Piano, violin and viola studio in Ikego, Japan. Ages 4 through 110. All levels. CFAY approved, over I also teach on the main base on Saturdays (in your home).
I teach after-school in Ikego, out of my studio in Ise Heights (on the Ikego base), piano, violin, and viola. I offer 30 minute lessons - $35/lesson or $140/month,
or 60 minute lessons - $65/lesson or $260/month. Lessons are weekly. I have two recitals per year, Spring and Winter. Please check out my photos and videos of my lovely and talented students here in Japan performing! Here is a little mo
re about myself and my studio:
Since moving here to Japan (Ikego) in April of 2015, I have been teaching both in Ikego and on the main base. I love teaching others what I have learned and giving them similar powers of musical expression. I have been teaching music since I was in high school, and professionally full-time since finishing graduate school in 2010. I have been playing music my whole life, starting with the piano. I have performed the most on the viola, however I have also performed on piano and violin, and I teach all three instruments. I have a Bachelor's degree in Viola Performance from New England Conservatory of Music, and Master's degree in music from San Diego State University School of Music and Dance. I studied music from the age of 6, starting with piano, and then adding violin and viola, and throughout high school with a viola teacher who played in the National Symphony Orchestra for fifty years (he had many stories!), at New England Conservatory of Music for my undergraduate degree in Performance (with studies also in teaching), and at San Diego State University for my Master's degree, also in Music Performance. I love teaching and performing music, and I have been doing both for most of my life. I have performed with small ensembles as well as large orchestras. I have played in many quartets and even recorded a Christmas album with Eliana Strings (in San Diego). I have performed at MANY weddings, in very fancy places! One time a bride asked for solo viola for the cocktail hour... that was interesting :) And one time I played solo viola for a proposal (including hiding until the bride-to-be (she said "yes") arrived). I have also played many Christmas concerts, operas, ballets, and orchestral concerts (mainly as a violist). I have performed as a member of the Bristol Chamber Orchestra, at the Kennedy Center and Boston Symphony Hall, and as a solo violist. I believe that learning and playing music should be an enjoyable experience, while still being highly educational and satisfying. Sometimes it can get tough, and the learning never stops (even at a professional level), but the ability to play an instrument and share music with others, the ability to play with other musicians and communicate through music, and the challenges of tackling something new and difficult, are all experiences that I have found to be extremely worthwhile and satisfying. Additionally, studying music promotes self-confidence and creativity, stimulates the brain, improves your memory, teaches the value of hard work, improves coordination, provides the skills needed to work well with others, and many other benefits. Please read this article for more: http://www.nafme.org/20-important-benefits-of-music-in-our-schools/
Please message me if you are interested in joining my studio! Thank you for reading this! Musically,
Karen Howell
P.S. I do have a cat, who is VERY friendly and loves my students. Please let me know if you are allergic. Thank you!
