Technique is important but joy and sensitivity is where it's at!
I assist my students with not just how to play the notes but also how to listen and how to groove. |
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Photo by Juan Luís Jiménez
Hello! I'm Colleen Freeman and I am available for private and group violin/fiddle lessons in Bellingham, WA, both in person and online. I've been playing the violin for 25 years and teaching since 2006. I am trained in both classical and fiddle styles and I am passionate about teaching the violin to everyone and anyone, regardless of age or experience level.
"Colleen is amazing. I am a new adult violin player and she is the most patient and observant instructor. I would highly recommend her!!"
-Lisa M.
"I love working with Colleen Freeman! She's a fantastic musician and teacher. She knows so much about Irish tradition, technique, musicality, and the whole package."
-Diane H.
"I can’t say enough good things about Colleen! She is a talented musician who writes and performs her own music, and she is a phenomenal instructor – patient, responsive, and kind. She has a soft-spoken, gentle manner, yet she is persistent in her efforts to get the most out of her students; she won’t let them settle for mediocrity. I have lessons with Colleen once a week, but I’m in touch with her throughout the week. She sends me sheet music, recordings of her playing, anything that she thinks will help me practice. On top of being a great instructor, Colleen helps her students connect with the fiddle community in Bellingham. She frequently invites me to local events, and she makes sure I know about festivals and workshops in the area. I feel very lucky to have found Colleen and I highly recommend her!"
-Annie K.
"Colleen brings a contagious joy to her teaching sessions. It’s hard not to have fun!"
-Bill D.
-Lisa M.
"I love working with Colleen Freeman! She's a fantastic musician and teacher. She knows so much about Irish tradition, technique, musicality, and the whole package."
-Diane H.
"I can’t say enough good things about Colleen! She is a talented musician who writes and performs her own music, and she is a phenomenal instructor – patient, responsive, and kind. She has a soft-spoken, gentle manner, yet she is persistent in her efforts to get the most out of her students; she won’t let them settle for mediocrity. I have lessons with Colleen once a week, but I’m in touch with her throughout the week. She sends me sheet music, recordings of her playing, anything that she thinks will help me practice. On top of being a great instructor, Colleen helps her students connect with the fiddle community in Bellingham. She frequently invites me to local events, and she makes sure I know about festivals and workshops in the area. I feel very lucky to have found Colleen and I highly recommend her!"
-Annie K.
"Colleen brings a contagious joy to her teaching sessions. It’s hard not to have fun!"
-Bill D.
Questions and Answers
What are your rates?
My rates are $37.50 for 30 min, $47.50 for 45 min and $60 for 1 hour. Add $10 per extra student per lesson up to 2 extra students.
What education and/or training do you have?
I started learning to play the violin just before I turned 6. I was classically trained through the Suzuki Method until I discovered my Irish roots around the age of 9 and became deeply enthralled with Celtic fiddle music. I studied both classical violin and fiddle for the next 8 years with then local teacher/musician Anna Schaad before moving to Virginia for school. There, I began my fiddle teaching career and was a three-time consecutive winner of the State Fiddle competition. Now I play all kinds of folk music from Swedish to Brazilian to Old Time and regularly attend camps and workshops, both as a student and an instructor. In 2018, I self-released an EP of original songs I composed while traveling by bicycle and busking my way through Europe Horse Without Wings EP (2018), in 2021, I released an album of mostly original instrumental compositions with my band The Wandering Seas Pleasant Bay (2021), and in summer 2022, I released an EP of all original songs and tunes with my band Marie, The Band Where I Wanna Be (2022).
How did you get started with teaching?
I began teaching violin lessons as a way to pay my way through college. It was great because I could easily work lessons around my school schedule and I genuinely enjoyed doing it!
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with total newbies to advanced intermediate players ages 5 to 65+.
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
The first thing I always want to know is what the student's ideal learning process is. Not everyone can express this very well but they can usually tell me about a violinist/fiddler they heard that made them want to play, or if they've been playing for a while they can tell me what they're struggling with the most and what they're yearning to be able to do with their instrument. If a student is brand new, I'll jump right into how to hold the instrument and a little bit of bowing. If they're not totally new, I'll have them show me what they know. Usually while they're doing that I'll see/hear something that needs attention and I'll know where to begin. From there my goal is to keep them excited and challenged, gaining confidence as they gain technique and sensitivity.
My rates are $37.50 for 30 min, $47.50 for 45 min and $60 for 1 hour. Add $10 per extra student per lesson up to 2 extra students.
What education and/or training do you have?
I started learning to play the violin just before I turned 6. I was classically trained through the Suzuki Method until I discovered my Irish roots around the age of 9 and became deeply enthralled with Celtic fiddle music. I studied both classical violin and fiddle for the next 8 years with then local teacher/musician Anna Schaad before moving to Virginia for school. There, I began my fiddle teaching career and was a three-time consecutive winner of the State Fiddle competition. Now I play all kinds of folk music from Swedish to Brazilian to Old Time and regularly attend camps and workshops, both as a student and an instructor. In 2018, I self-released an EP of original songs I composed while traveling by bicycle and busking my way through Europe Horse Without Wings EP (2018), in 2021, I released an album of mostly original instrumental compositions with my band The Wandering Seas Pleasant Bay (2021), and in summer 2022, I released an EP of all original songs and tunes with my band Marie, The Band Where I Wanna Be (2022).
How did you get started with teaching?
I began teaching violin lessons as a way to pay my way through college. It was great because I could easily work lessons around my school schedule and I genuinely enjoyed doing it!
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with total newbies to advanced intermediate players ages 5 to 65+.
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
The first thing I always want to know is what the student's ideal learning process is. Not everyone can express this very well but they can usually tell me about a violinist/fiddler they heard that made them want to play, or if they've been playing for a while they can tell me what they're struggling with the most and what they're yearning to be able to do with their instrument. If a student is brand new, I'll jump right into how to hold the instrument and a little bit of bowing. If they're not totally new, I'll have them show me what they know. Usually while they're doing that I'll see/hear something that needs attention and I'll know where to begin. From there my goal is to keep them excited and challenged, gaining confidence as they gain technique and sensitivity.