We teach Suzuki violin, cello, and piano lessons. But, through high quality instruction we also nurture well-rounded people with transfer skills like discipline, resilience, and critical thinking. Our students learn how to focus, work hard, AND play an instrument.
How We Do It
We recruit parents as our partners in the child’s music development, because we all get farther when we work together. We also focus on working at a pace that makes sense for the student, rather than making the student fit the pace.
Who We Are
“We” are Nissa Anderson, a violinist and educator based in the western suburbs of Chicago. Nissa is not only a talented musician, but a skilled instructor with an education degree, teaching credentials, and Suzuki method training. We have some outstanding faculty, too.
What Makes Us Different
In addition to Suzuki method training, which requires a minimum of 16 hours of study and observation per book, all of our teachers hold performance degrees AND education or pedagogy degrees. Our director even holds Illinois teaching licensure.
That’s not something you find at your average music school.
(Trust us, we’ve compared notes.)
What parents say about our music lessons:
“Ms. Nissa is a wonderful balance: warm and nurturing, yet strict about the basics (posture, bow hold and position, technique, etc.) My daughter has experience significant growth under Ms. Nissa’s tutelage. I highly recommend Ms. Nissa and Anderson Music Studio!”
Linda H.
Parent
“I have searched and searched for a violin teacher who would help my daughter enjoy playing. We have finally found that with Nissa my daughter looks forward to practicing … So happy our daughter no longer wants to quit orchestra.”
Deidre B.
“Our daughter has shown tremendous growth while under the tutelage of Nissa. Her posture, skill level, and confidence in playing the violin has flourished to a level that we accredit only to quality care and instruction. We owe it all to a tremendous, caring teacher.”
Beata A.
“My 10 year old daughter takes violin lessons with Ms. Nissa and loves practicing and showing extended family and friends what she is learning. As a parent, I appreciate Nissa’s approach to lessons in her respectful interactions with me and my daughter as well as Nissa’s creativity in her individual approach within the Suzuki model to help my daughter learn the best way to fit her abilities and personality.”
Jody C.
“Nissa is an excellent instructor! My grandson plays viola in school orchestra. He took summer break last year and we were scrambling to make up for lack of practice at the start of school in August. Nissa was able to get him ready for first school performance.”
Jackie G.
“[The teacher’s] experience and calm prove valuable in dealing with a student’s challenges.”
Larry P.
“Ms. Nissa communicates with clarity and makes learning the violin fun! Our daughter was always sad when her 30 minute lesson ended, so we increased the lesson time to 45 minutes. I highly recommend Ms. Nissa!”
Jennifer B.
“Ms. Nissa is a great teacher! My son has been taking lessons from her since last summer. I can see that he has greatly improved his violin technique. She is very patient with him, and always encourages him to do/try his best.”
Maria S.
“[I] am very pleased to have found Nissa. Her instruction is not only about technique, but also explains the how and why of it. She makes sure my daughter understands the lessons they work on together and always asks her if she understands, or has questions. They discuss lesson plans together, as Nissa is very cognizant of what my daughter is capable of accomplishing and what she needs to work on further. While a lesson plan is always a main focus, Nissa has helped my daughter prepare for school assigned pieces as well. My daughter looks forward to her lessons. Overall, Nissa is very organized, her studio teaching is well guided, focused, and at a pace that is suited for the student”
Jess T.
“My daughter has been taking lessons for almost 2 years now. The benefit of these lessons reach far beyond violin playing itself: discipline, focus, perseverance. Now we’ve also enrolled my younger daughter. Miss Nissa is great with both of them despite their wildly different personalities!”
Madhavi R.
“Hands down, the best instructor in the area!”
Eldest Brother
We think this whole process is better in-person.
Schedule a consultation to get a mini-lesson for a taste of what lessons are like.
