Expertise • Enthusiasm • Excellence
Lauryn Koeppel
Viola, Violin, Suzuki Viola, Suzuki Violin
Lauryn graduated from the U Cincinnatti College-Conservatory of music with a double major in Viola Performance and Music Education, and is currently finishing up her MMus in Viola Performance at BU. She has also completed the Karen Tuttle Viola Workshop and Body Mapping coursework at CCM, as part of her interest in injury prevention for musicians, and was selected to take part in the National Orchestra Institute’s nationwide tour.
Lauryn has taught 4th-12th grade strings in the Wyoming City School District, Ohio, and at Buffalo String Works, an El-Sistema program providing lessons primarily to refugees. She currently teaches for the Boston Music Project, the Brookline Public Schools, and for Through the Staff, which provides free online lessons nationwide to help break down systemic barriers in music education.
Lauryn is a chamber coach for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and a Teaching Artist at for the Boston Chamber music Society and partner schools. She is a regular performer with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and has performed at the Green Mountain Music Festival in Vermont.
Meet Lauryn
- How/what age did you start your instrument?
I started viola in the public school system in 4th grade and was fortunate enough to have private lessons from the start. Surprisingly I am not a violist that started out on violin, but I play some violin now and really enjoy teaching it. I purchased a violin in high school and would have fun playing it in my free time. I also grew up playing piano. - Did you come from a musical family?
I do not, actually. However, I am told by my family that I have some very distant relatives that were great musicians and played in one of the local symphonies. - Best or funniest (or even worst!) musical memory from childhood?
I had a conductor’s baton fly out of their hand, bounce off my stand and hit my arm during a dramatic moment of a piece in a concert. It was pretty funny, but the conductor was able to carry on like it hadn’t happened. - A highlight or two from your performing career:
Traveling to Europe with my youth orchestra and performing in some incredible halls in Vienna, Salzburg and Prague is by far the highlight of my musical career thus far. It was my first time traveling to Europe and I can’t wait to go back one day (hopefully soon!). - What do you love about teaching?
I love sharing my passion for music, and helping instill a lifelong love of music within my students. Personally, #1 is making music learning fun! I really love getting to know my students and hearing about their lives!
Learning music teaches you so much about yourself and others, through the relationships that are built. I love helping to cultivate this and watching the incredible personal and musical growth. Additionally, my students help me to constantly learn and grow as a person and educator every day. - What would you like your students to know about you?
I place a large emphasis on correct technique and set up, because I have experienced injuries from playing. I am never afraid to share this, because it has made me a better teacher, and I have gone on to study things like Body Mapping, Alexander Technique and Karen Tuttle’s Coordination Approach because of it. - Can you share a non-musical fun fact about you?
I enjoy swimming and biking, and love trying new foods around Boston!