My Story 

My name is Kristin Campbell and I teach Suzuki violin. I grew up in a musical family where both my parents are professional musicians. Several extended family are also professional musicians. I really didn’t have a chance, I had to love music. It is in my genes! When I was 5 years old, my family went out to Denver to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. My cousins were taking Suzuki violin lessons. After hearing them practice I went home and got a toy drumstick and the dowel rod from our sliding glass door. I walked around the house playing my fake violin which included singing in a “violin voice.” My parents decided that a real violin would probably sound better and be a little safer than the two sticks! Thus began my violin journey. 

I studied Suzuki violin with Venona Detrick in Elgin, Illinois. After we moved to Greenville, South Carolina I studied with Betsy Fee Elliott. In college I completed a Violin Performance degree studying in the studio of Diane Pinner. I studied with Achim Gerber for post graduate work earning a masters degree in church music with a violin principle.  I love to arrange, compose, and write music that I play in church, or that my students can play. You’ll find some of my published titles here.

My mom was my first piano teacher at age 3. I took piano lessons with her until 9th grade. I began studying with Ann Morton. Mrs Morton also played violin and piano and was the perfect fit for understanding studying 2 instruments. I continued studying with her toin college as a piano performance major. By my junior year of college I decided to pick one instrument to complete the degree. I chose violin but continued with lessons throughout the remaining semesters. Along with teaching piano, I have accompanied choirs, solo auditions, recitals and enjoy playing for church over the last 20 years.

My Teaching Journey

My teaching journey started in high school when some I began teaching some younger kids at my church who wanted to play. I worked as a string teaching aid under my violin professor at a local elementary school in college. I began teaching private lessons after graduating. I sometimes think back to those beginning students and realize I learned much more than they did. I found that I love everything about teaching. I love the interaction with the students, I love learning reading and thinking teaching and becoming a better teacher. Since finishing my degrees I’ve taken Suzuki teacher training classes in the summers through the Suzuki Association of the Americas. As I thought about returning to school to get a degree in pedagogy, I realized that I already had all the tools to learn. Learning is life long pursuit. And I don’t have to go to school to keep learning. With this in mind, I began this blog and website. I wanted to create and provide resources for violin teaching. The site documents my study in learning about violin music and violin teaching.