Ms. Majerfeld has appeared throughout the United States as a guest soloist with the Colorado and Jefferson Symphonies, and the Boulder Philharmonic. She has also appeared as soloist with the orchestras of the Las Vegas International Music Festival, Park City Summer Music Festival, Killington Music Festival and Lyrica New Jersey.

After serving as Assistant Principal of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Majerfeld joined the faculty of the Longy School of Music at Bard College in 2000 and was subsequently appointed to the faculty of Wellesley College. She has also served on the faculties of various summer music festivals such as Lyricafest and the Castleman Quartet Program. As Dean of the Castleman Quartet Program, she spearheaded a new branch of the festival at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

As both a child and college educator for over twenty-five years, Ms. Majerfeld has focused her college-level work not only on the training of performing artists, but also on teaching the pedagogy of young children as well as training violinists to play the viola.

A recipient of both the Wingler and Starling Foundation Fellowships at Indiana University, Ms. Majerfeld was awarded the highly coveted ACMA/Dodge Partnership and Roxbury Foundation Grants for her work with culturally underserved children. She has also played at numerous “Head Start” programs, children’s hospitals, and elementary schools for children with medical ailments.

Teaching Philosophy
I can think of no greater privilege than teaching children and nourishing their potential. I seek to create a personal connection with each child and invest deeply in the development and well-being of my students. Through creating a warm and nurturing studio environment, my hope is that the trust that is built creates optimal learning conditions. Some of the greatest pleasures of my career have been the instances in which I taught a child from a very young age and maintained a relationship with them through their college years and into adulthood.

My goal is to tailor the teaching approach to the individual educational and psychological needs of each student. My hope is that the child leaves their lesson excited and motivated to practice at home.

Each week, I give students a structured and detailed practice plan so that the work is effective, balanced, goal-oriented, and pleasurable. If a student knows exactly how to approach their practice at home, they are much more likely to develop consistent practice habits.

Through their studies with me, my hope is that each student develops a life-long love of the classical music tradition as well as their instrument. I want to build the self-esteem of each child as they discover their own innate abilities and witness concrete progress and achievement.

I encourage students to think both analytically and creatively about how they can improve their own playing. I teach that one most often solves problems by exploring as many different practice techniques as possible (looking at an issue from multiple angles) that together produce the desired change. I want each child to develop individualized learning strategies that they can then apply to any career path they choose in life, whether it be music or not.

Ultimately, at the end of their studies, my hope is that each student will have become their own best teacher.