Reviews

Students:

“My name is Ellie and I’m 8yrs old. I have been playing violin with Miss Shawna for about a year and a half. Miss Shawna is a really great teacher! She makes learning the violin so much fun. She makes games out of our lessons and always makes me laugh! At first practice was really hard but once I got into it, it started to be fun. If you get discouraged, just keep on going. I have learned a lot from Miss Shawna. So has my mom. Miss Shawna is the best violin teacher in the world! You should take your lessons with her if you want to play violin. 🫶🏼😘🥰🎉💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💖💝!!!!!”- Ellie (8)

“Getting to do violin lessons with Shawna is such a blessing. She makes the most of every lesson, and finds ways to keep me motivated. She also takes every opportunity to offer experiences that allow you to grow in what you've learned including recitals, invites to local concerts, and summer camps. I appreciate the friends and good memories I've made, and learning to fluently play such a beautiful instrument on top of all that is really a win-win situation.” - Katie (14)

Parents:

“Shawna has such a passion for what she does! She is very patient with the kids and also encouraging. Violin has been a wonderful addition to our homeschooling curriculum. Highly recommend to help foster so many developmental skills even beyond playing an instrument.” - Autumn

“Bluebird Violin Studio offers a clear and concise step by step program that develops the skills of learners in every age group. My 14 year old daughter has been a student for over 2 years and I am so impressed by how quickly all the children learn. However, I feel it is more important to point out that the music curriculum is only as good as the instructor which delivers it. Miss Shawna Dose is an outstanding music teacher. She has clear expectations, effectively uses the time allotted for each student, develops appropriate goals for individuals and manages group class with skill. But, its what goes beyond curriculum and class/student management that makes Bluebird Violin Studio superior. Shawna develops more than just violin skills with her students. She makes a point of discussing responsibility and self-motivation. She strives to find unique ways to make the learning fun and meaningful while allowing the student the room to discover how they learn best and how to deal with frustrations and set backs. Shawna has a contagious love for music and I have watched that bloom over my daughter for two years now. She strives to master a skill because it brings her deeper into the heart of the music itself and each composition builds to the next composition and she gets so excited about music in general, not just violin. This is the type of thing a program/curriculum cannot offer. This comes from the heart of a good teacher. Its a difficult thing to express into words, but I will be eternally grateful to Shawna for what she has given to my daughter. It was not at all what I expected when I signed her up for violin lessons. We are incredibly blessed.” - Sarah

“Shawna is amazing. She is very patient with the children and teaches at their pace. Shawna is very knowledgeable about what she does as well. I would recommend Shawna for any child wanting to learn violin.” - Natalie

“My 7yr old daughter has been with Bluebird Violin Studio for just over a year now. I wanted to wait a while before posting so I could give a thorough and honest review. Taking on learning a new instrument is big undertaking and I wanted to make it through, what I assumed would be, the initial “growing pains” of the process. Shawna is an outstanding violin teacher!!! My daughter has learned so much from her and she makes the learning process so fun. Those initial growing pains I was expecting were nearly painless because she makes the lessons both engaging and rewarding for the children. Her enthusiasm for her students is evident in everything she does. She demonstrates patience and grace with the kids as they work through difficulties of learning. In the beginning my daughter struggled with wanting to practice. I think she imagined she would just pick up the violin and be able to play a song within a week or two. I shared her frustrations with Shawna who had some excellent ideas for how to make practice seem less like work. She also lent me a few books which spoke to the Suzuki process, how to make practice part of your daily schedule, and how to engage with my daughter both as her mom and her teacher when we were at home. It’s been a year and daily practice is part of our routine now and something she looks forward to. BUT….that’s not the reason I signed her up for violin. Honestly I didn’t really care if she learned to play any songs (of course she has because Shawna is outstanding). The things I wanted her to learn are all the life values that come with learning an instrument: self discipline, respect, positive self-talk, confidence, humility, perseverance, focused attention, and pride in her accomplishments. Shawna has taught her ALL these things and then some!!! Yes, my kid can play beautiful music. But more than that, she’s growing into a beautiful person because of the things she’s learning with Shawna. THAT is why we love Bluebird!! If you are looking to grow your child in more than just playing an instrument, this is the studio for you!!” - Erin

“My son is loving violin lessons with Miss Shawna! I am always amazed at her patience and ability to instill a love of learning in her students. I highly recommend Bluebird Violin Studio!” - Lauren

“Shawna is great! She patiently helps each child learn at their own speed. My child was very shy and didn’t want to participate at first in front of everyone, but Shawna patiently kept working with her and encouraging her and now my child loves violin class! She makes it fun and easy to learn through different kid-friendly exercises.” - Emily

“Shawna is a great instructor. My son and I have been taking lessons for 6 months now. The amount of progress my son has made is nothing short of incredible. She is very patient and it’s evident that she loves what she does.” - Adam

Colleagues:

“Shawna teaches from the heart and with excellent consistency. I’ve had the privilege of working with her students, and signs of the wonderful teacher they have are evident in so many ways. Beautiful posture, focused tone, excitement to learn, attentive and motivated parents; all these things and so many more show how Shawna skillfully teaches the true Suzuki method - not just in technique or repertoire, but with the core philosophy of teaching with love. If you want for your child to develop a kind and determined character while learning solid musicianship and superb violin playing, I cannot recommend Bluebird Violin Studio enough!” - Erica Robinson of E Flat Violin Studio