Photos and video

Learning: Lessons and practice information

Individual Lessons: Beginning students enroll for a thirty minute lesson. This time is shared by child and parent, in order to instruct the parent in his/her role as home teacher. All new parents and students are encouraged to observe other student's individual lessons, as well as a group lesson, during the first few weeks of the term. During these observations, the Suzuki Triangle can be seen in action: parent, teacher, and child working, sharing, and having fun together. Success in the Suzuki approach depends upon this triangular relationship, rooted in a rich environment.

The parent is expected to be present at all lessons and supervise home practice until the teacher determines that the student is sufficiently mature to work without help. Using a cassette recorder to tape each lesson is recommended whether or not the parent is present at the lesson. Questions which come up mid-week are easily resolved, and reminders of special details result in a better-prepared lesson.

Parents are asked to take pertinent notes in a notebook which is brought to each lesson. The teacher's instructions should be written in this notebook each session, so that a complete record is available for review and reminders. The parent's role as home teacher usually continues for several years, with the student gradually assuming more responsibility. The teacher will guide the student toward working independently at the proper time.

When music reading is introduced (around Book Two or Three), it is advisable to increase the individual lesson time to forty-five minutes, and the daily practice proportionately.

The Preucil School welcomes students who transfer from non-Suzuki backgrounds during any stage of advancement. Regardless of the age of such students, it is helpful for their parents to observe lessons at first to gain an understanding of Suzuki learning ideals and any necessary technical adjustments.

Home Practice and Listening: Progress occurs during home practice and listening sessions. At lessons, the teachers take students from where they are and move them to the next step. If growth has not occurred at home during the week, the lesson remains at the same level. Similarly, careful practice and listening habits in preschool and elementary years can result in outstanding musical and academic accomplishments in high school and later life. An open understanding with the teacher about realistic practice and listening expectations is essential. While the discipline of regular practice is not always easy, children are always happiest when they do well. Suzuki challenges parents to "create the desire to learn" in their children.

Registration policies and forms

Thank you for your interest in the Preucil School of Music. If you have trouble downloading the forms, please install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

To put your child or an adult student on our waiting list for lessons:

1. Please read the Enrollment Process carefully:
Enrollment Process for lessons
2. If your child is under 5 years old, please read:
Pretwinkle Partner Lesson Information
3. For information about lesson tuition and fees:
Fee Structure 2008-2009
4. Print and complete the Placement Form:
Lesson Placement Form
5. Print and complete the Observation Form:
Observation Form
6. Send the completed forms and the $35 placement fee to:

Preucil School of Music - Main Campus
524 N. Johnson St.
Iowa City, IA 52245-2840

Financial aid is available.

Violin faculty

Janet Ault

Janet received her BA in History from Grinnell College and her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Cornell College. Janet has recently retired from teaching in the public school orchestra program in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where she taught for over twenty years. Janet joined the faculty of the Preucil School in 1976. Three of Janet’s five children are Preucil School alumni and two of Janet’s six grandchildren currently attend the Preucil School.



Scott Conklin
Adjunct Violin Faculty

Scott Conklin earned Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees from The University of Michigan School of Music as a student of Paul Kantor. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with David Updegraff. During his youth, Conklin was a Suzuki student of Carol Dallinger at the University of Evansville (IN). Conklin regularly performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player, and is currently Assistant Professor of Violin at The University of Iowa School of Music.

Diane Dahl-McCoy

Diane has been a member of the Preucil School faculty since 1983. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from St. Olaf College and her Master of Arts in violin performance from the University of Iowa. Diane received her Suzuki pedagogy training from Doris Preucil from 1982-1983. She was a Visiting Artist Instructor at Cornell College from 1987-1990. Diane currently plays in the Cedar Rapids Symphony. Diane’s three children are all Suzuki violin students at the Preucil School.




Christie Felsing

Assistant Director Christie Felsing received her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying violin with Vartan Manoogian and pedagogy with Marvin Rabin.  After a year of graduate studies at Boston University, including long-term Suzuki teacher training, she pursued a nine-month Suzuki internship with Doris Preucil at the Preucil School.  This experience led her to complete a Master of Music degree in Suzuki pedagogy at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville with John Kendall. Christie is a graduate of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts’ administrative training program, AMICI.  She served on the Suzuki Association of the Americas Board of Directors from 2004-2009, is a registered SAA Teacher Trainer, and is the 2010 SAA Conference Coordinator.

Marit Hervig

Marit holds a Bachelor of Music from Western Illinois University and a Master of Music from Arizona State University in viola performance and pedagogy. Marit’s teachers include Doris Preucil, William Preucil, Dr. Roland Vamos, and William Lincer. She completed her Suzuki Teacher Training with Sonja Zeithamel and Doris Preucil. A former Preucil School student, Marit has taught at the University of Memphis Suzuki Institute and is a registered Music Together® teacher.


Cameo Jong

Cameo received her Artist Diploma and M.M. in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy from the Hartt School (CT). She has served on the faculties of the Hartt Community Division and The Neighborhood Music School before relocating to Iowa. She is currently pursuing a DMA at the Univeristy of Iowa.








Linda Judiesch

Linda received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Chicago Musical College, Roosevelt University, and is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan. She has been a member of the Rochester Philharmonic, National Symphony of Chile, McMaster Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Hamilton. She has been on the faculty of the University of Costa Rica, the Hamilton Suzuki School of Music, the Music Center of the North Shore, and the Suzuki School of Music in Bermuda. She was the founding president of the Ontario Suzuki Teachers’ Association, and has been a frequent institute clinician. She has been on the Preucil School faculty since 1997 and is member of the Cedar Rapids Symphony.

Mary Neumann

Mary received a BA in music from Grinnell College and an MA in violin performance from Western Illinois University.  She completed long term Suzuki teacher training at WIU with Lois Shepherd and Moshe Neumann.  Growing up a Suzuki student herself in Macomb, Illinois, she started violin at the age of four with Doris Preucil and later studied with Almita Vamos.  Mary joined the PSM faculty in 1995.




Doris Bogen Preucil
Director Emeritus

Doris is the founder and Director Emeritus of the Preucil School of Music. An honors graduate of the Eastman School of Music, she was a violinist with the National Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic. She has served on the faculties of Western Illinois University, the University of Northern Iowa, and Interlochen Arts Camp, and performed and presented workshops throughout the United States and in Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, and Korea. A Suzuki teacher since 1963, she is the author of the Suzuki Viola School, and a Past President of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She was named "Teacher of the Year" by the Iowa String Teachers Association in 2005 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Eastman School in 2004.

Tabitha Rasmussen

Tabitha Rasmussen received her Bachelor of Music and Teaching Certificate and Masters of Music Education at the University of Iowa. Tabitha is an alumna of the Preucil School where she studied with Diane Dahl-McCoy and Doris Preucil. She taught public school orchestra in Lamoni and Davenport, Iowa and currently teaches orchestra in the public schools in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. Her children are currently violin students at the Preucil School.



John Schultz

John Schultz holds a Master of Music degree from the Leonard Sorkin Institute of Chamber Music. Prior to this Mr. Schultz received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he studied on full scholarship with Myron Kartman. He has studied Suzuki violin pedagogy with Nancy Jackson, Alice Joy Lewis, Mark Bjork, and has studied viola pedagogy with William Preucil. In addition to teaching at the Preucil School, Mr. Schultz is president of the Schultz Strings Inc., as well as offering chamber music concerts throughout the corridor area.

Gwen Ying

Gwen received her Bachelor of Music Education from Northwestern University. She studied Suzuki Pedagogy with Rebecca Fitz Sandrok, Doris Preucil, John Kendall and Shinichi Suzuki. From 1972-88 she was Director of the Suzuki Program at Elmhurst College (Illinois), and at Christ Church of Oakbrook, Illinois. She introduced the Suzuki Method in Russia in 1995. Currently Gwen teaches in Washington, Iowa and at the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City.


Sonja Berven Zeithamel
Director of the Preucil School of Music

Sonja co-founded the Preucil School of Music in 1975 as Assistant Director and was named Director of August 1997. She is an honors graduate of the University of Iowa School of Music. As a member of the Preucil School of Music faculty, she teaches violin, viola, coaches string quartets and conducts string orchestras. She is a registered Teacher Trainer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas and travels throughout the United States as a clinician at Suzuki Institutes and Workshops. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Pre-twinkle violin

“Enjoyment of the moment” is a key phrase that describes our program’s philosophy. It is our hope that parents will enjoy their children’s development as they move through these important learning years. Never will children learn so much and seem to move so slowly! But with trust in what is to come, parents can find immense satisfaction in the mastery of each step and observe first-hand a solid foundation being formed.

All new parents and children are asked to observe a minimum of two private lessons. At these times the Suzuki Triangle can be seen in action: parent, teacher, and child working, sharing, and having fun together. Success in the Suzuki approach depends upon this triangular relationship, rooted in a rich environment. Additional observations of group classes, recitals, and play-ins are strongly recommended. Observing students already playing will give new students and parents confidence that they too will learn to play.

If the Pre-Twinkle student has to miss a class, this will not be made up; rather, the parent is asked to come, take the lesson, observe the other children, and participate in the discussions. Children develop at different rates and are not expected to move at the same pace. Each child will develop as an individual, not in competition with others, but sharing with each other.

The Suzuki Philosophy is one based on love, yet we know that discipline is a part of love. As children begin lessons, training is directed toward helping them understand behavioral expectations. The parent’s help and cooperation in this area will aid in the child’s progress and contribute to the overall learning atmosphere of the class.

Finally, parents with questions, problems, or just the need for some reassurance are urged to call the teacher. The Pre-Twinkle experience is a time for planting the “musical seeds.” If we give them time and proper nurturing, they will begin to grow, a little at a time!

Level 1 (the first year of violin)

Two classes per week are scheduled, consisting of two to four children, each with a parent. Classes include discussion of Suzuki philosophy and its application, questions, parent lessons, individual instruction with each student, observation of each other’s lesson and group activities. Parents often can learn more by observing someone else’s child than their own; likewise, each child will gain much from watching and listening to friends, as well as being observed by others. All children and parents are expected to be prompt for lessons and stay until their conclusion.

Two classes per week in the beginning stages provide more hands-on experience for the teacher and student and ample time for training the parent as home teacher. Class size and make-up sometimes change after the introductory stages have been completed but still meet twice weekly. All scheduling decisions are made to offer the best training situation for each child.

Level II (the second year- optional)

Two students are paired to receive one forty-minute partner lesson per week, plus The New Beginners' Class which meets on Thursday afternoons. The PreTwinkle fee applies with no additional cost for New Beginners' Class. During the partner lesson the children receive individual instruction, observe each other's lesson, and sometimes play together. The New Beginners Class places several children together to review fundamental violin skills and pieces already learned. This is the beginning of the group experience which continues throughout Suzuki study, and is enjoyed by the students. Pairing for partner lessons for Level II is carefully considered at the end of Level I by parent and teacher. After Level II, children move to an individual thirty minute lesson and continue to participate in the string class curriculum. In some circumstances, children may proceed directly to individual lesson and classes after Level I.