Every month, we like to spotlight one of our incredible Elemental Music teachers. Some of them have been teaching with us for close to a decade while others might be in their first year of working for our organization, but there is one thing that all of our teachers have in common: their dedication to the young musicians in our programs.
This month, we are featuring Susan Feldman - a wonderful violin teacher for our Encore program here at Elemental Music. Sue has been with us for many years, sharing her deep knowledge of musicality and technique with our students. With a rich background in teaching at USC and performing nationally, she is dedicated to inspiring students of all ages to explore the joy of music. And fun fact: Sue is a specialist in Baroque music and historical performance! We are thrilled to have her as part of our community and look forward to the impact she will make on our students’ musical growth!
Elemental Music: How long have you been teaching for Elemental Music? Can you tell us a little bit about your history with the organization?
Susan Feldman: I’ve been teaching eight years for Elemental Music, in Encore and the Bergmann Program. I contacted Josephine all those years ago because I was interested in teaching for the program. We met for lunch and hit it off right away. I know her husband through USC, where I completed my Masters and Doctorate, but had never met Josephine. We talked for a long time and discovered we had very similar views on music and teaching. I started teaching in the Bergmann Program shortly after that.
EM: How did you get started in music?
SF: I started playing the violin in 4th grade, in the public school system in the suburbs of Chicago. A string quartet came to my school and performed. I was instantly hooked, came home and told my parents I wanted to be a violinist. They rented me a violin the next day and the rest is history, as they say.
EM: What is one of your favorite musical memories?
SF: There are many, many favorite musical memories I have, but I’d say two of the highlights were performing in the Musikverein in Vienna with the Chicago Youth Symphony along with the Vienna Boys Choir and performing in Carnegie Hall, also with the Chicago Youth Symphony. Both were once in a lifetime opportunities and unforgettable performance experiences.
EM: What inspired you to teach in addition to performing?
SF: I’ve always loved teaching. When I was studying violin as a student, things never came super easy for me. I always had to work very hard. I had some amazing teachers along the way who really helped and guided me in very patient and caring ways. I think having teachers like that really inspired me to want to help young musicians. I like to think that I channel the great teachers I had when I was young as I teach my students.
EM: What first sparked your interest in Baroque music, and how did that influence your career?
SF: When I was getting my Masters at USC, I was introduced to Baroque music on period instruments. I had always loved the sound of period instruments, but never had the opportunity to play a baroque violin. They had an early music ensemble at USC and a friend encouraged me to come sit in on a rehearsal. Jim Tyler, who was head of the early music department at the time, brought a baroque violin for me and asked me to sit in on rehearsal. I took the instrument and reluctantly sat in. From the moment I drew that bow across those gut strings, I was hooked. I decided to stay at USC after I completed my masters and pursue a doctorate in early music.
EM: What was the transition from teaching at USC to working with younger students at Elemental Music like for you, and how do you balance developing technical skills with encouraging creativity in your teaching?
SF: I’ve always taught younger students even while I was teaching at USC. Of course the challenges are different, but my teaching philosophy remains the same. I am present with every single student and address their individual needs in their lessons, be it something incredibly technical or learning to read music. I am very thorough with each student, I’m patient and I have fun in lessons too. For the younger students, I try to make things fun and play games to keep their interest. I find that this approach yields the best results, and students want to learn more. They get excited about learning, and that should be what it’s all about.
EM: If you could give our students one piece of advice, musical or otherwise, what would it be?
SF: I would say that working hard is important, to always be improving on what you know, but to also always have fun. Having fun and enjoying what you do, be it music or anything else, is so important. I think it helps to motivate us.