Our Story
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Meet some of the best music teachers in Austin!
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Laura Poyzer
Founder and Director
After studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music in the UK, Mrs. Laura moved to Austin and completed a Masters in Music and Human Learning at the Butler School of Music, University of Texas. Mrs. Laura has been teaching music students in Austin since 2009.
'Teaching has been an incredible journey. I love to see students grow through hard work, to see their friendships blossom as they support one another in group-class, and most of all I love to see them gain the ability to express themselves through music.'
Asha Poyzer
Assistant Director
Asha and Laura have directed the school together for many years. You'll find him mostly behind the scenes, helping to develop and guide the school's programming, philosophy, and future. In his spare time, he loves to listen to records, read science fiction, and, when he can, walk in the mountains.
Jane Etherington
Violin & Viola Teacher
Along with a violin performance degree from the University of Utah where she studied string pedagogy under Dr. Sokol-Borup, Mrs. Jane brings an infectious enthusiasm and charm to lessons! When not teaching, Mrs. Jane loves hiking and is an awesome illustrator.
Shelby Dems
Violin Teacher
Shelby received a Master’s degree in Suzuki Pedagogy & Violin Performance at Ithaca College. She strives to inspire students and parents to enjoy practicing while learning how to problem-solve and find their voice. She encompasses breathing, stretching, yoga, and dancing and believes these actions are vital for the success of our minds and bodies, both with our instruments and in life.
Hari Khalsa
Cello Teacher
Hari brings a deep passion for music and teaching. He believes in creating a fun, focused,
and nurturing environment for his students where everyone strives for their best. Outside of
teaching, he enjoys going for walks, playing chess, and pottery. Hari has recently moved to the great musical city of Austin while completing a DMA in cello performance at the University of Illinois.
Emma Thackeray
Violin & Viola Teacher
Emma is currently pursuing her Masters in Violin Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. She is passionate about chamber music, performance psychology, and the role of rest in a musician’s routine. In her teaching, she helps students develop strong technique while building healthy and sustainable practice habits.
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Saber Walters
Violin & Viola Teacher
Saber attended Trinity University in San Antonio and received a Master's in violin performance and pedagogy at Texas State University, where they studied with Paula Bird. Saber believes firmly in the principle of “every child can” of the Suzuki method - every child can learn to play violin!
Fenella Theodore
Piano Teacher
Fenella is an accomplished pianist with degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, Indiana University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. She is a member of Duo Kalos, and she has performed at the University of Illinois, Carnegie Hall, and with Concerto Urbano. She is passionate about collaboration, fostering each student’s individuality, and instilling good habits while helping students develop their skills and enjoyment of the learning process.
SONGBIRD RISING CORE VALUES
// To guide us all toward Joy, Freedom, Maturity, and Integrity. The highest ideal is to develop our musicianship to its fullest potential.
Create a nurturing environment
We are honest and genuine, and we accept each other for who we are.
Live into our potential
We open ourselves to possibility, and in doing so, make available our fullest potential.
Practice Well
Mindful practice each day. Ask for and accept help, we don't need to do it on our own.
SONGBIRD IN A NUT SHELL
GROWTH. JOY. COMMUNITY.
WHERE WE ARE FROM
// Established in 2010, Songbird Rising has changed over the years. We have grown in both size and programming. From a single violin studio in Austin, TX offering private lessons, we are now a comprehensive curriculum of private and group violin, viola, and cello lessons, recitals, concerts, community shows, international tours, summer camps, and a school performance group playing professional shows!
OUR COMMITMENT
// Songbird Rising is committed to guiding the school and its students toward their goals and potential with our core values as the foundation. Our commitment to each student is a solid foundation in skill and musicianship while having fun and leveraging the potential of study for personal growth and the development of character.
WHERE WE ARE GOING
// At Songbird Rising Suzuki School a clear vision as well as a strong foundation is important. The school, ever-evolving, will always offer a high level of education, opportunity, and understanding to our students and their families. 'Growth, Joy, Community' is our school motto and an invitation for us to ground our studies in the support of one another's well-being and potential.
The Suzuki Method
// Who, What & Why....
The Suzuki Method was developed by Japanese violinist Dr Shinichi Suzuki. He desired to bring beauty to the lives of children after the devastation of WWII.
Every Child Can
The essential components of the Suzuki Method are that we are all capable of learning from our environment and that successful learning relies on creating the right environment. Suzuki noticed how children pick up their native language. He reasoned that if children have the skill to acquire their native language, then they have the necessary ability to become proficient on a musical instrument and learn the language of music.
It is often said within the Suzuki Community the ‘Every Child Can’, a statement that recognizes the ability to learn as important over innate ‘talent’.
Suzuki pioneered the idea that pre-school age children could learn to play the violin if learning steps were small enough and if the instrument was scaled down to fit their body. He modeled his method, which he called "Talent Education", after his theories of natural language acquisition. Suzuki believed that every child, if properly taught, was capable of a high level of musical achievement. He also made it clear that the goal of such musical education was to raise generations of children with "noble hearts" (as opposed to creating famous musical prodigies).
Music is an important and powerful form of expression for Human Beings
This is very much inline with Mrs Laura's own motivation to teach, that music is an important and powerful form of expression for human beings, this implies an importance on the process rather than only the product of learning to play.
Every Adult Can
Important to Mrs Laura is the idea that every adult can, in opposition to the popular idea that we can be 'too old' to learn.
Suzuki Association of the Americas