Amy is the Owner & Director, as well as Violin and Piano teacher at CCOM. She teaches both private and group lessons, including early childhood programming. Amy has been teaching in the area for almost 15 years, both from her home studio and in music centres in Guelph, Brantford, Kitchener, Waterloo and now Cambridge.
Amy began violin studies at 5, under the gentle guidance of Helen Parkins. She proceeded through Royal Conservatory exams, studio and community recitals, and was a dedicated member of the Open Strings Orchestra, Guelph Youth Orchestra and University of Guelph Orchestra. Along the way she picked up the piano and is currently fulfilling requirements for the Teachers ARCT qualification with Alison Macneill in Guelph. Amy is also a self-taught guitarist and banjo player, and loves to sing. She accompanies and performs for weddings, private and community events, and occasionally in folk clubs and open stages.
Amy’s formal pedagogy training includes Suzuki Violin Level one teacher training, and is a certified level 3 Music for Young Children teacher. That is complemented by fiddle workshops at the Gaelic College in St. Anns, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island with Carl Mackenzie, Wendy MacIsaac and Ian MacDougall. She is always seeking further professional development at local workshops and national conferences.
Amy has taught students aged 2-84 in both group and individual lessons. Her students have excelled at conservatory exams, joined ensembles, competed in festivals, played in innumerable recitals and achieved personal music goals. Amy’s diverse musical background underscores her dedication to developing well-rounded musicians. She uses games, tools and technology to meet the individual needs of her students, and lessons include theory, composing, movement, history, listening, ensembles, rhythm and performance opportunities.