Samantha A. Camacho

I started playing violin at the age of 8 in a public school program, and fell in love with music. After singing and playing violin through high school, I attended NAU where I completed my instrumental music education degree in Spring 2011. During my time in Flagstaff I also completed the Long Term Suzuki Teacher Training Program for Suzuki books 1-4 and I am a registered Suzuki teacher. I have now dedicated my career to music education, hoping to inspire my students as my teachers did for me. I try to make music fun and kid friendly while providing students with the tools to successfully take music as far as their dreams desire. Whether playing a strings instrument simply develops into an appreciation for the arts, becomes just a hobby, or eventually works it way into a career as it did for me, music is a rewarding area of study that I believe every child should get to experience.
I have been playing violin for over 25 years now and have been teaching strings for over 15 years. In that time I have taught general music, private and group Suzuki Violin and Viola, and string orchestra to students of all ages. During college, I taught at the NAU Music and Dance Academy, and at several elementary schools in Flagstaff, in addition to gaining training and teaching experience in a music literacy curriculum called Music Mind Games. I spent the first 3 years of my professional career as a general music teacher for Washington School District. I then spent the next 7 years in Paradise Valley School District as an elementary/middle school orchestra director, while running a small studio out of my home. During this time I also completed a training by well known teacher Winifred Crock Suzuki in the Schools. Beginning summer of 2021, I decided to grow my studio and focus fully on my passion of teaching private lessons.
As a performer, I have played with the NAU Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, with NAU Chamber Groups, and with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. I also have experience in studio recording, writing, and performing on electric violin with alternative rock groups. I currently belong to a local indie band and I am a member of the Scottsdale Philharmonic Orchestra.
If interested, I would be happy to help your child develop some of these less traditional skills or learn the basics of an amplified instrument, as a supplement to thier classical instruction. I am also comfortable teaching traditional lessons based on the string literature your child uses at school if you are simply looking to supplement their current experiences with some individualized attention. Adult, group, summer, pre-audition, online, or other forms of intermittent or non-traditional lessons may also be available upon request, in addition to lessons or tutoring in music reading or music theory.