Buffalo NY
Sarah Cole
Studio Violin Teacher
M.M, M.A, B.M.
A dynamic performer + passionate teacher -
Educating beginners through collegiate level
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Sarah Cole has been teaching violin and viola privately for the past 16 years.
Her private studio in Buffalo is in it's third year and has nearly thirty young students.
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Sarah earned three advanced degrees in violin and violin pedagogy from well-respected institutions, including the University of Louisville, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, U.K., and Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music.
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Sarah’s passion for violin performance and education has taken her from her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee all around the world, having performed in events such as a private gala for HRH King Charles at Buckingham Palace, the National Theatre of Costa Rica, and a chamber music performance in the Lincoln Cathedral in England.
Sarah currently performs baroque violin regularly in a Buffalo early music group called the Royall Consort.
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Why study violin with Sarah?
Sarah uses her skills as a performer and music educator with over a decade of experience to foster a love of string playing and care for the specific goals of each musician she teaches.
Years of experience
In the 16 years that Sarah has been teaching private violin lessons, she estimates she has taught close to two hundred young violinists.
Sarah has 'started' over five dozen brand new beginners on violin as well as taught advanced students at the collegiate level.
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Several of Sarah's students have participated locally in NYSSMA, GBYO, GBYSO, All-State and have gone on to attend music college or Ivy League universities.
Performance Opportunities
Sarah's studio regularly has public performance opportunities for all her students.
Two recitals per year, winter and Spring are held in a local performance hall with professional accompanist.
Additional performances for select students happen throughout the year
Each recital, students are working on:
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Personal Confidence
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Stage Presence
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Memorization
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Collaboration with the pianist / duo partner
Adaptability
Sarah is comfortable teaching students with many different learning styles.
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Each student is of course unique but Sarah is used to accommodating her teaching style to insure each student feels heard and is working towards their personal violin goals.
Sarah's students understand what is expected of them in and outside of each lesson and is able to feel successful and empowered playing the violin.
What type of violinist is in Sarah's Studio?
Many different types of people want to learn how to play violin and that is wonderful!
Some students come from families that are musicians and are very serious from the start and some come from families that have little to no experience with Classical music and trying it out to see if violin is for them.
Everyone is welcome in Sarah's studio!
Most studio members are young violinists but adult learners are welcome too!
Photo: Andrea Wenglowskyj
Photo: Andrea Wenglowskyj
Testimonials
"Ms. Cole exercises a unique approach based on each individual child’s abilities and/or ambitions.
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Her love for music inspires young musicians to do better. Frequent performances in front of an audience (with an accompanist) boost kids’ confidence.
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My daughter, who plays viola, progressed quickly in two short years she’s been taking lessons with Ms Cole.
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A warm atmosphere of the studio is welcoming to kids and parents alike. We love being a part of Ms Cole’s musical family!"
- I. A.
"Ms. Cole is fantastic! She is very professional and well-organized.
She has a wonderful way of working with my daughter to teach her technique and help her learn the foundations of music and playing violin.
She has really connected with my daughter and is helping her reach the next level. I'm so glad I found Ms. Cole!"
-S. J.
"Mrs. Cole is a wonderful violin teacher!
She is a talented violinist and a very patient, kind, flexible and knowledgeable instructor.
She knows how to individualize instruction to achieve success. I would recommend Mrs. Cole for a student of any age or ability!"
- R. R.
"Ms. Cole is a wonderful teacher for our son. She lets him be silly while pushing him to do his best.
You can tell she creates a perfect balance for all of her students, as we get to witness how much each of them have progressed at each recital.
Speaking of the recitals, Ms. Cole puts in an incredible amount of effort to make the experience memorable for both her students and the parents. We were very fortunate to find her."
- J. P.
"My 13-year-old daughter started with Mrs. Cole (as a beginner) 3 years ago. Mrs. Cole has been patient, and kind, and relates well with my daughter (tween/teen).
As a music instructor myself, I appreciate her methodical approach to teaching, each skill building on the next.
Her expertise and professionalism as a teacher is evident when I hear the performances of students she produces from within her studio. Highly recommend!"
- K. J.
"As others have emphasized Sarah Cole is a gifted musician and teacher.
Her delightful and welcoming studio exudes a life dedicated to the exploration of the world of music.
In her lessons, she performs the magic trick of being at once challenging, rigorous, patient, and kind. She is always eager to help students find their own relationship to the many dimensions of violin practice.
Our daughter, who had never touched a violin before her lessons with Ms. Cole, has learned a huge amount in a short time."
-S. M.
"Ms. Cole is phenomenal.
We are very impressed with her patience and ability to teach music while making the experience enjoyable and significant for our daughter.
Our daughter began at 6 years old and within a very small timeframe is already reading music and playing songs. We highly recommend Ms. Cole."
- J. G.
"We are so grateful that our found Ms. Cole's studio this past fall!
Our daughter has grown tremendously in her technical skills and most importantly her love of playing the viola.
Sarah is a gifted teacher who cares for her students and is a delight for parents to work with as well."
- L. W.
"My son has been taking violin lessons for a little over a year now from Sarah. When we started we had no idea just how happy we would be.
Mrs. Cole has exceeded our expectations it’s her ability to connect with students as well and teach them. She never makes the student feel inferior or distant.
She’s very good about challenging them appropriately based on ability.
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She encourages curiosity and uses lots of positive reinforcement. There are a number of extras that come with being a student of Ms. Cole’s Including twice a year recitals, holiday festivities, occasional tickets to the BPO, cameos from her adorable mini chihuahua, and an artist with character, personality, and perfect pitch.
You get the total package with Mrs. Cole. Organized, efficient, and fair. She must love what she does because she goes the extra mile for her pupils."
- A. L.
"Ms. Cole is an incredible musician, and wonderful teacher. Our daughter has been taking lessons for just under a year now, and her progress is remarkable.
Ms. Cole's teaching methods and the energy she brings to every one of her lessons goes a long way in inspiring good practice habits for her students, and keeps the lessons structured, but also fun.
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My wife and I were so impressed to see that Ms. Cole organizes regular recitals for her students, to build early performance confidence - something that we as young musicians with private instructors never had exposure to until much later in life.
I know for sure that our daughter is getting the most out of her private violin instruction, and it means so much to us that she's having so much fun with it as well."
-E. W.