TEACHING & STUDENTS
ZO MANFREDI'S TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
VIOLIN AND VIOLA INSTRUCTION
I love teaching students of all ages and all levels and take both violin and viola students! My credentials qualify me to teach at the collegiate level, which makes up much of my prior teaching experience at Colorado State University, Drake University (Iowa), Grinnell College (Iowa), and Richland College (Texas). I have an equal amount of private studio experience teaching students from as young as 4 years old to 84 years old and enjoy students at all levels, competitive, or non-competitive.
As a Certified Till Approach teacher and player, my first teaching objective is to make playing feel good. Students have more fun, learn more, and improve the most when the movements they choose are comfortable and sustainable- just as any athlete would attest to. Unfortunately, playing injuries and discomfort afflict upper string players at every level, from beginners to accomplished professionals. The Till Approach teaching principles can be helpful for anyone looking to recover from a playing-related injury, or for students looking to incorporate these healthy movements from the very beginning of their learning, or anywhere in between.
I teach using a range of traditional and contemporary classical repertoire from the beginner level (ie. Suzuki, Essential Elements) to intermediate and advanced classical repertoire with scales and etudes. I always like to look for repertoire with a variety of styles and backgrounds and work with the student to find music that is motivating and interesting for them. I am interested in serving the student first and create an open dialogue with students and parents on what I believe their technical and musical needs are in order to meet our goals together as student and teacher. See below for a more formal description of my Teaching Philosophy Statement.
““Zo had a wonderful ability to understand exactly what my child needed. She taught him at his level, always in such an encouraging and positive way. My kid looked forward to every single lesson with her.”
It is within the studio and during rehearsal that I build a strong, one–on-one relationship that serves as an example for my students’ interaction with other musicians. Making music both requires and produces strong relationships with people. Personal relationships become integral to the production of music, as this is an art where collaboration is a central focus. It is the duty of the teacher, therefore, to convey the importance of relationships and collaboration during study. The student-teacher relationship that develops within the studio is essential in motivating, guiding, and creating a foundation of trust for the student. It is upon this foundation then that risks can be taken, and the student will be pushed to the fullest potential. To create this relationship, I establish an open environment within each lesson that encourages respect and individual thought and expression. I open each lesson with a clear line of communication of where we stand, where we are headed, and how we will get there. The strong relationships I cultivate with my students will translate into strong relationships outside of the studio within their own working environments.
Most recently in May 2025, I received my Till Approach Pedagogy Certificate and have been studying the method with Sophie Till since January 2022. This course of study has had the most profound impact on my professional teaching to date. With these teaching principles, I help students at any level play comfortably and with ease and it gives the students an enormous range of autonomy and leadership within their own learning. For beginners, they are able to advance quite quickly since the playing technique is adopted so quickly by the body. For students experiencing pain or discomfort, or are stalled in their progress, the remedial work allows them to continue playing with a renewed sense of motivation and progress.
“Zo Manfredi is a very caring violin instructor who has a positive way of working with her students. She has adjusted techniques to help my daughter continue to play violin even with joint issues. With Zo’s help, my daughter has gone from wanting to quit playing the violin because it was too painful to playing for up to two hours a day and achieving the “Best in Center” award at State Solo and Ensemble Contest.”
“I had been studying with Zo for about two years. With her guidance, I was able to become a better musician and person overall. I am very grateful for Zo, and without her, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
As an effective teacher, my scholarly research interests also keep me current and knowledgeable within the music field. In 2015, I submitted my dissertation entitled, “Physical Problems in Vibrato Amongst First-Year College Students: A Descriptive Study.” My research investigated how college students learn and fix their vibrato, and how professors teach or fix vibrato and problems that they diagnose with their students. Through the research, I was able to form conclusions regarding this pedagogical challenge for both teachers and students that may be used to improve expectations or processes for teaching and learning vibrato both at the college and pre-college level. I am always looking for ways to advance, change, and improve my teaching style and effectiveness and look forward to every teaching opportunity that comes my way.