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 About            

Education and Experience

Lindsay Fife Szczesny began learning Suzuki violin at the age of 6 under the passionate and dedicated Sara Penny. Lindsay’s mother, an accomplished pianist in her own right, enriched her study by initiating a neighborhood fiddling group, High Country Fiddlers. Touring Utah with this group helped to solidify Lindsay’s love for playing.

 

Lindsay earned her A.S. degree from Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho), performing under Dr. Kevin Call and studying violin with Ted Ashton. She credits the latter with helping her to develop a sense of self separate from the violin, inspired by his own cultivation of outside passions and his encouragement of students to do the same. She received her B.A. in Music Education at the Utah State University, performing under the baton of Sergio Bernal and studying violin with Rebecca McFaul of the Fry Street Quartet. 

 

Lindsay’s philosophy is strongly influenced by educational approaches centered on dialogue and inquiry, cultivating leadership and independent thinking, and reading classics rather than textbooks. In 2018 she became certified in Dynamic Emotional Integration (DEI), studying with founder Karla McLaren. She is the mother of five home-schooled children, and in her parenting and teaching seeks to lead by inspiration rather than coercion, honoring children’s autonomy and self-determination. 

 

Lindsay’s active inner life is influenced by philosophy, literature, and self-reflection. She attends the Timpanogos Storytelling festival in northern Utah every year, and her passion for reading is shared by her husband Stan, who is a Professor of English Literature. Her favorite book is Jane Eyre, which epitomizes the theme of being true to oneself even with great sacrifice.

 

Lindsay's teaching spans more than three decades. Her primary teacher training was with Ed Sprunger and Elise Winters, with mentoring by Elizabeth Porch, who modeled the power of repetition and breaking down skills; and Bonnie Romkey, whose impressive organizational systems encompasses student assignment sheets to the studio as a whole. 

 

Lindsay’s embrace of the Kaleidoscopes methodology was inspired by the possibility offered by the method for developing genuine aural skills and musical intuition in a systematic way — rather than older approaches to theory which are superficially faster but less thorough and effective. In her journey as a Kaleidoscopes teacher she has deepened her mastery of the various movement exercises and bowing patterns and a more granular and layered approach to movement analysis. She completed the Kaleidoscopes Teacher Practicum in 2022 and is on the pathway to become a teacher trainer within the method.

 

Lindsay has served as co-director of Suzuki Strings Cedar City since 2019, and has taught String Methods at Southern Utah University since 2016. She serves as principal second in the Orchestra of Southern Utah and is the first violinist of the Southern Utah String Quartet. She has played with the rock band 8eez since 2017, keeping music fun for herself and her students.

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Musical Biography

Fife kids before a Suzuki concert

Fife kids before a Suzuki concert

I started playing the violin as a little kid and soon my younger siblings started taking lessons and participating in group classes too.

Family Performance

Family Performance

Eventually we performed together around the community as the Fife Family Fiddlers. We enjoyed celtic music, western fiddle, and classical. (I just love those shorts I'm wearing in this photo. Lovely.)

Fife Family

Fife Family

My brothers and sisters all branched out to other instruments like the viola, cello, bass and bagpipes. (Yep, not a typo.) We have great memories of playing together with Mom on the piano or bass and Dad on the guitar.

Starting to teach

Starting to teach

When I was about 15, I started teaching violin lessons to willing students. This is my student Abby with her dad and sister.

High School

High School

I got to play the violin in high school honors orchestras and in a few fiddle groups. I even performed as a soloist a few times with orchestras in Southern Utah. I made great friends and had amazing mentors.

Music in College

Music in College

I decided to major in music so I took classes in music theory, woodwinds, conducting, Elementary music, choir, and even trombone. My favorite classes were the ensembles--especially playing in quartets.

Halloween Concert

Halloween Concert

Members of the Ricks College Orchestra dress up each year for an amazing concert. I'm the one with the big hair.

Woodwind players, tuba player...

Woodwind players, tuba player...

...and my hair.

Fiddle Camp

Fiddle Camp

After I graduated from college, I helped start several ensembles for kids that were SO fun! We performed fiddle music in parades and for major charity concerts. The best part was making friends while also working hard to learn the music. (Photo by Gary Arnell)

Parade Performance

Parade Performance

A float full of string players (Photo by Gary Arnell)

Violin Studio

Violin Studio

My 2003 students at a recital in Logan, Utah.

Family Today

Family Today

My husband Stan and I have 5 children, all of whom love music and enjoy it in their own ways. (photo by Adam Grimshaw)

2nd Violin Friends

2nd Violin Friends

Today I'm in the Orchestra of Southern Utah and enjoy collaborating with awesome community musicians.

Suzuki Strings

Suzuki Strings

I was in this group in the 80s, and now I'm happy to teach group classes and orchestra at Suzuki Strings every Wednesday afternoon.

Linds Headshot_edited.jpg
Contact 

 

Email: LindsaySzczesny@gmail.com

Phone/Text: 435-592-2109

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Email: LindsaySzczesny
@gmail.com
Phone: 435-592-2109

Images on this site may not be copied, printed or otherwise disseminated without express written permission of Lindsay Szczesny.

 

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