Hi, my name is Hope, I’m a professional violinist and violist with a degree in Violin Performance. I have played the violin for nearly twenty-five years and been teaching privately full-time since 2013.

My own music education was fairly old school with perfectionism, shame-based motivation, and peer comparison fueling the majority of it. I was fortunate enough to study with a number of wonderful teachers who gave me a strong technical foundation. Unfortunately, my mindset and how I treated myself wasn’t part of that education. This left me as a very talented violinist with high performance anxiety and no desire to perform because of all the pressure I associated with it. After years of feeling that pressure, I didn’t want to play anymore so I took a big step back from performing and focused on my private violin and viola studio.

Teaching my students has had the biggest impact on an unexpected individual… me. As I’ve helped my wonderful students learn to treat themselves kindly, be mentally balanced in feedback, and always try to see the bigger picture, I have learned to extend that kindness and clarity to myself. My studio culture emphasizes compassion, connection, and consistency and the energy my students bring to their music is eager and hopeful.

It is here, in this blog and this space, that I hope to share that compassionate perspective with you as well.

The Official Bio

A neurodivergent violinist, violist, and educator, Hope graduated summa cum laude with her degree in Violin Performance in 2013 from West Chester University and has performed in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. She played professionally as a soloist, chamber player, and orchestral musician.

Hope has spent the last decade+ building a vibrant private violin and viola studio where she encourages students of all ages bring their zaniest selves to every lesson.

While Hope is a prolific and expressive performer, her happiest place truly is in the classroom where she and her students get to explore new concepts and worlds together.