“Thank you for all that you invest in me. You are the best music teacher I could ask for!”

“You ‘know’ your students and modify your lessons to meet their needs and interests. You are sensitive to your students and create learning that is right for them. It is something I think you do wonderfully.”

“We really appreciate all you are doing for these kids. Thank you for all you do, you go above and beyond.”

“I am an adult starter of the violin, having picked the instrument up for the first time at age 50. I was fortunate to find Jane Melin immediately upon starting (after a little research of available teachers of violin in the area) and have been with her now for going on 5 years. With Jane’s capable instruction and encouragement I have been able to build a solid foundation of playing skills and have launched into multiple avenues of playing – including 3 years now with a community orchestra and forays into Irish and Old Time fiddle playing. Her teaching follows a classic approach to skill building, but encourages exploration of music in it’s many forms. Highly recommend Jane for adult students.”

“We appreciate the way you make learning FUN yet challenging. The kids really enjoy their lessons with you.”

“You are a really great teacher and I have improved and learned a lot this year with the violin. Thank you for putting so much time into me and my music.”

“We were incredibly fortunate to find Jane Melin at Melin Music Studio. Jane has been the perfect teacher for [ ], and their 10-year partnership has brought us to this wonderful [senior recital] celebration.”

“Jane has shown herself to be a gifted teacher and an inspiration to her students as she taught the Home School Strings Advanced Class this past year.

Jane worked for two hours each week with a group of about 20 strings players.  She selected repertoire for the class, perfected the pieces, and ultimately performed them in concerts.  She also spent time each week teaching technique.  I personally always enjoyed listening to her class perform in concert because she selected a variety of music appealing to many musical tastes, and it was always executed very well.  Jane also arranged an extra concert at a local retirement home which was greatly appreciated by the residents.

I have also observed Jane as a private violin teacher and have been impressed with her ability to inspire her students to excellence.”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed every year that I have taken lessons from you! You make it SO fun. I look forward to beginning each year because I know it will be full of surprises. You always treat me with respect and help me along. You are always excited about the music and that makes me motivated to do it.”

“Thanks for all the work you’ve put into me for so long. I enjoy going to lessons every week and you’re a really great teacher.”

“Thank you for your firm but gentle encouragement for [ ] as he learned violin and viola. I appreciate how well you have walked with him according to his needs, as well as your kindness and professionalism.”

“I just wanted to say how much we enjoyed meeting you today. [_] was very excited about class after we left. She liked you right away. She said she could also tell you will be a great teacher. I agreed with her. You do lots of wonderful things to encourage your students.”

“Jane is a competent, intelligent, passionate, and dedicated music instructor. She is organized, communicates well, and understands teaching. Everything from billing to scheduling to homework were always crystal clear and intelligently structured. I highly recommend Jane as a music teacher for anybody wishing to learn–adults and children alike!”

“Your students are very well taught!”

“We appreciate your thorough teaching style. The repertoire chosen is fun to play and makes her want to practice.”

“Jane is extremely talented, patient and makes the learning process interesting and fun. I highly recommend taking violin lessons from her.”

“Thank you for being such an amazing teacher. I have really enjoyed the pieces we’ve played this year.”

“Jane has been a coach for the Poulsbo Community Orchestra string section on numerous occasions, which involved thorough knowledge of all pieces, technical expertise, and conducting skills. The PCO string section proficiency level ranges from beginner (2 years experience) to intermediate (up to 10+ years experience). Due to her excellent teaching and fun personality, she was frequently requested by the violin and viola sections. After each sectional the strings had noticeable improvement in intonation, technique, style, and ensemble resulting in more confidence and sound from even the least proficient players. The results proved that Jane is highly capable of teaching string players at all levels.”

“It’s nice to be pushed to reach higher in our practice and musicianship. Thanks again for all you do!”

“Jane’s students played with excellent rhythm, intonation, attention to the style of each piece and the details in the music. Jane is an excellent, obviously well-trained teacher. I marveled especially at what some of the younger students were able to play.”

“Jane exceeds expectations by coaching and leading amateur musicians in reaching a level of proficiency necessary to perform works challenging to many professionals. Her work with us included the following:

• Corelli: Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 8 “Christmas Concerto”
• Glück: Dance of the Blessed Spirts
• Holst: The Planets – Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn
• Mahler: “Urlicht” from Des Knaben Wunderhorn
• Mozart: Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”

There are three qualities needed in leading amateur musicians in performing such works; performance ability, patience, and passion. Amateur musicians can lack the scope of knowledge necessary to play classical works. Jane’s performance ability allows musicians to bridge the gap combining thorough in-depth knowledge resulting in musicians understanding goals in musical technique. Patience is a necessity providing a hedge against frustration in the development of musician’s skill level, a quality that Jane demonstrates regularly. These two qualities have little value without the passion to drive musicians and the music forward. Jane has come to our rescue on numerous occasions coaching our string players in becoming performance ready.”

“Thank you for investing in our class.  Your teaching style and technical knowledge are wonderful!!”

“Great instruction on techniques & polishing! Motivation to practice and learn much more! Thank you for being such a great teacher.”

“[My daughter] loves your teaching style and is always clearly motivated to learn what you are teaching her.”

“Thank you so much! I think you have been one of the best teachers I’ve had!”

“My son has been taking lessons from Jane for a few months now and she is a fantastic teacher. [ ] is 7 years old and a bit on the hyper side yet Jane has the patience to teach him each week. [ ]’s love for music is growing week by week. Her curriculum is top notch and keeps the child’s attention. Jane makes learning fun and exciting! You can find no better teacher in Kitsap County.”

“Clearly, there is a positive learning environment being provided and students are being encouraged to both excel technically, and play with genuine expressivity.”