Aspen Barker

INSTRUCTOR

Aspen Barker started her journey with music when she was in 4th grade in an after school strings music program. Her passion as a classical musician and love for the violin grew through her middle and high school years. She performed and competed throughout the city of Miami until she graduated high school in 2017. After graduating, she went on to receive her Bachelor of Music after attending Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she studied under Amy Thiaville for violin performance and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenburg for chamber music. There, she held the honor of Concertmaster for the Loyola Symphony Orchestra. She has since gone on to study at The Longy School of Music of Bard College for her Master of Music in Violin Performance and is expected to graduate in May of 2023. Throughout her time as a student, she has worked as a music educator, volunteering at organizations that work to bring music to all, such as Miami Music Project, Make Music Nola and El Sistema, where she currently serves as a teaching assistant. Since moving to Boston, Aspen has held various teaching positions throughout the city as a private violin and viola instructor. Aspen’s passion for bringing music to all populations does not stop at underserved communities, but expands to infants and toddlers. She believes that as educators there should always be innovative and creative ways to teach music to groups of people who do not normally have access to it. Aspen went on to start her own Music and Movement Classes in August of 2021 and has since taken a job with Little Sprouts to help build a program bringing music to their many schools across the Boston area.

Birthday – April 1

Schools Attended – Loyola University New Orleans and Longy School of Music of Bard College

Instruments You Teach – Violin, viola, piano, ukulele, cello, voice

Favorite Music to Perform – Classical or new music  

Favorite Music to Listen to – Classic rock or jazz

Something most people don’t know about you – I love to cook. I am a great cook and love to try making new things, too!

Other hobbies & interests – I love hiking and camping. My favorite thing to do in the summer is go on a long road trip around the National Parks. 

Where you were born & grew up – I was born in Miami and also grew up in Miami. I spent a lot of time in New Orleans for my undergraduate degree. 

Hero – Hilary Hahn. She is an awesome role model and a fantastic violinist! 

Practice Tips – Consistency is key. It’s never about how long you practice or how much you practice, it’s about how often you practice. If you can squeeze in 10-15 minutes a day rather than cram a week’s worth of practicing in an hour, you will learn things so much quicker!