Mrs. Emily Sommermann

I began my violin studies as a traditional student, but really my home was a “Suzuki” home before we knew about Suzuki.  Everyone in my family played music, and as the youngest of five kids with an Italian father who loves opera, ours was a musical home, albeit a bit noisy.  I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a violin when I was little. My official lessons began at the age of 6, but I had already attended many of my sister’s violin lessons and loved listening to her play everyday. As an elementary age student I participated in NY State Music competitions and received superior ratings! At age 14 I started over as a Suzuki assistant, and was taught as a beginner, progressing through 4 volumes of the Suzuki repertoire in 3 months. A highlight was performing the Bach Double Violin Concerto in Orchestra Hall with my Suzuki teacher’s performance group with the Japanese Suzuki Performing Group. While living in the Chicago area, I was thrilled to be a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony performing two concerts per season in Orchestra Hall, home to the Chicago Symphony.

I majored in music in violin performance as an undergraduate and received a Masters of Music degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, on Long Island, New York. I have lived and performed in New York, Germany, Illinois and in Santa Barbara. I have completed Suzuki Teacher Training Books 1-4 with respected Suzuki teachers Ellie Albers and Teri Einfeldt at the Utah Intermountain Suzuki Institute, and Ronda Cole at the Greater Washington D.C. Suzuki Institute, and have continued studies with master teacher Ronda Cole in the Overview of Books I-VI course that she offers annually in Miami, Fl. In 2004 I studied violin pedagogy at the University of Indiana with Mimi Zweig. I continue teacher training through studying music pedagogy of Orff and Kodaly, and participate in Education through Music (ETM) courses here in California.  Though not directly related to the violin, these courses have added depth to my teaching and have improved my playing as a performer.

Music is so rewarding: it satisfies the soul, brings joy to performer and listener. I love teaching and passing on the rich heritage we have through music.