he Long Island Violin Shop is proud of our lesson program.  We offer in- person lessons in our comfortable, spacious lesson rooms at all three of our locations, virtual lessons, or a combination of both!

Our students range in age from Pre-Kindergarten through 80 years old!  It's never too late to learn to play an instrument. 

Monica Capiral - Violin/Viola Teacher

Monica Capiral began her violin studies at the Port Jefferson Music Academy in 1998 (the founding year of the Academy) as a student of Sophie Arbuckle and Arik Braude. During that time, she was a member of the Academy's String Quartet which performed regularly at various local outreach events.

She later concurrently attended the Mannes College Prep where she was a member of the Mannes Philharmonic - Monica has also attended the Killington and the Green Mountain Summer Chamber Music Festivals. She began her collegiate studies of music at the Aaron Copland Conservatory of Music at Queen's College (CUNY) and is a violin student of Arik Braude.

Monica joined the Port Jefferson Music Academy faculty in 2008 and has since developed a vibrant violin & viola studio. In addition, she teaches music theory and Kindermusik classes.

__________________________________________________

Deede Cook - Violin / Viola

Dorothea Cook (”Deede” to her friends) is a professional violinist who has had a decades-long career teaching music to people of all ages.  She has taught violin and viola in private and community settings, coached chamber music, taught classes in musicianship to children, and courses in music pedagogy at the college level.   

A native of Seattle, Washington, Dorothea Cook majored in performance at the University of Washington where she studied violin with Vilem Sokol and Emanuel Zetlin.  She did additional study in England with violin pedagogue Kató Havas and in France at the Conservatoire Américain de Fontainebleau. An active interest in the psychology of performance led her to work with Eloise Ristad and Lowell Roddenberry, both pioneers in the field of stress management for artists.

After many years as a professional musician in Seattle’s lively musical scene, Deede moved to Long Island, where she completed a multidisciplinary degree in music and psychology at Stony Brook University. Her search for a holistic approach to music education led her to the pedagogy of Émile-Jaques Dalcroze.  She is a certified and licensed Dalcroze Eurythmics instructor who has taught at the Lucy Moses School of Music and Dance and the Diller-Quaile School of Music in New York City.  She also received teacher training in the Suzuki Violin Method from Ronda Cole, as well as the violin pedagogy based on American fiddle tunes created by violinist/fiddler, Mark O'Connor.

Ms. Cook was co-director of the Stony Brook University Community Music Program where she founded the Music Basics for Kids program.  She also taught a graduate course in musical pedagogy for the Stony Brook University School of Professional Development. She has directed string programs at The Knox School in St. James and the Harbor Front Violin Program at the Port Jefferson Village Center.

 _________________________________________________

Ricardo Garcia - Violin - Viola - Cello Teacher

Ricardo Garcia started on his musical journey as a young boy studying organ and switched to violin in elementary school.  He is a graduate of the Crane School of Music and holds a degree in Music Education from SUNY Potsdam.  Mr. Garcia received his master's degree in music history from LIU Post.  

Mr. Garcia has taught all levels of strings during his career as a public-school teacher.  He has participated in various orchestras throughout the Metro Area including the New York Pro Arte Orchestra, The West Islip Symphony, The Rockaway-Five Towns Orchestra, and numerous Pit Orchestras as a violinist.  As a violist, Mr. Garcia has performed with his quartet, The Lyrical String Quartet, and with the North Shore Symphony. 

He enjoys teaching students of all ages and loves watching his students achieve their goals. 

 

Drew Vella - Violin/Viola Teacher

Violist and Long Island native Drew Vella delights in performing a wide-ranging repertoire throughout New York and the tri-state area: from Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Broadway - to the UN, cafes, salsa studios, and house concerts. Former violist of the Lehman String Quartet, Mr. Vella has also performed with the Turtle Bay Piano Quartet, the NY Chamber Collective, and has made frequent appearances at Concerts on the Slope. He has performed with the Manhattan Symphonie, the Symphony of Westchester, and Amore Opera. Mr. Vella has frequently been invited to be a fellowship artist at the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival and the Bennington Chamber Music Conference. He has played in masterclasses led by Victoria Chiang, Yizhak Schotten, Lawrence Dutton, Donald Weilerstein, as well as members of the Ying Quartet, Borodin Quartet, and Kronos Quartet.

An advocate of expanding the repertoire for viola, Drew is dedicated to finding fresh and dynamic ways of expanding the canon of music available for the viola. He enjoys pioneering contemporary pieces as well as personally transcribing and arranging classic works of literature and arranging them for the viola.

Mr. Vella has studied at the Eastman School of Music, Queens College, and Long Island University where he was a two-time Concerto Competition winner, studying with George Taylor, Brett Deubner, Peter Slowik, and Veronica Salas.

---

Brian Anderson - Violin/Viola Teacher

Brian is a passionate musician and teacher, with an approach that draws from both acting and traditional music pedagogy.  Brian holds a Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, a Master's in Viola from Stony Brook, and is currently pursuing his Doctoral in Viola at Stony Brook.

 

"I strive to teach violin and viola in a thorough and thoughtful manner catered to each student, building up a deep understanding of concepts such as sound production, the grammar of musical phrases, and efficient, goal-oriented practicing. My advanced students frequently earn high marks at NYSSMA festivals, and I also take pride in having a high retention rate among my beginning students, helping them find joy in playing and learning music. I started on viola in my public school in Virginia when I was 9, quickly growing as a musician with the help of my private teachers. Now, as a first-year Doctoral student in viola at Stony Brook University, studying under the direction of Matthew Lipman and Lawrence Dutton, with additional studies in the Emerson String Quartet Institute, I am working towards a career of teaching viola at the college level and performing chamber music at every opportunity.

My current performance activities include concerts with the Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players, frequent appearances for the Music at the MART program at the Stony Brook Cancer Center, and freelance gigs throughout Long Island. I am lucky to have held fellowships at the Manchester Music Festival, Madeline Island Chamber Music, Garth Newel Music Center, and the Renova Music Festival, performing with artists such as Eugene Drucker and Andres Diaz, and I have also gotten the chance to play in masterclasses with world-renowned teachers including Kim Kashkashian, Ettora Causa and Misha Amory. While pursuing my Bachelor's at the Peabody Institute, I studied with Choong-jin Chang and Victoria Chiang. In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer, competitive Scrabble, and playing in a jazz combo."

 

 

---

 

Erica Garcia - Violin / Cello Teacher

Erica Rose Garcia is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied under Richard Weiss.  She holds a degree in Cello Performance with a minor in Suzuki Pedagogy.  Erica begins her graduate studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  She will be Graduate Teaching Assistant and studying with Wesley Baldwin while earning her Master's in Cello Performance.  

Ms. Garcia is a registered Suzuki teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas.  She employs the Suzuki method for musicians of all ages.  

Her multiple musical accomplishments include being selected for the Sphinx Performance Academy at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied under MaryAnn Ramos. She was also chosen to attend the New York State Summer School of the Arts School of Orchestral Studies (NYSSSA) where she studied with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra in Saratoga Springs, New York. She is a three-time first place winner of Gemini Youth Orchestra’s Concerto Competition and has performed numerous times as a soloist. She was selected for All-State Orchestra, All-Eastern Symphony Orchestra, and has performed as principal cellist for the Long Island String Festival Association Orchestra and Gemini Youth Orchestras.

Ms. Garcia has received The Sphinx Fellowship Award, the Edward Miller Memorial Scholarship, the Kevin Cruz Scholarship, the Sylvia and Louis Osler Music Scholarship, the Long Island String Festival Association Studio Award and Antonina G. Nigrelli Memorial Award. Recently, Ms. Garcia was a cello instructor for Through the Staff, an organization dedicated to making classical music education more accessible. She maintains a private cello, violin, and piano studio and enjoys watching her students grow.   

Testimonials:

"I'm a teacher, too, and Erica does all the teaching things right." - Joe M. 

"Patient and thorough!" - Evan M. 

"Erica is articulate, focused, amiable, and polished.  She has a pleasant manner and addresses my issues and needs." - Jill B. 

"Erica is a wonderful teacher and I feel like I'm learning a lot" - Jennifer L. 

---

 

Joanne Nastasi - Piano Teacher

Joanne Nastasi began piano studies at age five, majored in music at Hunter College, and to date continues working with a coach because learning never ends!  As a Common Branch teacher in NYC, since 1969, her additional responsibility was to produce seasonal music programs for grades 3,4,5, and 6. The last several years in NYC schools were devoted exclusively to music, for which she developed and taught a diverse program for grades K-5. Through the years, she taught piano privately to children and adults using the knowledge gleaned through service as a NYSSMA piano judge to guide instruction.  After 2011 an opportunity to create and teach a music program at The College of Staten Island’s Options Program proved quite interesting. Classes focusing on understanding, comparing, and critiquing piano performances were offered for several sessions. Rudimentary components of composition were introduced, the complexity of technique, and the importance of expression and emotion were the basis of critical evaluation. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

  

Nicholas Siconolfi - Violin Teacher

Nicholas Siconolfi began his musical studies of the violin at the age of 3. He received his undergraduate degree in string-focused pedagogy from the Whalen School of Music at Ithaca College and seeks to help students connect with music in meaningful ways. In college, Nick was the principal stand in the Ithaca College Symphonic Orchestra. He also played in, 4 chamber ensembles, 2 collaborative pianist workshops, and a jazz ensemble. For over a decade, he has pursued a Suzuki-intensive education and is proficient with the content of the Suzuki curriculum.   

Always looking to expand his skill set, along with Nick’s violin experience, he also pursued an education in Cello, Bass, and Viola. Nick implements strategies that appeal to different types of learners.  He helps facilitate those who may have been struggling with content while challenging students who are ahead of their peers. He keeps his students engaged and excited with the lesson's content by adapting and integrating the curriculum. He loves working with students and makes it a point to ensure they have the opportunity to interact with music that resonates with them. He understands the importance of shaping young minds and allowing them to succeed through an inspired education. During his formal education, Nicholas studied under the instruction of Ani Resnick, Alejandra Mahave, Anton Polezhayev, Susan Waterbury, Kyle Arbrust, and Guillaume Pirard.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jessica Wong - Violin / Viola Teacher

Jessica Wong attended the Juilliard School's Pre-College Division and obtained her BM and MM degrees in viola performance from Mannes.  Currently, she is pursuing her professional studies diploma in viola performance at the Mannes School of Music under the tutelage of Daniel Panner and working on obtaining her Suzuki violin teacher registration at the School for Strings in New York City.   Ms. Wong has participated in the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra, Chelsea Symphony, Chautauqua Institution, National Orchestral Institute and Jeunes Virtuoses de New York chamber music workshop. She won third prize in the 2023 Charleston International Contemporary Music Competition and was also a finalist in the LISMA 13th International Competition in Albertson, NY. Outside of playing viola, Jessica enjoys playing table tennis, traveling and working on jigsaw puzzles.