Music Lessons at Kennedy Violins
First 30-minute music lesson is FREE to new students!
Start your musical journey with a complimentary 30-minute session for new students. Flexible learning options available through in-store and online lessons.
CERTIFIED, EXPERIENCED, PROFESSIONAL, & FRIENDLY
Our certified, experienced, and friendly teachers are dedicated to helping you achieve your musical goals.
- Lessons are $35 for 30 minutes, $52.50 for 45 minutes, and $65 for an hour.
- Pay week to week.
- We also offer remote lessons (lessons are listed in Pacific Time).
- You can also call us at 800-779-0242, or email the shop to schedule your lesson.
Give the Gift of Music!
Share the joy with Kennedy Violins Gift Cards, perfect for gifting lesson time to a music enthusiast. Learn More
Select Your Instrument
Teachers:
Lauren Trujillo
Violin
Lauren began her violin studies in 2005 and has been teaching private violin lessons since 2019. She received her bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from Portland State University and has studied with Carol Sindell, Adam LaMotte, and Dr. Tomas Cotik. Lauren is the concertmaster for the Tualatin Valley Symphony orchestra and frequently plays with The Vancouver Symphony, Orchestra Nova Northwest, and Newport Symphony Orchestra. Lauren enjoys working one-on-one with her students to help them achieve their musical goals!
Ashley
Violin Viola
Ashley recently graduated from Brigham Young University with her bachelor's degree in viola performance. Her musical journey began at the age of five after listening to a memorable recording of the violin on the radio, instantly falling in love with its depth and beauty of sound. She knew she wanted to learn how to play the instrument, and after two years of persistent pestering, her parents secured her a position with her first private teacher and has played ever since. Ashley has since had the privilege of performing as assistant principal violist of Brigham Young University's Philharmonic Orchestra, principal violist of BYU’s Chamber Orchestra, and violist of BYU’s prestigious honors quartet. Ashley has also had the opportunity to work in masterclass with some of the great violists of our time, including Paul Neubauer, Professor of the Juilliard School, Robert Vernon, Principal Violist of the Cleveland Orchestra, Jutta Puchhammer-Sedillot, Associate Professor of Viola at the Université de Montréal, and Stephen Wyrczynski, Professor of Viola at the Jacobs School of Music. Along with her extensive performing experience, Ashley has served as adjunct professor of viola at her college, working with students of many experience levels. Her work with the college, as well as her performance excellence resulted in her being awarded the prestigious David Dalton Scholarship the last two years of her degree. Ashley studied under Claudine Bigelow and plans to pursue a masters degree in viola performance and pedagogy in the near future. She hopes to instill a lasting love for music in her students, and finds great joy in seeing her students excel and gain an appreciation for their instrument.
Owen
Cello Guitar
Owen Hofmann-Smith is a performer of many talents. He began his musical training in the fifth grade on the cello. He played in orchestra and sang in choir through his school years. As a youth he played with the Portland youth Philharmonic. During college he picked up the string bass and began studying jazz. It was also at that time that he got his first choir directing position at a local church. After winning the concerto competition at PSU, Owen was awarded the first prize of performing the full, unabridged concerto with the PSU Symphony. When practicing vigorously for this concert he sustained a severe playing injury that prevented him from continuing to play bass or cello. Faced with giving up his lifelong goal of a career as a cellist, he then begin to study voice and opera singing as well as completing a master's degree in conducting at Portland State in 2013. Having made a full recovery from that injury a couple of years later, he is back performing on his cello and bass regularly. After years of gigging as a classical, jazz, and theatrical stage performer, more recently Owen has been developing as a rock and R&B musician on guitar and bass guitar. Owen has recently performed on bass with The Casimir Effect, Karaoke from Hell, Pete Krebs, The Clambake Combo, Stumptown Swing, Vintage Knights, Torchsong Entertainment, Rio con Brio, Arco PDX, Columbia Symphony, and Opera Theater Oregon. Owen is also very into folk and fiddle music after traveling to Dublin and Cork. Fiddle tunes and Irish folk songs are often featured in his musical sets. Owen currently holds position as Director of Music Ministry at Bethel UCC, conductor of Liedertafel Harmonie (community choir of the German American Society of Portland), and instructor at Kennedy Violins.
Zach
Bass
Zach is a Portland native with a bachelor's degree in bass performance from PSU. He’s been an active private teacher in the Vancouver area since graduating in 2010. He’s studied with Jeff Johnson of the Oregon Symphony as well Jazz artists Glenn Moore, Alan Jones, Dan Schulte, and Kevin Deitz. Zach performs as a member of the SW Washington symphony as well as freelancing throughout SW Washington and the Portland area. When he’s not playing bass, Zach enjoys permaculture gardening, mountain biking, kayaking, and anything that gets him out in the great outdoors of the pacific northwest. To schedule a lesson, browse our lesson schedule to to view teacher availability and request an appointment, or contact Zach directly at 1-800-779-0242.
Nic
Cello Bass
Nic Dominguez is a versatile cellist and bassist originally from Central Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. In February 2025, Nic relocated to Southwest Washington, where he now lives and works. He teaches cello, upright bass, and bass guitar—sharing his knowledge and passion with students at every skill level. Nic also brings his artistry to the stage, performing in the pit orchestras for musical theatre, ballet, and opera, as well as playing with bands throughout the Portland area and beyond.
Kaylee
Violin
Kaylee started playing in 2017 at Pacific Middle School, and played all the way through high school at Evergreen High. She had the pleasure of working with students in both the Symphonic and Chamber orchestras, offering sectionals and individual help. Over the years, she has performed with the LCRMEA Honor Orchestra, Clark College Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Youth Orchestra as concertmaster, and had the honor of playing with the professional group Astral Mixtape. Her goal for teaching is to offer a foundation of strong technique, confidence, and a genuine love for violin playing.
Denice Carter
Violin
Denice Carter is a veteran Suzuki Instructor. Teaching has been her sole employment for nearly 40 years! She started as a young Suzuki kid and soon realized her calling for teaching. Once completing her initial Suzuki training around 1985 she became exposed to fiddling and fiddle contests. She extended her love of music to fiddling and began her journey of incorporating the two styles into a Suzuki method offshoot she coined "Suziddle". Along with providing the most authentic and all encompassing elements of a robust Suzuki program she has incorporated the added mastery of fiddling. Active in both worlds and fully committed, she has honed her curriculum to help students fully realize and accomplish their potential as a musician. Matching the amazing teaching points Dr. Suzuki set forth with parallel skills introduced in fiddle, Denice has become an expert at producing well rounded and highly skillful students. Adding a good dose of passion is the perfect balance. Along with teaching, Denice has directed and attended fiddle contests around the country. She has judged fiddle contests in many states including but not limited to: Oregon, Colorado,Nebraska,New Mexico,The Texas State Championships as well as The National Championships, providing workshops along the way. She is the current director of the Washington State Fiddle Championships and is district chair of Washington Old Time Fiddlers Association District 10. Along with weekly private lessons, group classes are a required component of her program and are held twice monthly. Advanced students are invited to also join her fiddle performance group FIDDLOCITY! Denice starts students as young as three years old and requires parent involvement for students 10 and under. Adult students are also heartfully encouraged to learn!
Rafael
Violin
Rafael first began playing violin in 2009. He plays with the Clark College Orchestra as well as Clark Community Strings, led by Sandra Edwards in Vancouver Washington. Rafael has taught local private lessons as well as sectionals at Evergreen High School and Cascade Middle School. He led a professional string quartet from 2019-2021 which performed pieces from Dimitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev. Although the journey of a musician is shared by many, it is ultimately experienced alone, making each and every one's experience unique. He wants to teach how to be a self-sufficient musician, how to explore, how to enjoy and appreciate music while still learning how to play well.
Haelli Elyse
Piano
Haelli gravitated towards the piano at a very young age. Before learning to tie her shoes, ride a bicycle, or sculpt playdough, she was sounding out the chords of her favorite songs on her Grandma's piano. Her enthusiasm for music has only continued to grow and flourish into her college years. She was lucky enough to learn from some of the best teachers this area has to offer, both privately and through college. At the age of 10 Haelli began performing at weddings, church events, and various recitals. As an adult she has continued to learn from, and perform with exceptional musicians. Second to her love of playing music is her love of teaching it. She has spent more than a decade sharing the joy of music with both kids and adults. During her early years, Haelli relied heavily on her ear and less on sheet music. This left her feeling inadequate and unmotivated when it came to practicing her assignments. Luckily she was able to find a special teacher who was able to guide her through the challenges and help her to learn proper technique and master necessary skills. Now, as a teacher herself, overcoming those struggles has given her excellent insight in how to help others and draw the music out of each student where it can flourish. In her lessons, Haelli strives to understand and connect with students in order to teach them in a way that suits their learning style and helps them build a love for music. This is what all of her esteemed teachers did for her, and she hopes to pass it on, gratefully.
Marie Griffith
Violin Viola
Marie grew up in Seattle, where she studied under Mihoko Hirata in one of the first Suzuki programs in the US. She holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree in violin performance from the University of Utah. In high school and college, she performed as soloist with several orchestras in the West and Northwest. She performed professionally with the Reading Symphony (PA) and the Chattanooga Symphony (TN) as well as the Trio di Roma piano trio in Rome, Georgia. She has completed post-graduate studies in chamber music with Mikhail Boguslavsky (Moscow Chamber Orchestra) and avant-garde performance with Janos Negyesy (UCSD). She has taught violin and viola for over 30 years and loves the challenge of helping students of all ages and abilities improve their technique and learn to express themselves through music they love.
Annie Harkey-Power
Cello
Annie began her cello studies in Longview, Washington, and later studied with renowned teachers at Mt. Hood Community College and the University of Oregon. She has performed with numerous symphonies and festivals, including the Oregon Mahler Festival and Andrea Bocelli. In addition to the cello, Annie learned double bass in 2022 and co-founded a jazz ensemble. A dedicated teacher since 1999, she emphasizes technique and performance preparation, helping students achieve success in auditions and contests. Outside of music, Annie enjoys gardening, swimming, and spending time with her husband and pets in Vancouver, Washington.
Stephen Lindberg
Guitar
Stephen Lindberg is a seasoned guitarist and dedicated teacher with over 50 years of experience, excelling in acoustic and electric guitar, including fingerstyle acoustic techniques. He studied jazz under legendary instructors like Ted Greene and Pat Martino and graduated from the Musicians Institute. Stephen’s diverse career spans big bands, rock outfits, and his original signed band, The Cylinders, which scored a hit on KROQ and performed to sold-out venues. Inspired to turn professional after seeing Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix live in the same year, he brings passion and expertise to teaching both beginners and advanced students. Fluent in styles from jazz and rock to reggae and bluegrass, Stephen also teaches mandolin, sharing his love for music with his students.
Sam Ross
Viola
Sam Ross is a conductor and violist currently based in Vancouver, WA. As conductor and performer he has a special interest in performing contemporary works and the work of underrepresented composers. He has conducted the Orchestra Now, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, the Bard College Community Orchestra, the Impulse New Music Ensemble and the University of Oregon Symphony Orchestra. From 2022 to 2024, Sam was assistant of the Bard College Community Orchestra and the Bard Baroque Ensemble.
