Bow Buddies Free Individual Lessons
Bow Buddies is pleased to offer free, Zoom-based, individual lessons for beginning students grades K-8. Currently, we offer cello and violin lessons.
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To register for lessons, please click on the registration form on each instructor's bio.
If you have any questions, feel free to fill out the "contact me" form on the website, or email bowbuddiesmusic@gmail.com
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Meet The Instructors
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Marielle B
Program Director
Cello Instructor
Marielle is a passionate string and brass musician who plays cello and trumpet. She is a junior at Amador Valley High School and has been playing cello for 6 years. She plays in Amador Valley's Symphony Orchestra A and Jazz A on trumpet. For 8 years, she has played trumpet with the performing troupe of the PUSD Mariachi Ensemble. She played cello in the 2024 CYT Tri-Valley production of Wizard of Oz in the pit orchestra. In Summer 2023, she attended the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) for cello and trumpet. She was accepted to the 2023 CODA December Honor Orchestra, 2022 CODA December Honor Orchestra held at Stanford University and San Diego State respectively. She was also accepted to the California's Junior High All-State Concert Orchestra (CODA) for February 2022.
In the summers of 2020 and 2021, she played cello with the Livermore-Amador Youth Symphony Orchestra. In 2020, she was accepted into CODA, (California Orchestra Directors Association)’s Junior High All-State Orchestra, held virtually. Marielle was principal cellist in Harvest Park Middle School’s string orchestra. She played trumpet in the Harvest Park Middle School Jazz Band and in Amador's Jazz B in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, Marielle was the principal trumpet for the Pleasanton Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2022.
Zoie H
Violin Instructor
Hi, I’m Zoie! I am a rising sophomore at Foothill High School. I have been playing the violin for 5 years. Before playing the violin, I’ve always admired the expressive abilities of music. When my violin journey began, I was so interested in how people could make such beautiful sounds just from wood and four strings. I started playing the violin because of my cousin who came to visit for the summer a few years ago. He brought his violin with him and when he played the instrument, I immediately wanted to give it a try. After he showed me how to properly hold and play the violin, I gave it a go. Of course, I sounded terrible; but, at that moment, my passion for music began to grow. As a teacher, I want to share that same passion for the growth of others.
Natasha S
Violin Instructor (Full)
Natasha is a junior at Amador Valley High School, and has been playing the violin for 10 years. She currently plays for the Amador Symphony A Orchestra. Natasha was accepted to CODA, (California Orchestra Directors Association)’s Junior High All-State Orchestra in 2021-2022, and their virtual orchestra from 2020-2021. In addition, she has been waitlisted for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has also won first place at the 2020 Winter NCYT (North California Young Talents) Competition, held by her studio.
Shambhavi K
Outreach Manager
Shambhavi is an Amador Valley High School student who has been in the band program since fifth grade. She has played the flute for over six years in concert band and the mellophone for two years in Amador's marching band. She is also a member of the AVHS band council. She learned the piano for around four years before the flute and mellophone. During the summer of 2021, she played as a flutist in the Livermore Amador Symphony Youth Orchestra. Additionally, she has experience in graphic design from projects she has made in her spare time and occasionally creates Instagram posts for the Pleasanton News Team. As outreach manager, she hopes to increase the visibility of Bow Buddies and support musicians in connecting with one another.
Grace C
Violin Instructor (Full)
Grace is a freshman at Amador Valley High School and has played violin for 5 years. She is currently concertmaster of Amador’s Symphony Day Orchestra and is in several parts of the Amador Music Program, such as the orchestra program, the Tri-M National Honor Society, and the Amador Color Guard. She has performed many benefit programs for AFM, and with Tri-M, she is part of concerts held at the senior center. Grace was accepted and participated in the California Orchestra Director’s Association (CODA)’s Junior High All-State Concert Orchestra in both 2022 and 2023, along with making it into the 2023 CODA December Honor Orchestra, held at Stanford University. In the past, she has performed with the Harvest Park String Orchestra as co-concertmaster, the Jenny Lin Foundation, and the Pleasanton Youth Orchestra.
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Lucie B
Founder of Bow Buddies
Former Violin Instructor
Lucie is a sophomore at the University of California, San Diego with 8 years of experience playing violin. She plays with the Triton Intermission Orchestra. She has been teaching private lessons for three years. Recently, she was the vocal director at two camps at the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton in the summer 2022 season, and was a Recreation Leader for productions during the year. In December 2022, she was accepted to CODA's December Honor Orchestra as Violin 1, held at San Diego State. She played in her school district pit orchestra for the musical ¨Seussical" in 2022. She played in the Livermore Amador Youth Symphony Orchestra in the 2021 season. She completed a pre-college program with University of Pacific's Conservatory of Music in the summer of 2020. In 2019, she was accepted to the California Orchestra Directors Association's (CODA) Honors String Orchestra held at UC Santa Cruz. She participated for 3 years in San Jose State University's Summer in the City music program. She played in Amador Valley High School's Symphony Orchestra for four years, receiving the Golden Don Award.