Violin Lessons and Violin Pedagogy
I have been teaching violin and violin pedagogy for over 40 years and draw on my experience, of long term teaching and a deep knowledge of important violin methods - historically and otherwise, including more recent approaches that are specifically for very young beginners such as Suzuki Method and Colourstrings.
Former pupils have become professionals musicians - music teachers or violinists performing in orchestras around the world. Others are active amateur musicians and classical music enthusiasts.
In teaching children, my goal is to relay my love of violin playing and music to each pupil and to help them achieve a level of violin playing proficiency and musical understanding which will allow them to enjoy music as part of life, be that as an amateur violinist enjoying chamber music sessions with friends, attending a classical music concert, or indeed striving for a professional musical career.
I like to start very young beginners and initially, I work together with the child and parent or grandparent as a team to create a natural and positive violin learning environment which sets the foundations for meaningful music making and benefits child development.
Teaching philosophy
Tuition, Pedagogy and Consultancy
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Individual lessons for pupils of all ages
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Beginner Programme for a child of 3 to 6 years old with accompanying parent
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Preparation for tertiary music studies entrance exams
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Chamber music for children
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Violin pedagogy for violin teachers - individual lessons or in a seminar format
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Consultant for the structure and development of violin/ string programmes in schools and Kindergartens
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Suzuki Method Teacher Training for violin for tertiary education music graduates. The courses follow the syllabus and rules of the European Suzuki Association in connection with the German national Suzuki Association - SuzukiMusik Deutschland 2011 e.V.
Languages:
German, English, Japanese
I offer Suzuki Method Teacher Training for violin teachers in connection with the European Suzuki Association and the German national association, SuzukiMusik Deutschland 2011 e.V.
I have extensive violin teaching and teacher training experience, and I studied personally with Shinichi Suzuki, graduating at his institute in Japan. This combination allows me to offer well grounded Suzuki Pedagogy merged with the fruits of my own experience and fresh insights.
Suzuki Teacher Training is structured into part-time courses, often held on weekends. There are 5 levels, with each level examined by a European Suzuki examination board.
Each exam is made up of a performance of pieces from the relevant level, a demonstration lesson, and an interview examining course content. Additional lesson observation of experienced Suzuki teachers in action, is part of the programme. After passing the level exam, the teacher receives a teaching certificate from the European Suzuki Association (ESA).
Suzuki Method Teacher Training for violin
About Cathy
Cathy Shepheard graduated from the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1980, under the tutelage of Shinichi Suzuki. She pursued further violin and pedagogy study in Germany (Prof Igor Ozim, Helfried Fister) and Sydney, (Sydney Conservatorium Bachelor degree in violin performance after studying with Janet Davies and Christopher Kimber) and at short courses and master courses with William Primrose, Valery Klimov, Gésa Szilvay - Colourstrings, Paul Rolland and Sheila Nelson. Interest in Alexander Technique principles developed in to longterm learning about applied AT in violin playing (Janet Davies, Sydney Conservatorium).
As a Suzuki Teacher Trainer, Ms. Shepheard has taught in Australia and as an ESA Teacher trainer in Germany and Holland. She has taught at Suzuki Workshops and conferences in USA, UK, Europe, Australia, and NZ. She has also taught violin and String Pedagogy at tertiary institutions including Cologne Uni and the Musikhochschule Münster (Westfälische Wilhelms Uni). As a guest lecturer/coach, she has taught at Monash Uni, Melbourne; Crete, Greece; Osnabrück und Wuppertal Musikhochschulen, Germany; and at chamber music camps in Victoria and NSW, Australia.
Ms. Shepheard has served as an adjudicator at competitions for violin and chamber music for ‘Jugend Musiziert’ in Germany, and as a violin examiner for the Australian Music Examination Board.
Orchestral and chamber music playing include performing with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and in various chamber orchestras and ensembles in Münster, Düsseldorf, and Cologne, Germany, with tours in Europe.
She has held various positions at music schools in Germany and music departments in Australia (Head of Strings at Ascham Girls School in Sydney, Sydney Grammar School, and Sydney Conservatorium High School). She has been orchestra conductor for the Sydney Youth Orchestra group and at music camps in Australia and Germany. Her private teaching include pupils from age 2 and older, and former students are amateur musicians, music teachers, and orchestral players dotted around the globe.
She is currently teaching violin and viola pedagogy at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf, and privately in Bacharach, Germany.