violin lessons
Learn to play with confidence, joy, and ease.
Traditional violin lessons with a holistic twist–helping you take ownership of your playing, push your artistic boundaries, and achieve your musical goals.
Now accepting students for summer lessons online and in-person in Lynnwood, WA.
Teaching Philosophy:
My goal is to empower you to joyfully make music, while fostering expressive excellence, technical fluency, and healthy playing habits.
I focus on strong technical fundamentals from the very first lesson. We make violin technique feel easy and effortless by breaking down complex skills into basic body movements and fundamental principles. And as a certified Franklin Method™ Educator, I incorporate anatomy, biomechanics, and somatic techniques into violin-playing to help you develop greater body awareness and move with ease.
Violin lessons are more than just learning to play an instrument—you learn how to practice, solve technical problems and develop your musical voice. I believe students thrive in a nurturing and nonjudgmental environment where you feel encouraged to succeed and also safe to experiment and learn from your mistakes. I want you to reach your potential and enjoy playing the violin every step of the way.
Let's get started.
“Erika is an amazing teacher. My sound quality and confidence have grown so much since I started lessons with her. I feel like I have more musical knowledge and I understand the pieces I am playing.”
- chloe o., former student
What do we work on in lessons?
what you'll learn:
Fundamental violin techniques with a focus on healthy movement and beautiful sound.
Student-specific solutions to technical and musical challenges.
Deliberate practice strategies to help organize your practicing and achieve positive results.
How to craft thoughtful, creative, and expressive musical interpretations.
Franklin Method® exercises and anatomy to help you play with freedom and ease.
Studio Features
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE 1-2 STUDENT RECITALS PER YEAR; local and regional adjudications and competitions; Community events
special musicianship group classes and masterclasses with guest artists and other studios
musicians' wellness resources
online violin students receive access to unlisted lesson recordings on youtube
Testimonials
Ralph S., Former Student
“Working with Erika, I have a much deeper understanding of the fundamentals.”
"She was always quick to try a new approach when she saw that I wasn’t understanding a principle or idea. She has guided me on how to correct my improper form, and has allowed me to play more naturally, without feeling like I am fighting the music."
Bobby B., Former Student
“Many of her teachings and exercises were not like any other instructor I had in the past. My playing has definitely improved.”
"Erika's suggestions for my focus centered around proper posture and holding the violin properly. She emphasized that by doing the exercises my playing would become more fluid, which it did. I would definitely recommend to others to study with Erika."
Brian C., Former Student
“I want to personally say how much I enjoyed violin lessons with Erika.”
Being an adult student presents challenges to a teacher that are different than a student who is a child. Erika recognizes this and adapts her teaching accordingly. I was also interested in things beyond just playing, such as musical history, reading music, and the physiology around playing, and Erika was more than happy to stop and explain anything I asked about. Erika clearly loves the violin, and that passes through in her teaching style. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone.”
How It Works
schedule your initial meeting
Fill out the lesson inquiry form to sign up for a free trial lesson or introductory meeting for beginners. We’ll see if we’re a good fit and identify your goals for violin lessons.
establish a healthy foundation
We’ll create an individualized plan to build your technical skills, learn strategies for successful practicing, and play with freedom and ease.
Start your musical journey
Learn to play a wide variety of repertoire with expressiveness, creativity, and deep musical understanding.
IN-PERSON VIOLIN LESSONS
Experience the transformative power of violin lessons in-person!
Located at the Pizzichemi/Kurys Studio in Lynnwood, WA.
19730 64th Ave W Lynnwood, WA 98036.
Choose Your Lesson Format
ONLINE VIOLIN LESSONS
Prefer to learn from the comfort of your home? No problem!
Virtual lessons are held on Zoom.
Students get exclusive access to video recordings of their lessons and lesson notes in the form of sheet music annotations or handouts.
You'll receive an unlisted YouTube playlist where you can review past lessons whenever you want.
Registration and Fees
summer lessons
Registration for Summer Violin Lessons is now OPEN.
Lessons are offered on a week-to-week basis throughout the summer until August 30.
2024-2025 School year
Registration for the 2024-2025 school year will open in June.
New for Fall 2024: weekly and biweekly lesson packages will be announced in June. Fill out the inquiry form to receive more information!
scheduling & payments
Lessons are typically scheduled between 1-8 PM Pacific Time. Lessons are scheduled using the online service Fons. Payments are also processed through Fons (debit/credit cards and bank ACH transfers accepted).
Alternate payment methods may be arranged on an individual basis.
Weekly lessons are the best way to make consistent progress. Most students take weekly lessons, but some prefer to book a lesson biweekly, monthly, or individually to get targeted help when they need it most.
summer lesson fees
30 min lesson: $50
45 min lesson: $75
60 min lesson: $100
90 min lesson: $150
are you ready?
Book Your Trial Lesson
Sign up for a free 30 minute lesson or an introductory meeting/phone call for beginners. The trial lesson is an opportunity for us to see if we’re a good fit and identify your goals for violin lessons. If you have prior playing experience, we’ll look closely at your playing and practicing habits to help you best move forward.
I’m Dr. Erika Burns – Violin Teacher Based in the Greater Seattle Area
I love helping students become creative and confident musicians.
I picked up the violin when I was 4 years old and never looked back–receiving my bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University and my master’s and doctoral degrees in violin performance from the University of Oklahoma. My struggles with injuries led me to get certified as a Franklin Method Educator, and I regularly incorporate anatomy and biomechanics into lessons to help you play with more ease.
I can’t wait to explore the violin with you!
Questions?
Check out the frequently asked questions below, or contact me with any further inquiries!
I teach students ages 4 to adult.
Beginner violin lessons provide you with a solid foundation for making music at any age! I suggest young beginners start with 30 minute lessons and older beginners start with 30 or 45 min lessons.
You’ll need a violin for your first lesson–I am happy to provide a list of recommended string shops for renting violins. For the first 1-2 months, I will provide handouts. After that, I ask students to purchase Suzuki Violin School Book 1 and the accompanying recording for listening practice. I will provide additional repertoire handouts as needed.
In a private violin lesson, you’ll get one-on-one instruction and a personalized practice plan each week. We start with learning healthy posture/alignment, basic left and right-hand techniques, and how to make a beautiful sound. You’ll learn how to play in-tune with good rhythm and expression, how to read music, and introductory music theory and aural skills. We learn techniques sequentially at your pace so you don’t feel so overwhelmed–for example, right and left-hand techniques are learned separately and then integrated over the first few weeks of lessons.
In your first lesson, I’ll ask you to play for me. You can play anything you’re comfortable with, such as a scale, etude/caprice, or solo piece. I like to work collaboratively with students–I’ll ask you what you felt were the positive aspects of your performance (i.e. what went well, what you were proud of, or what you were relieved by) and what made you feel less comfortable or less confident. Your feedback helps inform our technical and musical work in each lesson.
Once we identify some areas of growth and goals for violin lessons, I’ll assign you related technical exercises, etudes/caprices, and/or solo pieces.
Online lessons are held on Zoom. Students will be provided a secure link to lesson recordings for reference during the week.
I utilize both the Suzuki method and traditional violin repertoire to meet individual students’ needs and interests. I believe in studying a variety of approaches to violin playing and additionally draw from Mimi Zweig Pedagogy and numerous other pedagogues including Paul Rolland, Simon Fischer, and Ivan Galamian.
To help create a safe environment for your child to learn, I require a parent/guardian of elementary-school and pre-school aged students to attend initial lessons in the studio and online. Parents of older students are welcome to attend lessons. While I will provide practice objectives during the lesson, it is helpful to take additional notes for reference during the week.
Young beginners also feel more confident in their skills and make progress more easily when their parents/guardians help with at-home practice!
I have a 48-hour cancellation policy for violin lessons. There are no refunds for cancellations within 48 hours of your scheduled lesson. If you know you’ll need to miss a lesson here and there, feel free to cancel in advance and reschedule for a day/time that works for you! If you have to cancel last minute due to illness or an emergency, I am happy to offer a makeup lesson as my schedule allows.
Because I teach multiple students per day, I am not able to make home visits. Currently, I teach in-person lessons only in Lynnwood, WA.
I understand your concern! Private lessons can feel like a large investment in both time and money, but you will have a more rewarding experience playing the violin when you feel physically comfortable and confident in your technique. Weekly lessons are the best way to develop musically and make steady progress without overwhelm. You’ll also have a lot of fun in lessons and enjoy being part of a community of fellow musicians!
If you’re still hesitant, I recommend starting with 30 minute lessons for a few months. I do not offer any discounts for lesson packages, but some of my intermediate and advanced students choose to take biweekly or once a month.
Masking is encouraged but not required at this time. I do ask that anyone who is ill or exposed to someone with a viral infection wear a mask to lessons and reserve the right to reinstate mask requirements when public safety advisories are in place.
To reduce the chance of viral infections, I run multiple Corsi-Rosenthal box air purifiers in the studio to improve air quality and have disposable masks available as needed. Please note that I am vaccinated and wear a mask due to personal health concerns.
“Of anyone with whom I have studied, Erika stands out in her pursuit to understand a student’s challenges, to get to the root of the problem.”
- David james husted, former student & orchestra teacher
Getting nerdy about all things musicians’ wellness, violin pedagogy, and Franklin Method!