Mrs. Griena Goody Choi-Trask

Griena “Goody” Choi-Trask grew up as a Suzuki violin student in Fairfield, CA and taught strings in the Solano Suzuki Strings program for 14 years. She also taught Suzuki violin/viola in Napa for 10 years and with Sycamore Strings Academy in Livermore while in graduate school. Goody was the director of the Solano County Youth Orchestra and adjunct music teacher at Solano Community College in 2008-2009. She has been a master class violin teacher in Fresno and for the Crowden School of Music (Berkeley) summer Suzuki workshop. Goody has been a clinician and adjudicator for several music festivals and competitions and in 2012 had the honor of being selected as the first guest conductor of the San Joaquin County Middle School Honor Orchestra.

Goody taught public school strings (grades 4-12) in the Lincoln Unified School District (Stockton) for eight years. She was also the director of the San Joaquin Delta College String Orchestra, instructor for violin music major students, and adjunct faculty member in 2010-2014. As a performer Goody has been a vocal soloist with the Solano Chamber Society (Vacaville) for over 15 years, a member of the Stockton Master Chorale and Opera Chorus, and a vocal soloist and violinist/violist with the Temple Hill Singers and Orchestra in Oakland. She has been in several operas and musicals in her lifetime having played the Fiddler in Fiddler on the Roof, Katisha in The Mikado, and sung the title role of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice.

As the director of the Mountain House Suzuki Strings program, Goody brings her 25+ years of experience as a Suzuki teacher, strings specialist, orchestra conductor, and performer to her students. She is passionate about the Suzuki philosophy and in order to further her own education and training she travels all over the country every summer to attend multiple Suzuki Institutes. Goody was the Co-Director of the Advanced Suzuki Institute held on the campus of Santa Clara University.
In addition to teaching violin and viola she has taught Suzuki Early Childhood Education class for babies and toddlers.

Goody currently teaches orchestra (middle school & high school) and choir at Mountain House High School in the Lammersville Unified School District. She is also the President of the CalASTA Stockton Section and performs occasionally as a string musician and vocalist.

Goody holds a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) degree and a Master of Music (Music Education) degree from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music with a CA music teaching credential. She lives in Mountain House with her husband, son, and three dogs.