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Looking to learn the Violin or improve your playing skills? – we can help! Our experienced Violin teacher is ready to help you whether you’re at a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level. Start your lessons today!

Violin Instructor

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Downs Thompson

Violin/viola/mandolin/guitar instructor Downs Thompson has pursued a lifelong career performing a variety of styles ranging from classical and jazz to celtic and bluegrass. As a teenager he studied with Ray Martin of the Baltimore Symphony then went on to earn a BA in music at Bucknell University where he was concertmaster of the symphony. While there he also performed with the Harrisburg Symphony and studied with Galamian alumnus Ray Page of the Allard quartet at Penn State. He continued his postgraduate studies with violinist and author Yong Ku Ahn of the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins. He has played professionally for over 40 years in the US and Europe doing concerts, recording and TV appearances.  Among the artists he has worked with are Grammy Award winners Charlie Daniels, Shelby Lynn, Charlie McCoy, Albert Lee and Brent Mason. Since 1996 he has been a member of the band with Nashville based multi-platinum recording artist Clay Walker.

 

Downs has developed a genuine passion for teaching. "I find that teaching and performing are really mutually enriching and now it's hard to imagine doing one without the other. Teaching forces you to analyze and pay attention to your own playing, which is a really good thing. I also value interacting with students of all ages to see what inspires them musically. While I feel it's really important to have classical training, music should reflect what moves you whether that be playing violin in an orchestra, fiddling The Devil Went Down to Georgia or playing electric violin with a rock band."

Downs' standard tuition rate is $40 per lesson - 1 lesson each week for 30 minutes

Please call us at (949) 589-7688 for availability and more specific tuition questions.

The Devil Went Down To Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band - performed at an early Rockcital

This song features Downs Thompson's student, 8 year old David Fuchs on fiddle just ripping it up, along with Downs' son, Kian Thompson on vocals, Alex Garabedian on Guitar, John Tessin on Drums makes yet another appearance on our website, joined by R.C.M. teachers Corey Townley on Djiembe and Lou Savage on Bass

Call NOW to sign up!

We’ve been serving the Saddleback Valley communities of Foothill Ranch, Mission Viejo, Dove Canyon, Ladera Ranch, Coto de Caza, Trabuco Canyon, and Rancho Santa Margarita for over 20 years. If it’s time to take your music to the next level – book a Violin (also known as fiddle) instructor, today!

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