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Co-Director Robin Johnson studied violin "traditionally" from fourth grade through college. She was in the Symphony Orchestra at Brigham Young University. Several years later, a friend who taught junior high orchestra encouraged her to become trained in the Suzuki Method™, explaining that the orchestra students who had had "Suzuki training" were superior in every aspect of music - intonation, posture, musicality, etc.
Mrs. Johnson joined the Suzuki Music Program of Los Angeles in 1992 and has been affiliated with it since that time - as a student, parent, and teacher. She received her Suzuki Teacher Training from nationally renowned Suzuki teacher Liz Arbus while attending summer Suzuki Institutes. She has also attended numerous teacher training seminars offered through the Suzuki Music Association of California/Los Angeles Branch. Mrs. Johnson teaches in her home in Montrose and also in students' homes, depending on the location. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 1982 with a BA in Human Resource Development, and in 1984 with an MBA. You may contact her at (818) 458-9525 and rllj@yahoo.com. |
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Molly White is a long-time meditator, teacher and musician. She brings secular mindfulness practices to her teaching as a music specialist in preschools, individual and group Suzuki lessons, and her leadership as Co-Director of the Suzuki Music Program of Los Angeles. Molly has a Master’s degree from UT Austin in Ethnomusicology. She performs as a singer, songwriter, string player in creative projects around LA, and leads the Kids Fiddle Jam each year at the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest. Molly grew up a Suzuki violin student and began teaching Suzuki guitar and violin in 2013.
Molly recently completed pre-Twinkle violin training in Kaleidoscopes with Elise Winters, and has previously trained in Music Together and Music Mind Games. She has studied Suzuki violin pedagogy with Liz Arbus, Charles Krigbaum, Ed Sprunger, and Susan McDonald, and guitar pedagogy with Andrea Canon and David Madsen. She has spent many years learning fiddle tunes from Rebecca Stout and David Braggar and other teachers at Walker Creek Folk Music Camp. Molly teaches guitar, violin, and song writing at her home studios in Encino/Sherman Oaks and on Zoom. Molly also writes music for children under the name Peach & Spoon. Contact her at suzukilessonsla@gmail.com or 917-703-1096. |
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Jenni Asher is a violinist/violist, and an improvisational musician at heart. At the core of her teaching lies an interest in empowering students to be creative and capable of teaching the skills they have learned. She is very excited to join the faculty of SMPLA this year, having been involved on the outskirts for three. Jenni holds a Bachelors of Music and Teaching Licentiate from the Royal Academy of Music and a Masters from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, both
in London. She was also a Suzuki kid. Contact Jenni at jennimarieasher@gmail.com |
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Michele Karin Nardone Ratajczak began her Violin, Piano, & Conducting studies at a very early age. Her Violin teacher strongly recommended that she become a concert/professional musician. Upon high school graduation, MIchele then received a music scholarship for Violin to the prestigious Thornton School of Music at The University of Southern California. Graduating from the “Deans List with Distinction” Michele was invited to become the Concertmaster of The Los Angeles Debut Orchestra Lalo Schifrin Director. Michele was then invited to become a Recording Artist and join the Studio Orchestra of Paramount, Warner Brothers, Universal, MGM, Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox Studios. Contact Michele at micnardone@aol.com
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Kira Rappaport went to college to study flute performance and moved to NYC after graduating to play professionally. She trained to be a Parent and Me teacher and eventually moved back out to LA, where she completely geeked out on music education. She studied the Orff Schulwerk approach, as well as Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and went on to earn an M.A. in Music Education at CSULA with a focus on early childhood music education. She regularly presents to teachers on the use of music in the early childhood classroom and last summer had an opportunity to teach a college course on early childhood music. She has recorded 2 children’s CD’s: Sing Together and Beautiful Day. She sees music as an essential part of the human experience and she strives to provide families with the tools to make music a part of their daily routines with their kids. https://www.musicwithkira.com/press |
