Violin & Viola Lessons
MICHAEL MULLEN
Violin and Beginning Viola
Available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Michael Mullen is excited to bring his skill and wealth of expertise of violin to JAMS Music. Trained as a classical violinist since he was five years old, Michael has performed and recorded many styles of music for decades. He has more than 25 years of private violin and fiddle teaching experience. For the past few years, Michael has taught violin at various charter schools in the Oakland School District.
Though he is a fiddler by trade, Michael teaches his beginner and intermediate students violin technique from a violin method that yields results — good technique is good technique regardless of what kind of music you play. As a student, you’ll straighten your fundamentals in sight reading, theory, and composition to become a confident player. Whether you’re just starting out in your school orchestra, preparing to study classical violin in college, interested in Celtic music, or traditional Americana fiddle, Michael will give you the tools you need to grow.
Learning to play a musical instrument can be both fun and fulfilling, and the violin is one of the most expressive of musical instruments. Give it a try today!
Hannah Robbins
Violin and Piano
Available Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday
A piano and violin teacher for all ages and skill levels.
Hannah Robbins is excited to teach piano and violin at JAMS Music. With nearly twenty years of teaching experience, Hannah teaches using different methods and books with a strong emphasis on supplementary theory, ear training, proper technique, and overall musicality. Students will learn the importance of good technique and theory while emphasizing good tone, sound, rhythm, technique, and ear training. Most of all, students should have fun and gain appreciation and love for music.
Hannah has had students who are members of the San Jose Youth Symphony, the California Youth Symphony, the California All-State Orchestra, PACO, PYO, and the El Camino Youth Symphony. Numerous students hold leadership and concertmaster roles. Her students regularly participate in music competitions and graded assessment programs including The Royal Conservatory of Music Achievement Program (RCM) and Certificate of Merit (CM). Students have been accepted into professional-level summer camps such as MPM, Brevard Music Festival, and Interlochen. Many of her students have gone on to pursue music at universities.
Hannah is a native of the east coast where she studied violin with teachers at the Eastman School of Music, Hochstien, and the Kanack School of Music. She was the youngest member accepted into the Hochstein Youth Orchestra and the RPYO. She moved to Nashville and studied with teachers at the Blair School of Music/Vanderbilt before moving to San Francisco to study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has studied with multiple teachers from Juilliard and had continuous education at MTSU and SJSU. Hannah has performed regularly throughout her years. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, exploring new places around the Bay Area, and performing in ensembles with her friends.
Rachel Unterseher
Violin, Viola, and Classical Indian Vocals
Available Friday
Rachel Unterseher has over 20 years of experience teaching violin and viola. Her main specialties are in Western Classical Music and the Classical Music of India. Her musical interests and training give her the flexibility to serve students with a wide array of interests. Her lessons are tailored to a student’s interests, age and level. Lessons are focused on giving students the skills they need to play the music they want to play. This includes music fundamentals, technique and music theory to help the student understand and read music. Music games, duets and recordings are used to keep lessons fun. Students of all ages are welcome, and can start as young as 4 years old.
“I fell in love with the sound of the violin as a child. It is the closest instrument to the human voice and has the magical capacity to communicate feelings and ideas beyond words. One can play any type of music from anywhere in the world on the violin.”
Rachel is also a regular performer throughout the Bay Area in small ensembles or as a soloist. She has performed for radio and television. She has performed for Alonzo King’s Ballet at the Yerba Buena Center for Performing Arts and at the Escondido Performing Arts Center with vocalist Rita Sahai, and with the Ali Akbar College of Music Orchestra under Maestro Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri at the Palace of Fine arts in San Francisco. Growing up she performed in the Nevada State Honor Orchestra and was a member of the Cal State University Northridge Youth Orchestra, the Arkansas Festival Orchestra, the Idyllwild School of Music Arts Festival Orchestra and the Cal State University Northridge Symphony, Chamber, and Opera Orchestras.
Rachel has a Degree in Music and Violin Performance with Honors from Mills College where she studied with violinist David Abel. She also studied with violinist Joseph Genualdi who studied with Ivan Galamian alongside Itzhak Perlman. She has additional teacher training in Violin and Viola Pedagogy from the Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music with Mimi Zweig, the Paul Rolland Pedagogy Society and Suzuki Teacher Training with violinist Kasandra Klassy. She has also extensively studied Hindustani Classical Music for 20 years with Maestro Ali Akbar Khan at the Ali Akbar College of Music with whom she studied instrumental and vocal music.
Please visit the main Lessons Information Page to learn more about our amazing Lesson Program.
If you have any questions please call our store at 925-828-5267 or e-mail lessons@jamsmusicdublin.com.
We look forward to working with you and helping you on your musical journey!