Mrs. Vanamali D. Medina

Vanamali has been teaching flute for almost 20 years and began her Suzuki journey soon after her first daughter was born, attending Suzuki ECE. She immediately wanted to know more, started teacher training the next summer, and is now also the Suzuki parent to her two daughters.

Her first musical memories include bluegrass recorder and guitar, a church community that sang at the top of their lungs, and watching opera on PBS with her mother. Experiencing the joy of music as way to build and live in a community had a great impact and when she picked up flute as a 5th grader, she never looked back. Bringing the same kinds of opportunities to her students and studio families is a core principle of her teaching.

She currently maintains a home studio as well as studios at MacPhail Center for Music and Mahtomedi Middle School. She gives regular workshops and clinics in other area elementary, middle, and high schools. She earned her B.M. in Performance with Distinction from St. Olaf College, studying with Kay Sahlin, and her Masters in Performance at the University of British Columbia, studying with Lorna McGhee and Brenda Fedoruk. She is a Committee Chair for the Upper Midwest Flute Association and the Membership Director for the Suzuki Association of Minnesota.