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About

I started playing Suzuki violin at the age of four. I began playing viola at age twelve. I graduated from the University of Evansville as a music scholar where I studied music therapy. I am a certified Suzuki violin and viola teacher and a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

I am now a faculty member with the San Diego Suzuki School of Music and director of the violin program at Santa Fe Montessori School.  My past writing work includes publications for the Suzuki Music Association of California - San Diego Branch quarterly newsletter, Strings Magazine and various e-books.  I also do some freelance gigging and orchestra work.

Being a Suzuki teacher is part of who I am.  I firmly believe that our education and surroundings shape who we become.  I started this blog because writing helps me to explore my work from different viewpoints.  The posts are centered around thoughts and experiences while exploring the Suzuki Method of teaching.  Teaching in an of itself should be a a constant learning process.

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The Illusion of Mastery

Dr. Molly Gebrian touched on a concept called "the illusion of mastery" in her Rethinking Genius interview.   Basically, it's what psychologists call it when you do something over and over again, giving yourself a false sense of mastery. Wait... if you do something over and over again, shouldn't it be mastered? Well, not always. The true test of mastery is internalization.  If you're still having to follow the directions for how to make chicken, you haven't mastered chicken cooking.  Mastery means that you've cooked chicken so many times you're no longer worried about the basics.  It also means that you are confident enough in those basics that you are able to add extra elements with some degree of certainty.  For example, you know how the chicken should be cooked even after adding a sauce or extra seasoning. In other words: you can complete the task under pressure. The physical and psychological leap from the practice room to the stage is th

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Interview with Dr. Molly Gebrian on the Neuroscience Behind Block vs. Random Practice

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