"Laurel is without a doubt the best musical teacher I've ever had. As an adult student with past musical training anxiety, her approach is a breath of fresh air. She breaks down problems in a comprehensive and constructive manner, fostering sustainable, lasting growth through compassion and patience. If I mess up, get stuck, struggle, etc. she always takes the time to focus on finding a solution and provide resources for further improvement. I have never received a word of insult or criticism. She is incredibly understanding of scheduling and its fluctuations, which is one of the biggest challenges as an adult student. If you ever find yourself lucky enough to have Laurel as your teacher, you will grow not only as an artist but also as an individual.”
- D. Foster, adult online violin student

"No where else have I encountered Laurel's powerful multi-dimensional approach. It truly opens the curtain for me for the first time. Her work deserves
wider recognition."
- G. C. Christy, student of Laurel's online bowing course

"Laurel Thomsen is a consummate professional in every aspect. I've been taking lessons with her for 3-1/2 yrs. as a new adult violinist. My lessons have been consistent, organized, progressive, and challenging. Laurel has a way of cutting through new player frustration with her kindness and patience, as well as her ability to diagnose the source of those frustrations and work toward solving the problem with her students. She is quick to respond to emails any time I have a question. She also has a bank of technique videos that she makes available as they apply to my lessons and the level I'm at. I cannot recommend Laurel enough...her care, knowledge, encouragement, and teaching style have brought me this far in my violin journey and has been key to my enjoyment of playing."
- Sue H., online adult violin/fiddle student

"Laurel is one of the most lovely, patient, brilliant teachers I've come across in a long time. I am so, so grateful, and her ability to pivot (and try a new approach) every time I have a challenge is unmatched. Truly. I also love hearing her play - honestly; it's been my favorite part of lessons with her. And learning to play violin has gotten me through some of the most difficult years of my life."
- Vicki, online adult violin/fiddle student

"We have been very pleased with our violin lessons via Skype with Laurel Thomsen. When we moved internationally and could not find suitable violin instruction for our son we began searching for a teacher who’s be willing to do this. After she had a chance to meet our son and get a feel for his ability, we determined that this could be a good fit for us and began weekly lessons. Laurel’s explanations are very clear and she is able to fine-tune our son's technique even without being able to physically help him. She is patient, upbeat, and has had lots of good ideas to hone our son's violin skills and keep him interested and motivated. She has also recorded demos for him to aid in his practice and has always been very prompt in replying to any questions. Lessons with Laurel Thomsen via Skype are a great option for anyone."
- Mary, mother of an online violin student

“I'm an adult student who took up the violin 6 years ago. Up until this point, progress has been painstakingly slow. I was frustrated and considered giving up. Instead, I decided to change teachers to see if a fresh approach would help. I've been taking lessons from Laurel Thomsen for 10 months now and I've made so much progress! She's an expert in isolating problems, and has a wealth of information available in addition to private lessons, including her podcasts and videos. She's helped me gain a new positive attitude. For the first time, I am really enjoying playing music.”
- Denise, online adult violin student

“Laurel Thomsen is a wonderful teacher. She is patient as I correct my mistakes and she gives me guidance on how to improve my style, technique, and tone. Laurel likes to teach and is very caring. She will demonstrate how to play the piece of music to help you get a better feel for it. Laurel has taught me to really enjoy music and to have fun with it.”
- Sierra, 12, violin student

"I can't at present have Skype lessons with Laurel because my broadband connection isn't fast enough, so I decided to try her system of teaching by video exchange. I was a bit doubtful about this at first, because I had previously tried video exchange study on a well-known website where the responses tended to be quite slow and where they didn't always seem to account for the instruction in previous exchanges. I needn't have worried. Laurel responds pretty fast - on the same day even - and I feel like I’m getting the kind of individual attention I'd normally only associated with conventional in-person lessons. And I get the benefit of being able to watch each response as often as I want whereas with face-to-face lessons I quickly forget most of what the teacher said."
- James, adult video exchange viola student

“Laurel is a great teacher because she plays really well herself, and she enjoys children and teaching. I enjoy when Laurel plays duets with me.”- Alex, 8, violin student

“As an adult student returning to playing after 30 years, I feel fortunate to have found Laurel. She is an exceptional teacher. She is knowledgeable, patient and insightful. My level of playing has improved in a short amount of time under her guidance. She identifies my challenges and offers specific strategies to improve my technique. In addition, Laurel has expanded my awareness and my ability to interpret the music, beyond the notes on the page. She creates an atmosphere of encouragement and support. I, also, appreciate her willingness to teach via Skype. I am looking forward to continuing to realize great results that outstanding teaching can bring. Laurel is the best!”
- Kathy, online adult viola student

“Laurel Thomsen is a great teacher. She connects really well with my child, who began taking lessons from Laurel in June of 2015. Beforehand, my child sometimes avoided practicing, but once she started with Laurel she was more interested in practicing the music Laurel chose. My child was excited to learn how to read music from Laurel and has now figured out how to play a couple of songs by ear. When Laurel is on tour she continues lessons via Skype, which is great. It is really wonderful for my child to have weekly lessons with a musician who writes her own songs and performs them.”
- Lara T., mother of a violin student

“After a few lessons with Laurel, not only had she stoked my desire to learn more, I had a desire to feed my soul, through the violin. Going into it, I'd just wanted to try something new, learn a few tunes, etc., but Laurel has motivated me to master a Classical instrument, and I feel I have the opportunity to do so under her instruction. She has the ability to pull something out of you, and you end up not knowing it existed in your capabilities! Laurel teaches violin in a personal way that I can really connect with, only inspiring me more - to work hard, grow, and play beautiful music through the violin. Thank you, Laurel!”
- Brittany, adult violin student

"Laurel is always coming up with new ways to make learning fun." - Skyler, 11, Skype violin student

“Laurel Thomsen has a warm, encouraging personality, and excellent musical skills which make learning the violin, even for an adult learner like myself, a pleasure. Laurel works with me on integrating ear training, tone, body mechanics, and rhythm in a supportive, non-threatening manner. I look forward to my lessons each week!
- Jacqueline, adult violin/fiddle student

“I came to Laurel as an adult student with no background in music and I work a great deal. Laurel Thomsen’s Skype violin lessons have really helped my technique and they have helped other areas too, such as ear training and music theory. She is patient and understanding that my busy schedule will at times impact the amount of time I have available to practice. However, her podcasts and articles in Strings magazines as well as her Bowing Technique guide have been good supplements available to use when I have limited time.”
- David, adult Skype violin student

"My sons and I started taking lessons with Laurel when they were 5 and 3 years old. She is so patient with them. They weren't really ready for 30 minute lessons, but in helping them I had absorbed enough understanding of the violin to spend the balance of the time on lessons for myself. Laurel is incredibly flexible in being able to balance the time - working with them, watching me, listening to my efforts and correcting as needed as I worked through the first two Suzuki books along with some fun waltzes and reels. I don't know a teacher so perfect for our musical needs who could come close to Laurel.”
- Tom, adult violin/fiddle student and father of a violin and a cello student

“I look forward to my weekly violin lesson with Laurel Thomsen. I like how she focuses on one or two new things to really focus on at a time. In this way I don’t feel overwhelmed and can really concentrate on what will make a noticeable difference. I never thought I would be playing the violin this well after taking lessons for only a year! Laurel uses various teaching methods and when I don’t understand something, she easily tries new approaches until we land on something that works better for me. Laurel is really good at pinpointing exactly what the problem in and never wastes time finding a fix. It feels like a natural progression. I am amazed at how minor corrections can have such a big impact on the quality of my sound! When I started taking lessons I thought I would never be able to play in tune, but Laurel has helped me train my ear so that now I can readily hear if a note is slightly sharp or flat. I feel lucky to have found the best violin/fiddle teacher ever!”
- Amanda, adult violin/fiddle student

"Laurel's online lessons option has given us the freedom to still have Hana's violin lesson when we are unable to make the trip to Laurel Thomsen’s home studio. We have used it during my surgical recovery, and when Hana has been a little under the weather. Hana likes it because it’s fun, different, and introduces a new element to her lessons. She enjoyed taking the laptop camera on a tour of her bedroom to share her space with Laurel. Getting set-up was extremely easy. We will continue to use Skype for violin lessons whenever necessary, and maybe just because it's easier then fighting traffic!
- Cathi, mother of violin student

“Laurel Thomsen has been the sole private instructor for my daughter. We have been very pleased with the level of musicianship Sierra has reached with Laurel’s help. More importantly, Sierra’s enthusiasm for playing has only increased.

Sierra began studying violin in July 1999, having weekly lessons with Laurel. After just one year of lessons with Laurel, Sierra began playing in the local youth orchestra and was promptly named first chair of the second violins. By the opening concert of the following season, she was named concert mistress!

Laurel’s zest for music is contagious. Her character, values, communication skills, sensitivity, and sense of personal responsibility are far above what is usually found in someone her age. It brings tears to my eye’s to hear the beautiful duets that she and Sierra play together. Sierra’s playing has become so accomplished. It brings me great joy. I am deeply grateful that Sierra has had the blessing of Laurel’s fine instruction.”
- Mari, mother of a violin student

"We really appreciate the fun atmosphere Laurel Thomsen creates in lessons. Our daughter always comes home with stories, songs, and tools. She has changed from being frustrated with the violin to being excited to share with everyone. She has also cultivated a love for all types of music and can pick out the sound of the violin in all songs!”
- Jennifer & Konrad, parents of a young violin student

"Laurel was the first instructor that actually explained and showed me how to develop my vibrato. She has an engaging personality that makes the material entertaining. Great work!"
- Peter, Complete Vibrato Mastery course student