Teaching Artist (Violin, Viola, Pre-School)
Cindy Baker began her instrumental music studies in the public schools here in Phoenix. She earned a Bachelor’s of Music Education and a Masters in Violin Performance from the Indiana University (Jacobs) School of Music, where she also studied the harp. She has been a member of the Phoenix and Tucson Symphony Orchestras and the Sinfonia da Camera in Urbana, Illinois. She currently serves as the Principal 2nd Violin for the Arizona Opera Orchestra. As an active chamber music player, Cindy is the 1st Violinist with Quartet Sabaku and performs and records with the early music ensemble, Musica Dolce. She is a proud member of Professional Musicians of Arizona (AFM Local 586), Chamber Music America, and Early Music America.
Cindy’s goal in teaching a private lesson or a class is to create a positive, fun and no-fail environment for learning. Many factors contributed to her ability to do this successfully, including strong music programs in school, wonderfully supportive and nurturing teachers, and high quality training in both Suzuki and traditional methods of teaching music. She believes in Suzuki’s assertion that “all children have talent” and is always seeking to improve in her ability to help students set achievable goals and be able to give them the tools and skills to succeed.