki Institute and the Japan Seattle Suzuki Institute, after receiving her Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, and her Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music.
Performance
Emily has performed throughout much of the United States and abroad. She has performed as a substitute musician with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of Spoleto USA Festival and the Sarasota Opera. Emily also spent time in San Francisco, where she was a member of the Santa Cruz Symphony and performed as a substitute musician with the San Francisco Symphony.
Overview
Hired 3 times
Background checked
1 employee
13 years in business
Payment methods
This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle.
Specialties
Interested musical styles
Reviews
Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.
Exceptional 5.0
9 reviews
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Josh P.
Jul 10, 2020
I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am having chosen Emily as my Violin instructor. I'm an adult beginner having never played an instrument and she has been perfect. She always leaves me an excellent lesson plan and has helped me from selecting my violin to 6 months in, gracefully putting up with some truly horrible sounds a violin should not make.
When life gets in the way and I can't practice enough she adapts the weeks lesson on the fly in case I've not gotten to things. I also wanted to learn music in general and again she has proven to be exceptional. I can throw a random question into the middle of the lesson and she's on it. Lastly with Covid-19 we switched to on-line classes and there has been no discernible drop off in the quality of the lessons.
Learning the Violin is wonderful, Emily had only made it better.
Jenee H.
Jun 24, 2022
We reached out to Emily during the pandemic, as we were seeking a Suzuki violin teacher for our two children, who have had no previous exposure to violin or other instruments. From Day 1, Emily has been so encouraging, positive, and consistent. While learning violin via Zoom isn't ideal, Emily taught all of us how to hold the violin, adjusted when necessary, and above all had so much patience with the kids and with me. She is a pro at finding the things that interest the kids to keep them engaged, and finding creative solutions for their learning. We love her approach to the Suzuki method - emphasizing listening to the music, singing the songs, and finally learning the songs by listening to her play the notes. She also brought in reading music to help them learn the notes and rhythms, so they are not waiting many years to learn that skill. Finally, she sends a tailored practice checklist every week, which helps so much with the daily practice schedule. We highly recommend her!
Elizabeth H.
Sep 28, 2019
I took music lessons with Emily for a year. I was sad to discontinue them when she moved across the country.
Emily is a natural teacher and expert musician. She can adapt her teaching to all skill levels. I appreciated that she is positive, patient and encouraging.
I highly recommend Emily!
Iliana L.
Oct 7, 2019
Emily was conscientious and dedicated teacher. She engaged my daughter in the instrument learning for the entire duration of the lesson. She took the time to repeat as necessary but did not slow down the pace of learning. She knew the skills, likes and dislikes of my daughter, and tailored her teaching to the unique style of my daughter. As a result, in the two years Emily taught my daughter, she was able to move from the lowest orchestra level to the top.
Anne M.
Jan 12, 2020
Emily is patient, motivating, encouraging, and knowledgeable - a terrific teacher in every way!
Credentials
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Emily Miller