At the Boston Music Project, we are proud to have an exceptional team with a diverse background of teaching and performance experiences. When our Teaching Artists are not teaching music lessons, they are pursuing their own professional careers as active performers, composers, music producers, dancers, and more!
This year we are excited to welcome Jill Good to the BMP Team as an Upper Strings Teaching Artist!
Violinist Jill Good has been an innovator in musical education. From her 30+ years of teaching experience, she developed a super fun and groundbreaking class for 2.5 - 5 year old beginners in New York City called Crackerjack Kidz! Jill holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Violin Performance, and her specialties include music-based early childhood development, teaching beginner through advanced players, and coaching chamber music ensembles. She has founded community music schools in New York, Boston, and Newburyport.
We asked Jill to share a bit more about her musical background and her life in and around music.
Who were some of your musical inspirations growing up?
“My father and my grandmother are/were both professional musicians, so music is genetic for me! I also loved string chamber music, so much so that I would later win a 4 year undergraduate scholarship for string quartet playing.”
What energizes or excites you most as a teacher and as a performer?
“One thing I love about teaching, especially in our current age of instant gratification, is seeing the joy and satisfaction that comes from building a skill over time. And with adult students, I love when people set aside time to accomplish something they may have wanted to do for a long time. It's a privilege to guide child and adult students' musical journeys and watch them flourish.”
What’s one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned over the years from the work you’ve done as an educator?
"I always say I teach life through the violin. Watching students grow their sense of patience, tenacity, problem solving, and consistency with practice, while adventuring musically, is magical."
Can you talk about some of the work that you do with the students as a Teaching Artist at BMP?
“I've been teaching violin and coaching chamber music for 40 years...so while some of what I do is certainly second nature, I've never before helped students build their own paper orchestra. How cool is that!! While they're having fun learning the most basic skills involved in posture, bow hold, balance, and controlling their fingers, hands, and arms, they can already experience the feelings of pride, ownership, and community!”
Outside of music, what are some things you do that bring you joy?
“In addition to music, I'm a total dog lover and currently dog mom to Cody. I've had dogs since I was five, and I'm especially passionate about rescue animals. And what's better than a dog and a boat??? I own a 38' ft cabin, moored in Boston Harbor. I love being on the water!”
To learn more about Jill, we invite you to read her full biography on our Teaching Artists page.
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