In Remembrance: Lynn Baughman

Lynn Baughman, a long-time SAA member and Teacher Trainer, died unexpectedly on April 25th while on a trip to Italy. A memorial mass with family and friends was held at St. Benedict Church on May 7th in Duluth, Georgia. She was highly regarded, not only as a wonderful teacher, but also as an outstanding mentor of students at every level of ability.

From the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra:

The recent sudden death of Lynn Baughman, long-time Suzuki violin and viola teacher, has left the entire arts community of metropolitan Atlanta devastated. Lynn’s remarkable career as a distinguished teacher of young musicians is legendary. She was highly regarded, not only as a wonderful teacher, but also as an outstanding mentor of students at every level of ability.

Over the past thirty-five years Lynn’s students have won every local scholarship offered to young violinists and violists many times over. They have occupied principal chairs of every youth orchestra including GMEA All-State at all levels. Lynn’s students played as concertmasters of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, the DeKalb Youth Orchestra and the Honor Orchestras of Gwinnett, Fulton, DeKalb and Cobb Counties.

Many of Lynn’s students received music scholarships to institutions of higher learning including Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Southern California, Stetson University, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University. Although many became professional performers, composers and music teachers, she was just as proud of those who became engineers, physicians, graphic artists, attorneys, etc.

In order to continue Lynn’s legacy the newly-formed Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra has established a fund to endow the concertmaster position. The chair will be known as the Lynn Marie Hosty Baughman Concertmaster Chair.

How to donate to the fund:

Checks should be made payable to Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra and mailed to:

Lynn Baughman Concertmaster Chair
4284 Patrick Trace
Norcross, GA 30092

A Remembrance from Karen Peckham:

Lynn was a Suzuki teacher beginning in the 70’s when the Suzuki Method was much newer and not as recognized. After a brief beginning with a “traditional” teacher, my sisters and I all took lessons from Lynn Baughman and we loved her, excelled with her, and I only stopped lessons with her after moving away for schooling. Lynn totally immersed herself in her teaching, and took a group of her students to Japan one summer (after I had already moved away, though my sister and Mom got to go on that trip). Because of Lynn, my childhood memories of violin and Dr. Suzuki are extra special. She had a huge gift for teaching and must have taught hundreds of students through the years.