Meet Sara Jones

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Jones.

Hi Sara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory. 
I started playing violin when I was 7 years old through my elementary school in Altadena. It was an interesting journey because I was the only student to stick with the class. It was like I was getting private lessons for free! From there, I continued playing in youth and community orchestras, ensembles in school, and formal violin lessons. After high school, I went to Pasadena City College and then transferred to the University of Redlands. I had a fantastic time in college, getting both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Violin Performance. Since then, I’ve taught private violin and viola lessons, freelanced around Los Angeles with many different groups, and have worked in the San Gabriel Unified School District as a violin teacher for the Music Immersion Experience program at Roosevelt Elementary School. This is my first year as the Site Coordinator for the program! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My musical journey has not been easy. I never had the finances to support my artistic endeavors to the fullest, and that was a huge setback. I often had to pick and choose what I could and couldn’t do because either my parents or myself as an adult could not afford it. There were competitions and camps I never even knew existed until I was an adult, and by then, I could no longer qualify. Furthermore, I let my inner saboteur make the decisions, and that caused my confidence to weaken. After I finished my master’s degree, I felt lost. I would go in and out of music not knowing if I had made the right decision for school and life. In 2016, my mother passed away, and that put me in a deep depression. All of the hope and passion that was remaining had nearly vanished. However, there was something deep within that refused to give up. That little ember of my old self had helped me find a job with the MIE program, connect with amazing musicians, play in more orchestras around LA, and experiment with new genres and sounds! If I was going to get back to my old self, I needed to step outside of the box. Bit by bit, I was rebuilding myself, and I feel like my journey has made me a better musician and teacher. If I were to say anything to my past self, I would say thank you for not giving up because you have helped me blossom in a way I never thought possible! 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m most proud of the person I’ve become and the accomplishments I have achieved. It has taken me years to be ok with saying that! It’s hard to believe that I play one of the most flashy instruments, yet I wanted to stay out of the limelight because I felt embarrassed. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunities to be on recordings, perform with artists, play some of the most beautiful works ever written, and have the space to create my own art. 

I am also so proud to be a part of a music program that encourages students to do things I wish I could have done at their age. I’ve been a part of that program since 2016, and it is so special. All of the staff are crazy good, musicians and the students that emerge from the program are so talented. I see a lot of myself in those students and the struggles they are facing, but knowing that what we are providing is making a difference and impacting their lives in such a powerful way is an amazing feeling. 

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned thus far in life is it’s better to BUILD yourself up than to beat yourself up. It’s easy to see what’s wrong and blow that out of proportion. It’s also easy to believe the inner saboteur instead of focusing that energy to shut out the noise and listen to your heart. I know, I know…it’s so cliche…but it’s true!!! It’s one of the most difficult things you can do because you are your own worst critic. Focus on the positive people in your life, the accomplishments you’ve made (big or small), and let that positivity shine throughout the universe. 

Pricing:

• $60/hour for Violin lessons

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarajones_violin/

Image Credits
Lucy Cahuantzi
Matt Theophilos