Community Corner

Area Violinist Returns to Teaching

Greta Westphal has been playing violin most of her life and now teaches the instrument to children and adults.

The first time she picked up a violin, Greta Westphal was 9 years old.

Twenty-three years later and things have come full circle for the Parkville woman who teaches the instrument at her home on Overmont Road, just a few blocks from the house on Onyx Road she lived in as a child.

Westphal just recently began teaching violin again after taking a 3-year hiatus when her daughter was born and now the Towson University grad is looking to take on new students.

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Check out a video of Greta Westphal performing "Panhande Rag" on violin in the gallery above.

"I have three 13 year olds right now and two adult students—the youngest student is 4, and I've even taught a couple of 60 year olds," Westphal said. "It was great, they took group lessons and picked it up very quickly."

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Most of her students have played violin before, but Westphal said she's certainly taught the instrument to people who have no experience at all.

"One of my students from before, he had never played violin and all he wanted to do was learn to play bluegrass," she said.

Others, like two Perry Hall Middle School students she teaches, are avid violinists.

Music has always been a part of Westphal's life: as a child, she was a dancer; in school, she was part of the orchestra program; she even met her husband Zach, a former bassist with J. Roddy Walston & the Business, through the local music scene. 

"I think music is just the best way for me to communicate," Westphal said.

Prospective students can contact Westphal by emailing gretanzach@gmail.com.


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