Violin Lessons

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Credentials

  • 12 years of teaching experience, 21 years of performing experience

  • Master of Music degree (2023) from Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University; violin performance with Qing Li (Baltimore Symphony) and violin pedagogy with Rebecca Henry (Peabody Preparatory)

  • Bachelor of Music degree (2021) from the Manhattan School of Music, student of Peter Winograd (American String Quartet)

  • Pedagogical violin studies with violin pedagogue Elizabeth Faidley (Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division)

  • Faculty at the Peabody Preparatory, Elizabeth Faidley Studio, the Bryn Mawr School & BridgeMusik

  • Suzuki Certified Book 1-4 / SAA Registered

 
 
 

Welcome to my Teaching Studio!

  • Ages 4 - adult, from beginner-advanced

  • Lessons are at my studio in Munich or on FaceTime/Zoom

    • Not in Munich? I’m happy to teach from anywhere in the world using Zoom or Facetime!

  • Suzuki-based with supplementary pieces and exercises

  • Available for supplemental practice help upon request


Teaching Philosophy

Music brightens the lives of everyone, whether they are the student, teacher, or listener. My students learn the violin to better themselves as well as have a creative outlet. Having the ability to create and hone a skill is a powerful tool. The benefits of music lessons expand to far outside the creative realm. Learning the violin broadens the child’s mind and enhances learning outside of music.

I emphasize and value proper technique from Day 1. The violin is a technical challenge that must be taught properly from the start. Every student is evaluated differently as every student is different and brings new challenges to the table. Emphasis is given on both right hand (bow arm, bow hold etc.) and left hand (intonation, finger placement, and anti-tension), along with using the core and back muscles to support the body. These elements are crucial to giving your child the right start with the violin, and allow them to learn without frustration.

I strive to be a guiding role model for your child in music and in life. My own violin teachers have been mentors, idols, friends, and confidants. I strive to be available to you and your child for any and all questions 24/7. I do not want my students to wait until a whole week for the next lesson to ask a question!

Parental support and regular practice is a must. While I do expect every student to practice daily with predetermined goals given by me, the goal of music is not to be perfect but rather to learn to work hard and try your best no matter what.

What They Say

  • A wonderful violinist and fantastic teacher. To find a reliable, dependable and personable colleague like Maia is a great gift. Her manner with students of all ages is always perfect.

    Tanya Witek, NYC Ballet/founder of BridgeMusik

  • Maia is a delight to work with. She has the charisma, patience, and diligence to work with little ones and bring out the best in them. We were searching for a violin teacher for a couple of years and were thrilled to meet Maia. She has become a part of our family and is the perfect violin teacher for our 6 year old. Maia is an amazingly talented teacher and is very patient with kids. Maia makes learning fun - starting with perfect form, technique and building upon lessons without making it seem complicated. Our daughter looks forward to her lessons with Maia and her weekly practice routines. Maia focuses on building on the basics while continuing to practice the perfect form and most importantly a positive attitude and being happy while learning the violin. She is more than just a violin teacher -- she has been a great inspiration to our daughter. Our daughter is committed to her violin learning and follows every instruction to the tee. We can't say enough in words how grateful we are to Maia and we can't wait for all beautiful things to unfold on our daughter's violin journey with Maia.

    Sudha, mother of Aanya, age 6

  • Ms. Schmidt is an extremely patient and dedicated educator. Our son was only five years old when he started taking lessons from Ms. Schmidt. Children at this age have a very hard time staying focused. However, thanks to Ms. Schmidt’s constant attention and encouraging words, our son was able to stay engaged for the entire lesson. She also puts emphasis on producing a good tone, which comes from proper foundational techniques like posture and bow hold. She constantly teaches these foundations using gentle reminders. When our son plays well she is visibly excited. When our son makes a mistake she encourages him to try again. Our son would always leave each lesson feeling very proud of himself. Her passion for teaching and for music is obvious from attending her lessons. We are so glad we got the opportunity to learn from her!

    Ryan, father of Felix, age 5

  • Ms. Schmidt is a fantastic violin teacher! She makes the lessons fun, and she quickly spotted underlying problems my kids had in their basics. She creates different practice techniques to help them with correct posture, bow hold and intonation. I am so grateful to have both of my kids under her guidance. I believe they will get further in their music journey with her inspiration and encouragement.

    Shu, mother of Chloe (age 12) & Jacob (age 8)

  • Maia Schmidt is a truly exceptional violin teacher at Peabody Institute. Her passion for music and dedication to her students make her stand out as a top-notch instructor in the field. My daughter Lyric had the pleasure of taking private lessons with Maia from 2022-2024 and her expertise and guidance have truly transformed her violin playing. Her teaching style is not only informative and educational but also incredibly inspiring. Maia has a unique ability to connect with her students on a personal level, creating a supportive and encouraging learning environment. I have seen significant improvement in my daughter’s technique, musicality, and overall confidence as a violinist. Her attention to detail and commitment to helping her students reach their full potential is truly commendable. If you are looking for a violin teacher who is not only highly skilled but also passionate about nurturing the talents of her students, I cannot recommend Maia Schmidt enough. She is a true gem at the Peabody Institute, and any student would be more than blessed to have the opportunity to study with her.

    Melody, mother of Lyric, age 8

  • Maia is a superb teacher who can adapt to a wide variety of pupils at all levels, as I have seen from her studio recitals. She can really communicate and connect with her students. Maia greatly improved our son’s technique, and took his musicality to the next level. Her lessons have given our son more confidence in his playing, and she has continuously encouraged him to challenge himself and become a better violinist.

    Ragu, father of Vivek, age 16

  • Our experience with Maia Schmidt as our son’s violin teacher has been wonderful. She’s been teaching our 17-year-old son for 2 years and we’ve been absolutely amazed at his level of growth. Maia embodies the best qualities of a teacher, knowledge and experience, combined with patience, kindness, positivity, reliability, attentiveness, and encouragement. Lessons are structured and challenging, but also creative and enjoyable, allowing our son to grow as a musician. She provides constructive feedback to help our son hone his technique and improve his performance skills and confidence. She also goes above and beyond to support our son in any performance opportunities and helps him build confidence in his abilities. We highly recommend Maia to anyone looking for a talented and supportive violin teacher. We can’t rave enough about her!

    Terry, mother of Jaxon, age 17

  • Ms. Schmidt has been teaching my daughter for the past two years and it has been an amazing journey. My daughter’s violin skills have improved significantly since attending Peabody. Ms. Schmidt has a keen attention to detail yet delivers her instruction in a friendly manner.

    Leeann, mother of Vera, age 9

  • You always listened carefully and praised Sarang so she could be more brave. You patiently taught the areas where Sarang lacked and fostered a mindset where Sarang could enjoy playing the violin. Sarang really enjoyed your lessons and often talked about you at home. Despite not being good at English, Sarang and I gained a lot of courage from your kind teaching. I hope we would continue to share Sarang’s growth process together. Thank you for giving Sarang so much love all this time.

    Yunha, mother of Sarang, age 8

  • Thank you for all your efforts teaching Xixi violin in the past two years. We have enjoyed your classes for your professionalism and your passion for the students and music. We have seen Xixi's improvement in the techniques and confidence level. Due to the private lessons with you, she is in the advanced group in the school orchestra, which gives her a lot of confidence at school. Last year, my friend's daughter who is in the same grade as Xixi, decided to start learning violin after she saw Xixi playing in the school orchestra. We are so proud that Xixi enjoys the music and has inspired other kids to learn violin. We like your teaching style, especially the lesson note-sharing part. Yunhua and I don't play instruments, so we cannot provide instructions at home to Xixi. Your notes are straightforward, making it easier for us to follow and remind her to practice at home. This is very helpful to us. We wish you all the best with your new studio, the students there are lucky to have you as the violin teacher!

    Yue, mother of Xiaoxi, age 10

  • Jasmine has been learning violin with Ms. Schmidt for about 9 months. Jasmine’s bow hold, bow movement, left hand position and violin posture, especially her violin arm movement have improved a lot. Ms. Schmidt pays attention to the details, which really helps. Thank you very much, Ms. Schmidt!

    Jin, mother of Jasmine, 6

  • When my daughter changed school locations we needed to find a new violin teacher. We were so lucky to be connected to Maia. Our daughter has played violin from the young age of 4 and she is 10 years old now. We have always wanted to have a mix of a strong teacher but one who also is a fun person so that our child enjoys the learning process. Maia has worked with our daughter the last 2 years and has grown her love of playing while teaching her how to polish her technique to a whole new level. I knew our daughter had some skill but Maia has pulled it out of her in an entirely different way and she is now commanding her instrument and playing with a new air of confidence in her style. It has been amazing to watch and I really credit this to Maia's approach. I highly recommend Maia in every aspect and look forward to our daughter's continued work with her to see how things will continue to develop.

    Jennifer, parent

  • My three children, whose ages span a decade from ages seven to seventeen, have been fortunate to study violin with Maia Schmidt for the last four years. Maia, who is a gifted violinist in her own right, is a natural-born pedagogue. She connects with each of my children differently and knows how to motivate, inspire, and, amazingly, spark joy at every lesson for each of them. Teaching my children violin, with their extraordinarily different levels, temperaments, and wide range of ages, is not any easy task, but it is one that Maia has taken on expertly. She knows each of them almost better than I and truly cares about how she architects their individual learning experiences. I feel fortunate to have observed the transformation my children have had under her guidance. Without a doubt, when my children become adults and leave her studio, Maia will be one of the few teachers in their lives who they will always remember.

    Lisa, mother of Marina, Elliot, & Theo

  • We caught a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes action yesterday and wow! You're Mission Control! Thank you for creating this incredible musical experience for Millie. We are so thankful to have the Faidley Studio and you in our lives!

    Parent of Millie, 9

  • Our daughter, Maiden, enjoyed the privilege of having Maia Schmidt as her personal violin instructor for two years while attending The Bryn Mawr School. My wife and I saw innumerable improvements in her technique, abilities, confidence, and overall competence under Ms. Schmidt's instruction. Our daughter played her violin well before she met Ms. Schmidt, but now our daughter is capable of creating truly moving music and memorable performances because of her short time under the sharp eye of Maia Schmidt.

    Z, father of Maiden