Amy Thacker Anderson

Amy Thacker Anderson began her study of the violin at the age of 3. Throughout her youth, she participated in many performing groups including Rocky Mountain Strings, the Wasatch Camerata, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Boston Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. She has traveled to Argentina, the Netherlands, Italy, and Brazil as a member of these ensembles. During college, she frequently served as concertmaster of the USU Symphony orchestra. In 2018 she was the winner of the USU concerto competition and made her debut as a soloist with orchestra. She later performed as a soloist with the Murray Symphony. Out of all musical activities, Amy enjoys performing as a soloist, playing chamber music with her friends, and teaching the most. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University in Violin Performance where she studied with the Fry Street Quartet.

My teaching style:
As a student, I struggled a lot with perfectionism and being overly critical of myself. I believed I had to be good at things right away rather than allowing myself the space to learn. I’ve worked hard to counteract that in myself and love to work on shifting mindset with students who may also struggle with that. I take a mindful, curious approach to teaching. 

For beginning students, I believe in the power of positivity and fun when paired with high standards. Each step is given in small, manageable pieces. I like to direct my students to self observe and be part of their learning process. I believe this approach gives them more ownership and pride in the way they play. 

For advanced students, I continue to build their confidence while refining their technique and artistry. Students are guided to make musical choices based on time period, personal preference, and performance practice. I have a wide variety of practice strategies based on neuroscience workshops I’ve attended, as well as my collegiate recital preparation. In college, I was consistently chosen for high level string quartet projects, served as concertmaster of the USU Symphony, and won the department wide Concerto competition my junior year. My advanced students have received excellent ratings at state solo and ensemble, participated in national orchestral programs in New York, played at their school’s concerto nights, and gone on to attend college as performance majors.