Caitlin Veronin

Since I first began the violin at age eight, the instrument has been a significant part of my life and a pivotal source of life-changing experiences—even literally taking me around the world! Ten years of classical Suzuki training with talented instructors has given me both a high musical skill level and the desire to serve and teach others through music; such a desire was sparked in large part through biennial service tours with my Advanced Chamber Orchestra to places like Louisiana, the Dominican Republic, and Mississippi, where we not only performed and served everywhere from run-down village centers to capitol buildings but also let anyone interested (particularly children) try our instruments. These experiences whetted my appetite for teaching the violin, such that I have since found myself in constant teacher mode—instinctively offering quick lessons to virtually anyone near my instrument.

Furthermore, from this classical foundation sprang a more unique form of music: improvisation. Ever since being invited to join a church band in 7th grade, my ability to improvise with virtually any type of music has grown and led me to an even wider variety of experiences, including everything from playing with conservatory students in Italy to leading worship music for hundreds of college students to simply playing with acoustic bands at coffeehouses. In fact, this form of violin has since become my main musical outlet and has helped me to present the instrument in a versatile and engaging way, having understood both the importance of classical training and the delight of expressive improvisation. All of this combines to form a strong passion for introducing the violin—and thus its seemingly limitless opportunities—to as many people as possible.

Currently, this passion is directed toward teaching violin for an after-school program in a public school in Hartford, CT. Though incredibly challenging in many ways, this opportunity has only strengthened my belief that music can change lives when taught in a loving and engaging environment. As such, my goal is to continually improve my ability to teach violin to all students—thereby helping them to fulfill their potential, improve their musical abilities, and develop strong character.