About Violin Lab
Violin Lab is founded and owned by Beth Blackerby, professional violinist from Austin, Texas.
Hello, I’m Beth Blackerby,
I would like to tell you why I created Violin Lab.
Twenty years ago, I had the pleasure of teaching several adult violin students, all of whom shared a unique passion for learning and practicing. This was unusual for me, as I was accustomed to teaching young students who, following their parents’ ambitions, often showed little enthusiasm for playing the violin.
The enthusiasm of my adult students was so inspiring that it sparked the idea to create a hub for adult violin enthusiasts. I realized their passion wasn’t unique to them but reflected a broader interest among adult learners worldwide. Many felt disconnected from the violin learning community, which seemed focused on younger students.
Through developing the video lessons for Violin Lab, I discovered my true passion: finding the most effective ways to explain the intricacies of violin playing, allowing anyone to learn without a private teacher if their situation didn’t allow for one.
While in 2007, there were a few informative violin content creators on YouTube, there wasn’t a dedicated website with a structured, sequenced curriculum. Violin Lab was the first, and was launched in 2008. Since then my mission has been to be the best teacher and demonstrator of violin techniques on the internet. The feedback from Violin Lab members (see Testimonials) reassures me I’m doing a good job, and it motivates me to keep continue creating more valuable content for anyone wanting to learn violin.
Official Bio
Beth graduated with a degree in violin performance from the University of Louisville. She earned a Master of Music degree at the University of Wisconsin, studying with Vartan Manoogian, a notable student of Ivan Galamian. At the University of Texas at Austin, she completed postgraduate coursework and was assistant director of UT’s String Project, internationally recognized as “one of the finest programs in teacher training and string instrument instruction”. She has also taught at Texas Lutheran University and most recently served as violin instructor at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
For two years, Beth was a member of the orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain. She has served as concertmaster of the Mid-Texas Symphony and the Santa Fe Pro Musica chamber orchestra, and currently performs with many notable ensembles of the Austin area, including the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera, Conspirare, Chamber Soloists of Austin, and Barton Strings.