Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Chen
Hi Jessica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a professional violinist and music educator. I’m a trained Suzuki violin/viola teacher, and I love playing and teaching viola in addition to violin. Growing up in upstate New York, I had an amazing musical education which included violin and piano lessons, chamber music, orchestra, and choir in school, church, and local music schools. Pursuing a double degree in violin performance and music education during my undergraduate studies at Ithaca College helped to ignite my career dream of both performing and teaching music professionally. Since then, I’ve had opportunities to learn, perform, play, and teach music all over the world and across the United States- particularly in Colorado, where I attended graduate school at CU Boulder for my master’s degree in violin performance, and in Singapore, where I lived and taught music for five incredible years after finishing graduate school.
I moved to LA in 2023 to be closer to my family and to join the rich artistic community here. Since then, I’ve been performing as a freelance violinist & violist around LA and have also opened my own music lesson studio in San Gabriel, Horizon Music Studio. Life in LA is quite an adventure, as I continue to build musical community here!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My life journey as a creative has been full of twists and turns; however it’s a privilege to take this unique path and I’m grateful for all the learning moments along the way. I’m incredibly fortunate to always have had the support of my family, and to have had amazing teachers and mentors who helped me develop the technical, artistic, and pedagogical skills I needed to pursue a career in music. A consistent challenge that comes up for me is finding balance- between artistic ideals and the practical realities of life, between teaching and performing work, between working long and atypical hours and finding time to rest and recharge. In this current season, I’m continuing to pursue balance in these areas.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a violinist, my training is classically-based; however in the last few years I’ve become interested in exploring music across different cultures and genres. Specifically, I’m excited about sharing music of Asia, including Mandopop (one of my favorite genres!), Chinese-language worship music, and music reflecting my Taiwanese and Filipino-Chinese heritage. Living in Singapore was transformative in helping me to re-learn Mandarin Chinese and inspired my dream to find ways of combining Chinese language & culture with music.You can hear some of my arrangements and recordings of music of Taiwan and the Philippines on my Youtube and Instagram pages. I also recently performed with the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) here in LA which was a really exciting concert; I look forward to doing more of these kinds of projects in the future!
As a music educator, I’m excited to share the joy of learning and making music with the next generation. I’m able to draw on my extensive training with the Suzuki Method, a variety of string and music pedagogies, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), as well as years of teaching experience both in one-on-one and group settings.
At Horizon Music Studio, I offer violin & viola lessons, and group classes for Suzuki violin/viola and musicianship. I use a rich and multifaceted learning approach that’s very relevant to the 21st-century learner. I believe in the importance of engaging students in the learning process by incorporating their own interests and strengths into our musical journey- that can take many forms, including learning styles, favorite musical genres and styles, creative multimedia projects, etc. Community engagement is another unique feature at Horizon Music Studio- learners thrive as part of a larger musical community. This can be fostered through group classes and performance events at Horizon Music Studio, as well as sharing music and connecting with the wider community in Los Angeles. Additionally, I offer lessons in both English and Mandarin Chinese- and I love incorporating language learning alongside musical learning!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My musical advice would be to practice as much as you can- every hour you can spend practicing is an investment in your musical craft, which will continue to pay dividends far into the future, especially during periods when you may not have as much time to practice. Also, it’s been helpful for me to develop both a quick warm-up routine for the days when I only have a few minutes before getting on stage and a more thorough warm-up routine on days when I have more practice time.
I also think it’s incredibly important to develop soft skills as a musician and an entrepreneur. Learning how to introduce yourself, how to network, and how to create a strong portfolio that highlights your unique strengths are also crucial skills to develop as an artist. It’s also great to attend concerts and events of artists you admire and to learn from them. Connecting with others is often very uplifting, and I’ve discovered that many people along the way you meet will be very supportive and happy to help you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.horizon-music-studio.com
- Instagram: @jessicachen.music and @horizon.music.studio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessicachenmusic
Image Credits
Brian W Studios (Image 2), Stream of Praise (Image 4)
