Please tell us a little about yourself and why you started Horizon Music Studio.
I’m a professional violinist and music educator, and it’s been my dream to start my own music studio for the last ten years, since I was studying music as an undergraduate student back in New York (where I grew up)! Since then, I’ve had so many beautiful opportunities to learn, perform, play and teach music all over the world and across the United States– particularly in Colorado, where I went to graduate school for my master’s degree in violin performance, and in Singapore, where I’ve been living and teaching music for the last five years. I moved to L.A. last year to be closer to my family and to finally pursue this dream of opening Horizon Music Studio, now that I have more experience, and to share the musical lessons I’ve privileged to learn with others. My goal is to help each student experience the incredible process of learning and playing music, and to help students “develop music excellence with joy!” You can read more about my musical background on my website: horizon-music-studio.com
Tell us a few unique features of the studio.
At Horizon Music Studio, we offer violin and viola lessons, and group classes for Suzuki violin/viola and musicianship. Our focus is primarily on strings; however, we take a rich and multifaceted learning approach that’s very relevant to the 21st century learner. I believe in the importance of engaging students in the learning process by incorporating their own interests and strengths into our musical journey. That can take many forms, including learning styles, favorite musical genres and styles, creative multimedia projects, etc. Community engagement is another unique feature at Horizon Music Studio. Learners thrive as part of a larger musical community. This can be fostered through group classes and performance events at Horizon Music Studio, as well as sharing music and connecting with the wider community in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles. As a music educator, I have extensive training and experience in the Suzuki Method alongside several additional music pedagogies, as well as Universal Design for Learning, and I incorporate these approaches into my lessons to provide the best learning experiences for my students. Finally, I offer lessons in both English and Mandarin Chinese, and I love incorporating language learning alongside musical learning!
Why do you think it’s important to introduce kids to music?
Music education is such an amazing gift that we can give to the next generation, because music plays such an important role in our lives. There are so many benefits to learning music during childhood. These are the most formative years for development and they will lay the foundation for the rest of our lives. The goal is not for all children to become professional musicians, but rather to learn how to listen and sing tunefully, and how to move rhythmically. Then, they can participate confidently and enthusiastically in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to a friend, dance or sing along with music during a gym class, in the car, or at a concert, participate in music during a worship service, sing favorite songs to their children and so much more.
When kids can experience the positive power of music, they’re also incredibly motivated to engage, learn and practice at a deeper level and this is where the magic happens, when students learn to become expert musical learners. This is what we’re all about at Horizon Music Studio– nurturing students along each step of the way in their musical education.
What ages do you serve?
We serve students of all ages! Students as young as 2.5 years old can begin musicianship classes, while students as young as 4 years old can begin private violin lessons– in fact, this is encouraged in the Suzuki Method! Of course, it’s never too late to begin your musical journey, and students of all ages, including adult learners, are welcome to study at Horizon Music Studio. We look forward to hearing from you and becoming part of your musical journey.