Violin Book 1 Workshop:
The Balanced Violinist
Teaching movement and tonal understanding to young violinists through guided discovery
A 32-hour online course with self-paced
video content and live sessions, on the
Heartbeat platform
June 1 – August 10, 2025
Powerful tools for teaching beginners of any age
“The Balanced Violinist” is a comprehensive online teacher training with author and teacher trainer Elise Winters. The course will deepen your understanding of violin technique, approach violin playing from a more balanced and embodied perspective, and transform your approach to teaching beginners of any age.
This training is a breakthrough course integrating Montessori, Kodály and Suzuki principles into a unique and powerful violin method that allows children to experience confidence, exploration and delight throughout their first year of study.
While as teachers we strive to make the early stages of learning violin fun for our students, we often see their excitement diminish over the first year. In Kaleidoscopes, that delight increases with accomplishments all along the way.
The workshop will introduce you to a specialized sequence which is optimized to be a prequel to Suzuki Book 1. You can use this repertoire, or take the tools and apply them in your own way.
Get more information about the
Kaleidoscopes curriculum here.
A few of the tools that will build skills and excitement for your young beginners:
Ability to play a real song from the very first lesson
Even the youngest beginner can play Hot Cross Buns from the first lesson with perfect posture … on piano. Piano builds literacy and song familiarity while the teacher works on violin posture skills.
Many smaller songs instead of fewer longer ones
The goal of learning a new song makes more sense to students than “polishing” a song they already know. They love getting a new song every week. More repertoire reinforces skills and extends practice time.
Guide students to discover important insights themselves
One aspect of the Montessori philosophy is guiding students’ own discovery. This allows students to internalize concepts more deeply and build analytical ability.
Folk-song based repertoire for the first year
Singing songs before playing them trains the ear and builds fluency.
Introducing one skill at a time
Young students are not yet able to effectively focus their attention. Breaking down posture into tiny tasks accelerates learning and minimizes frustration.
Preparing left and right hand skills away from the violin
Fun, accessible movement activities are performed as “games” with each song in their repertoire. This establishes muscle memory for the skills, resulting in more stable posture with fewer corrections.
Music literacy from the beginning
Solfege, singing, and piano are used to introduce literacy during the first year. Earlier reading fluency builds musical understanding and makes advanced repertoire accessible much sooner.
Separating skills from repertoire
Students can learn “advanced” skills in tiny experiences even if their songs are not yet using these skills. These experiences build physical skill and add finesse to their playing.
Features of the Online Course
Community
Connect with colleagues going through the course with you, and stay in touch after the course ends! We use the Heartbeat community platform.
Live Sessions
Live sessions will provide opportunities to engage more deeply through conversation and coaching.
Date and times for the live sessions will include options for teachers in the Americas, Europe, and Australia / New Zealand.
Instructor Feedback
The course includes instructor feedback on homework, questions, and reflections during the active engagement portion of the course.
Accountability
Goals and incentives will help you stay on track, while keeping the timeline flexible.
What Teachers Are Saying
“I’ve been a Suzuki teacher for over 30 years. This approach has introduced a new level of musicianship into my studio. Since adding the Kaleidoscopes Book 1 at the very beginning my students have become well-rounded musicians more quickly.”
—Kay Mueller, Austin Suzuki Academy
“The training gave me confidence in starting beginners and inspired and revamped my sense of joy and creativity in lesson planning.”
—Audrey C. Lee, University of Texas
“This workshop opened my eyes to new and exciting ways of teaching music, specifically to young beginners. Elise is thoughtful, experienced, and incredibly insightful. I can’t wait to incorporate the many things I learned from her during this workshop, and would highly recommend it to all!”
– Laura Cásarez, Tucson Symphony Orchestra
The Balanced Violinist is hosted on the Heartbeat Community Platform.
Connect with other teachers and share ideas in a dedicated community of like-minded individuals. You will be able to sample the course and decide if it’s for you.
♥ As part of the sign-up process you will be asked to create a profile. You will not need to enter any payment information. Once you join, you can find the course on the left sidebar.
Course Details
Schedule
This course is offered in a dynamic, blended format featuring online videos (watch on your own schedule and pace) and weekly, in-person roundtables to foster engagement and maintain momentum.
The live sessions will feature discussions around course topics. These 75-minute seminars will meet weekly throughout June, July and early August, typically during the mid to late morning (Central Time) on a weekday. For this year’s planned course times, please contact [email protected].
Once enrolled, you will have access to the course for two years. If more time is needed, you can purchase yearly access to the current course (which will include any updated content) allow you to continue reviewing and absorbing the material.
Content
Video Content: 32 hours of seminar videos + 12 hours of video lesson observations
In-Person Content: Eight 1-hour live training sessions, each focused on a particular topic.
Reading: You will receive a discount code to purchase the Kaleidoscopes Book 1 Teacher Guide as part of your enrollment. We suggest purchasing the course materials as soon as possible upon enrolling, so that you can become thoroughly familiar with the content. Becoming familiar with these books ahead of time will ensure that you get the most out of the course. Specific reading suggestions will accompany each lesson.
Pacing
Your active participation in the live sessions will require you having completed the corresponding chapters.
If participating during the summer session, you should plan to work through approximately 4 hours of lectures and lesson observations per week. We suggest staying on a routine (ideally daily) to ensure that you keep your momentum and keep up with the workload.
Please note that while the visual component is essential for some of the content — especially in the later, technique-oriented chapters — many of the lectures can be completed in an audio-only format. This can help to add flexibility (complete each lesson while doing yardwork or taking a walk!) and reduce the time you spend sitting in front of your device.
About the Presenter
Elise Winters holds a B.A. from Rice University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Texas, with coursework in violin performance, linguistics, neurolinguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and cognition. She completed her 3-year Kodály training at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. A former student of Ronda Cole, her Suzuki teacher trainers include Judy Bossuat-Gallic, Cathy Lee, Marilyn O’Boyle, Doris Preucil, Edward Kreitman, and Charles Krigbaum. She has extensive study in the biomechanics of violin playing following the principles articulated by dynamic movement specialists including Paul Rolland and Steve Paxton.
Elise has performed as a member of the Austin Symphony, Austin Lyric Opera, and the Grammy Award-winning Conspirare choir, and appears regularly as guest concertmistress of La Follia Austin Baroque. She is a published author with Oxford University Press and author of Kaleidoscopes for Violin, which blends Montessori and Kodaly principles within a Suzuki framework. She directs a full-time studio of 50 students in Austin, Texas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should take the course?
The course will be valuable to any teacher of beginners on violin or viola, regardless of repertoire. The teaching, learning, communication, and movement principles will provide valuable insights into all levels of pre-college teaching.
What happens if I miss a live session?
You must attend at least six live sessions for formal course completion. If you miss too many sessions, you may complete this requirement when it is offered with a future cohort. A small administrative fee will apply.
We strongly recommend prioritizing the live sessions and completing the course with your cohort!
Will the class be offered in person?
Yes! Given teachers’ passion for real, in-person trainings, we are planning a 10-day, live, in-person version of The Balanced Violinist for summer of 2026.
That being said, the online format is designed for motivated teachers to be able to optimize the significant courseload to their ideal pace and unique scheduling needs.
Can orchestra teachers benefit from the course?
We have had many orchestra teachers complete our training and find the tools and perspectives to be of immense value. The scaffolding of bowhold and posture skills, development of body awareness, and principles of child-centered interaction will all be applicable in a classroom situation.
Is the method available for cello?
The cello repertoire and recordings are planned for release in June of 2025. The unique pedagogy to accompany each cello volume will be developed in collaboration with respective teachers over the coming five years.
Because the 2025 workshop still includes some violin-specific content, cello teachers are eligible for discounted tuition. Please write [email protected] for more information.
What are the dates for the live sessions?
Dates will be announced closer to the start of the course, and selected after conferring with enrolled participants.
Get immediate access to life-changing tools for working with young violinists.
One payment of $399
-or-
Four easy payments of $100
Scholarship support is available for students, recent graduates, and teachers with financial need. Please write Kellen at [email protected].