Emily Wilcox teaches Ready, Set, Play! classes at Silver Music. Here is a little insight into her early study:

Age you began studying: 
I was 3 years old when I started violin, 4 when I started piano, and 9 when I started trumpet.

Why did you choose the violin?
My mom and older sister played violin, and my mom was also an orchestra and Suzuki teacher, so I think I was naturally drawn to it just from so much exposure!

Did you always like to practice? If not, how did you, or your parent motivate you to practice?
I definitely did not always like to practice, especially in late elementary school and middle school. During these years, I saw practicing as a chore and my parents usually had to nag me to do it. It was challenging to motivate myself to practice after a long day of school and hours of homework because I just wanted to relax! What helped motivate me most during these years was having goals for myself or musical events to look forward to and work towards such as performances, summer music camps, competitions, and regional festivals (like area all-state and conference all-state).

How did music education affect your life?
Music education has played a huge role in my life. Both of my parents were music teachers, so my sisters and I all grew up with a great appreciation for the arts. My parents always nurtured my artistic and creative endeavors, but encouraged me to pursue whatever career path I wanted. So much of what I’ve learned from music education has helped me become a more empathetic, compassionate, and driven person and has given me invaluable life skills.

Do you have a musical role model?
My biggest role models are some of the music teachers and mentors I had between both my music education and music therapy training. I can think of a few who really stand out to me because they are not only incredible musicians and people, but are incredible teachers/music therapists too.

What else do you enjoy doing besides playing violin?
I love making jewelry, going for walks, exploring new places, and cooking! I also like doing photography or painting sometimes if I’m feeling inspired.

Marjie Shemanski teaches Ready, Set, Play!, Music & Yoga, and violin group classes at Silver Music. Here is a little insight into her early study:

Age you began studying: I started piano lessons when I was 5 or 6, trumpet a few years after that, and had my first violin lesson when I was 10 years old.

Why did you choose the violin? My Grandma grew up in Jerusalem, and learned to play the violin when she was in school there. My parents had her old violin from that time, and I used to always look at it in awe and wonder if I could play it someday too.

One memory from your lessons or early study: When I was first learning Minuet 2, my teacher did not let me move to the next piece for 6 months! At the time it was frustrating! Looking back on it later, I realized it was one of the first big challenges for me as a musician where I really started to develop patience and discipline.

Did you always like to practice? If not, how did you, or your parent motivate you to practice? I did not always like to practice! Practice charts really motivated me. Sometimes there would be a goal, but other times just finishing the pattern was enough of a reward. My friends and I would have practice challenges too, that really helped motivate me!

Did you ever want to quit? Yes! When I was 12, I had played the violin for two years, and was ready to move on to something else – something easier! By practicing with me consistently, my dad helped me stick with it. My music friends and group class community also encouraged me to keep at it even when it was hard.

How did music education affect your life? Music education has taught me so many things! It’s taught me to listen deeply, which helps me every day as I listen to others, to the world around me, and to myself. It’s helped me learn that with patience, practice and the help of a supportive community, I can accomplish almost anything!

Current Favorite Suzuki Piece: Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus. I love the clear, smooth tones of this piece, and how closely it relates to Tonalization!

What else do you enjoy doing besides playing violin? I love cooking big dinners with seasonal foods from the farmers’ market, listening to and playing music with friends, practicing yoga, and reading about the lives of artists and musicians.