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“Michele is a joyful instructor. She promotes and encourages your child's love for music in fun and
creative ways. Proper positioning (posture) is a must from the very beginning which will make future successes come more easily. Michele personalizes
your child's lesson to their specific needs. I have two children and both have progressed differently through the various songs with her encouragement.”
—Mary Carol Brouwer
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Joyful Sounds Teachers:
Michele and Natalie
You’ll love your fun, joyful musical journey led by Michele Venegas, an accomplished musician, teacher, and mentor—trained firsthand by Music
Together’s®
coauthors Kenneth Guilmartin and Lili Levinowitz, Ph.D. Michele has taught Music Together for several years in Vancouver, BC, Michigan, and Florida before opening
the Joyful Sounds Music Studio in Grand Rapids. She also has a special understanding and appreciation for the Suzuki teaching approach, having been taught to play
following Suzuki methods and teaching Suzuki violin for over 10 years. She has taught music to more than 100 kids through private tutorials and in classrooms and
workshops, including the internationally renowned Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Education
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
- Bachelor of Arts
- Psychology Major: Child Development Emphasis
- Music Minor
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, WI
Music Together, Princeton, NJ
- Trained by Music Together Founders: Kenneth Guilmartin and Lili Levinowitz, Ph.D
Professional Irish Fiddle Instruction
- Irish Music Workshops
- Workshops with World Renowned Irish Fiddle Players Kevin Burke and Tommy Peoples
Fiddle for String Teachers
- Fiddle Workshop for Teachers
- Instructed by Bob Phillips and the founders of Barrage, the World Famous Contemporary String Ensemble
Musical Teaching Experience
- Music Together, Florida
- Music Together, Vancouver, BC
- Music Together, Michigan
- Has taught each Music Together Song Collection Two or More Times
- Over 100 classes
- Suzuki Method Music Instruction, Michigan
- Grand Rapids Community College Arts Outreach Program
- Private and Group Classes
- Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
- Suzuki Camp Fiddle Instructor
Other Musical Interests
- Professional Fiddle Player
- Performed with Celtic-rock band FonnMor
- Currently performing with An Dro
Natalie Hockmier, Violin
Natalie Hockamier began playing the violin in her 5th grade music program. She has studied privately with members of the Grand Rapids Symphony, including Dave Haaland, Diane McElfish, Chris Martin, and Christina Fong. Recently she has studied with Malcolm Brannen at Grand Rapids Community College, where she is pursuing a degree in music education. She recently won an award at that school for outstanding achievement in music. Natalie holds a degree in botany from the University of Michigan and has played in the U of M Campus Philharmonic and Pops Orchestras.
She has been a member of the West Shore Symphony Orchestra in Muskegon since 2002 and has performed with both the Traverse City and Holland Symphony Orchestras. She also founded the Heritage Hill String Quartet, which has been performing for weddings for several years.
Natalie is interested in a variety of musical styles. Her main focus in violin is on classical music and Celtic fiddle music. She received fiddle training during Irish Arts Week in East Durham New York with Matt Cranitch, author of "The Irish Fiddle Book".
Suzuki teacher training credentials include certification in books 1 through 3, with training received in 2008 and 2009 at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Her instructors included Wendy Azrak and Rebecca Sandrok. Natalie has been giving private violin lessons for the past 10 years, and feels very fortunate to have a great job playing and teaching music.
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