TEACHER

Oona Grady began her teaching career as a teenager when she co-organized and taught an Irish music camp for her cousins and siblings one summer.  It was a grand experiment not without it's pitfalls (imagine trying to teach seven unruly students who you're related to!), but she learned a lot and ultimately deemed it a success.  Since that auspicious beginning, she has always considered teaching to be part of her work as a musician.

While studying music at college in Ireland, she taught group classes for the Midleton and Douglas Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) branches, as well as private lessons.  Once back in Ithaca, she had the opportunity to study the Suzuki Method of teaching violin with Carrie Reuning-Hummel, and began applying the philosophical and theoretical concepts of Suzuki to all of her teaching.

During her five years post-college back in Ithaca, she developed a private violin/fiddle lesson studio, where she specialized both in Suzuki violin and Irish traditional music.  Relocated to Saratoga Springs in 2015, she runs an ever evolving private lesson, group class, and workshop studio (online lessons are available over Zoom, Skype and FaceTime), is one of the founding faculty of the Caffe Lena School of Music, and is in demand both as a Suzuki teacher and an Irish music specialist.

Whatever the type of music she is teaching, she goes about it with a positive and infectious style, with the goal of instilling a love of music in all of her students.
 

LEARN WITH OONA

Join Oona's Lesson Studio

private lessons + group classes + recitals

Oona draws on her extensive experience studying fiddle music and absorbing the philosophies of the Suzuki Method to create a peronolized curriculum for each student.

While studying Irish tunes and/or classical repertoire, we will also explore technique & posture, practice skills, and more.

Winter/Spring 2021 classes will take place on Zoom or a similar online learning platform.

The program includes weekly private lessons, monthly all-studio group classes, and recitals.

Please get in touch for rates and availability.

Contact

ADULT CLASSES at the CAFFE LENA SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Caffe Lena School of Music: Intermediate Irish Fiddle

FOUR WEEK CLASS FOR FIDDLERS TO BUILD REPERTOIRE AND TECHNIQUE.

This class will focus on building repertoire and technique for intermediate fiddle players. Taught via Zoom, Oona will break the melodies down phrase-by-phrase, offering a number of repetitions, and students will be invited to learn at their own pace while on mute.

We will cover a variety of dance rhythms, discuss how to add bowing and ornaments, and how to arrange the tunes we learn into sets. Listening recommendations will be offered, background and historical context will be shared, plus there will be ample time for questions.

Classes are 90 minutes each, and meet on Wednesday evenings @ 7:00 PM ET / 6PM CT / 5PM MT / 4 PM PT

April 14, 21, 28, & May 5

This class goes month to month and will continue on as interest dictates.

The workshop will be taught on the Zoom internet platform. Instructions for accessing the online course will be sent to you by email the week before class begins.

$140

Scholarships are available.

More about the Caffe Lena School of Music.

Sign Up

YOUTH CLASSES at the CAFFE LENA SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Caffe Lena School of Music: Fiddle & Tin Whistle

small group classes for youth

The Caffe Lena School of Music introduces kids ages 7+  to a lifetime of making music for fun, relaxation and social connection.

Oona teaches Fiddle & Tin Whistle.

Other instruments offered include ukulele, guitar, banjo, & percussion.

Spring 2021 course offerings begin the week of April 12th, and will take place on Zoom.

The cost for ten weekly classes is $140.

Full scholarships, including instruments, are available for any family that qualifies for free or reduced school lunch.

Learn More

INSTRUMENT BEGINNINGS at the SPAC LEARNING LIBRARY

In the summer of 2020 the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) launched their Online Learning Library, a treasure trove of video lessons and activities designed to help everyone stay creative at home.  One section of their offerings is called Instrument Beginnings, and they invited Oona to create a series of videos to introduce the basic skills and techniques needed to play the violin and viola.  Check them out below!

more about the spac learning library

STUDENT TESTAMONIALS

Oona Grady is a great teacher!  She is trained as a classical violinist and as a fiddler so she is able to teach a student who is interested in both.  This has made her a really good match for my teenage daughter.   She is knowledgable and supportive.  She is dependable and encourages students to take on a challenge.  My daughter has studied with her for 4 years, first in person and then on Skype.  It has been positive experience all around!
--Jane B., parent and violinist


I enjoyed playing classical duets with Oona for 5 years!
--Maya J., age 13


Oona's talent and patience is hard to match.  She taught my son for 4 years, beginning when he was age 6.  Oona has made a lasting impression on us both, and has helped my child acquire the skills he will need to carry on to the next level of musician-hood! 
--Jane C., parent and fiddle player

 

My daughter Izzy has really enjoyed the opportunity to work with Oona.  She says Oona is fun but also holds her accountable for some of the things she doesn't remember to think about; like positioning of her fingers or bow hold.  She started with Oona not knowing much about Irish music and has come to really enjoy playing it.  She has also enjoyed learning Suzuki with Oona and enjoyed playing together with Oona during lessons.  We were all (Izzy and our family) sad when Oona moved away as she was a great mentor and teacher for Izzy as she learned new skills and grew in her confidence when playing. 
--Beth L., parent