Resources and news
Stories from a musical community.
Explore academy performances, student and faculty news, and practical ideas for the days between lessons. From the Practice Files remains a private resource for current KSA families.
KSA Shines at the Rossini Festival
What do you get when 10 cellists, 1 violist, 9 violinists and two instructors get together on a Clinch Avenue stage in the middle of downtown Knoxville? — You get beautiful music at Knoxv…
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KSA celebrates spring with four May recitals
First United Methodist Church (First Church Knox) was the scene of four splendid piano, violin, viola and cello recitals on May 9 and 16. Some students made their debut performance, some…
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KSA Cellists Shine at Tennessee Cello Workshop
Last weekend, 125 cellists age 5 through adults participated in the annual Tennessee Cello Workshop – a program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Participants came from 17 states…
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Cellists – there’s still time!
The Tennessee Cello Workshop (TCW) is a three-day exploration and celebration of cello playing and music making. The Tennessee Cello Workshop encourages cellists of any age and proficienc…
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Me? Play a string instrument? At my age?
Adults everywhere are discovering that learning a musical instrument is fun, rewarding, and often deeply relaxing. Whether picking up an instrument played in high school or starting somet…
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Four fabulous Fall recitals, November 22
Robert Shaw once said, “Music…is too important to be left to the professionals.” Though he elevated the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to world-class status and performed around th…
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KSA students shine at Knoxville Youth Orchestra concerts
The historic stage of the magnificent Tennessee Theatre was graced by several hundred young musicians on the evening of November 17. 23 Knoxville Suzuki Academy students performed in the…
Read storyBravo to the KSA November 16 recital performers
Eleven fine performers kicked off the Fall 2025 KSA recital season with gusto. Ranging in age from 5 to 18, they presented music from the 16th to the 20th century with enthusiasm, skill a…
Read storyFall Recitals are Coming Soon
Recitals are almost here, and we couldn’t be more excited. We practice on our own, but we share in recital. Sometimes we as performers forget that the audience is rooting for our success.
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Whole-Hearted Attention
A young student receiving whole-hearted attention as she learns bow rhythms.
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KSA shines at Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra auditions!
27 academy students were placed in the KSYO across the Youth Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia, Philharmonia, and Preludium after this fall’s competitive auditions. This includes 4 s…
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Vibrato Practice Tip
When learning to use vibrato, a relaxed and comfortable hand position on the fingerboard is essential. The thumb needs to be relaxed as it slides up and down behind the hand on the instru…
Read storyKSYO Audition Workshop – August 16, 2025
The Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra program has orchestras for string players ages 6-18. Auditions are August 21-25. We at KSA encourage all our string students to audition. Their sign…
Read storyWhy do we make music?
Humans have been making music for thousands of years. The earliest known instrument dates back 60,000 years. It was discovered in Divje babe cave near Cerkno and has been declared by expe…
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Welcome Jackson Alderman!
Jackson Alderman is a dedicated educator and performer. He began playing the viola in the third grade in Maryland. He earned his B.M. in music education at West Virginia University, and a…
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Meet Alla
Question: What motivates your passion for teaching music, and what aspects of teaching music do you find most fulfilling?
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Spelling Bee Star, Audrey Doherty
Audrey Doherty, a KSA student studying under Dr. Baldwin, recently embarked on a journey to the national spelling bee, a prestigious event sponsored by Scripps, where she went head-to-hea…
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Piano Technique Checklist
Does technique ever seem overwhelming? This checklist will breakdown piano technique into fingers, wrists, forearms, elbows, and shoulders. Ensuring that your child has proper technique e…
Read storyMusic Lessons and How to Practice
The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Practice
Read storyCircles to help with violin, viola, cello, or bass!
Today I am thinking about circles and ease and joy in playing string instruments. Folks who use circular motions and shapes in their approach to playing their instruments (violin, viola,…
Read storyPerfect Practice: Let’s Build Our Practice Toolbox!
“Practice makes perfect.” If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably interacted with practicing a musical instrument in some way, and like me, you probably feel like something is missin…
Read storyHow do we Practice on our journey with Suzuki Lessons?
I have been thinking a lot recently about the ways we feed our growth as string players and musicians in our individual practice of our Suzuki lessons. Of course, just playing at the hous…
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