Alex Gonzalez
Hi, my name is Alex Gonzalez and I am a violinist and I was lucky enough to study with Ms Shakeh for four years during my high school career, from 2004 to 2008. After I left her studies, went on to study at the Eastman School of Music and Rice University and Carnegie Mellon University, studying violin performance. And after that I spent three years at the New World Symphony and now I perform around the US and abroad. I began playing the violin when I was 11 years old, which is quite late for most violinists. I started playing in my public schools Orchestra program. While, that was great, I definitely needed private instruction and I was spending a lot of time figuring things out on my own at home. I had played piano for a few years, but the violin is a totally different beast and that I definitely knew I needed some help. So a friend of mine recommended Ms Shakeh in particular, so, she was very generous and agreed to meet with me. And I played Mozart Violin Concerto Number four, the first movement, which was way too hard for me at the time. But she was still able to work with me and see the bare bones that I had. And she decided to take me on as a student. And I’m very, very grateful for that. I really appreciate that she held me to the same standard as all her other students, even though I was less experienced. It didn’t matter. It was all about excellence and persistence and about what you can be. And learned with her that I didn’t have any limitations; that it was really up to me to become who I wanted to be. And without her support, which I still have to this day, I’m not sure that would have happened. So I’m very, very grateful for her as a teacher, but her as a mentor and as a friend all of these years. Alex Gonzalez Bio
Alyssa Saito
Hi, my name is Alyssa Saito. I play the violin and I have been in Ms Shakeh’s studio for five years. I have been playing violin for a total of nine. In Ms Shakeh’s studio it’s a very safe place. It’s like my safe haven. Like, all of her students are very sweet. They’re very kind. They’re very welcoming and so is Ms Shakeh. Ms Shakeh has really helped me through a lot violin wise and just personally like, she’s not only my teacher, she’s also my friend. And she has just really helped me to become more confident in my own shell and just be more happy just playing violin. In the studio I felt really welcomed and to be able to put out there and challenge myself. And like competitions and studio recitals, it has really helped me build more confidence in my playing. So I’m currently a junior going into senior year so I’m getting ready for College applications. So Ms Shakeh, ever since I came to her studio, she’s looked out to what I need to focus on more; like shifting. And when I first came in, my bow hand was absolutely horrendous. It was not good. And she helped me bring up more phrasing and just helped me emotionally, even through the violin, because I even have trouble just telling my emotions through my own words, so violin has really helped me with that. And Ms Shakeh has really helped me push that out and come out of my own shell.
Ethan Lee
I’m Ethan Lee. I’m an upcoming sophomore at Pomona College. I actually did not start with Ms Shakeh. I started with another teacher over at my high school. I think my mom kind of realized that my level play was kind of stagnating. And so I went and auditioned for Ms Shakeh’s studio. When you’re learning the violin, no one wants to do their scales, obviously. But Ms Shakeh had a way of teaching to where it wasn’t necessarily just like, Oh, do this, do that. But she also made sure that I knew why I was doing something. When I have a teacher who’s very upfront with me, I really, really appreciated that. I also do remember one time where I came into her studio just, like, super tired. This was after, like, a tennis match, and she just sat me down and she just she gave me for some sort of crackers with salt. I remember they were salty because she said that salty crackers would help me. I still don’t know why… it did help. I think the reason why I tend to get my homework done pretty quickly is I think I’ve learned a lot of discipline, and I’ve learned a lot about how to work efficiently and more smartly. Ms Shakeh somehow taught it through violin. I think that’s very special. At my senior recital, I think I played two pieces or so that I had played in the past. I really enjoyed learning them with Ms Shakeh. And I think just my senior recital really reflected my time with her, and I really, really appreciate what she’s done for me.
Jillian Johnson
Hi, my name is Jillian Johnson and I’m a violinist. I first met Ms Shakeh when I was around 11 or 12 years old, and I actually met her at a Chamber music camp. And that was my very first experience with Chamber music and going to a summer camp. So I was really excited and really nervous. And she was a really great coach to have as my first Chamber coach. And ever since then, I’ve always loved Chamber music and playing the violin. Ms Shakeh has really helped with all of my endeavors with music. Oftentimes I find myself thinking back to my lessons when I was younger and appreciating all of the time that she put in for me and trying to find the same techniques and teaching methods that she used. I use a lot of them with my current students. Without Ms Shakeh, I wouldn’t be where I am today and wouldn’t be the violinist than I am. When I was in high school, Ms Shakeh helped me with all of my auditions for different summer festivals at Interlocken Arts Academy, which I ended up attending for my junior and senior year of high school. All of my lessons at home here in Las Vegas. Whenever I come back and visit, she really helped me prepare for my College audition as well. She actually introduced me to my Professor at UT Austin. His name is Brian Lewis. It was great to see them have such a fulfilling relationship with each other, seeing how the musical world can connect you to home and all of these different places throughout the world. Through all of my lessons, I learned that music isn’t just music, but it has a lot of history behind it and culture and pedagogy. And the list goes on and on, and Make does a really good job of applying all of those things in her lesson.