Testimonials from Graduates & Current Students
"Anna Presler's strength lies in her ability to inspire and encourage her students through her straightforward and genuine love for teaching. By teaching me how to break down and use musical techniques, she brought my playing and practicing to a new level of maturity. I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to study with her."
Jennifer Jim M.M. '12 - Orchestra Director of Franklin Middle School in Community Consolidated Unified School District 200, Wheaton, Illinois; Former Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair and Music Director at Foothill High School, Sacramento, California
"Anna's encouraging and inspiring nature grew my confidence as a violinist and musician. Her unique ability to connect with students and discover their learning strengths results in a successful learning environment. She helped me develop my practicing and musicianship skills. Now that I'm teaching my own students, I utilize many of the concepts she taught me."
Emily Shepard B.M. '14 - Elementary and Middle School Instrumental Instructor, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, California
"As I was first beginning to understand how serious I felt about becoming a professional violinist and musician, I wanted to know what it could look like to be patient enough to unveil for myself some of the many technical mysteries that go into playing the violin, hungry enough to seek after the many languages for learning and performing music as I could, and level enough to be able to enjoy working with colleagues and students from diverse backgrounds. Anna Presler continues to be the model from which I draw all these inspirations and try to bring these elements together in my professional life, not just as a violinist and musician, but also as an educator. The person you get on the stage is the same person you get in the classroom and in the corridors of any music building and music hall. In our time working together, I learned just how unabashedly kind-hearted, vigorous, and joyful her approach was while she collaborated with me in the spirit of genuine interest to help me discover and endorse my own musical voice and capabilities.
I’ve had the terrific fortune to have experiences working with and performing alongside notable artists in the field, and teaching and performing as a core faculty member at the nationally celebrated not-for-profit organization Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI. I believe all the ingredients which make up my professional life came together and were helped from so much of the time I’ve spent taking from the information, spirit, and guidance Anna Presler had to offer."
Chase Spruill B.M. - Community MusicWorks, Providence, Rhode Island