Jo Yawney's Tune Travels

As a music educator and 3rd generation in a family of musicians, I have dedicated the last 30 years to finding ways to help young students have "fun" while becoming musically literate. In the pursuit of more stimulating and effective ways of conveying musical concepts, I developed and published music education resource presently used in music schools, classrooms and private studios in the Lower Mainland and Victoria, Alberta, Nova Scotia and most recently in England. THEN I I DISCOVERED TpT!!! Almost all my teaching resouce materials are now at M"My Store". While living in Victoria I taught Kodaly classes at a Montessori school and privately, also violin, chamber music and elementary theory. Since moving to Vancouver I have taught Kodaly classes privately, at community centres and at a number of preschools, as well as violin, viola and theory in my own studio.

In my teaching I derive inspiration from the philosophies of Shinichi Suzuki, Maria Montessori and Zoltan Kodaly. These renowned educators believed that successful education stems from inner comprehension, self-confidence and co-operation. Thus the aim of my materials is to teach real understanding of musical concepts not mere memorizing, to allow “space” for a child to gain confidence by patient repetition and to foster co-operation not competition.

I have recently retired as a Board Member of the B.C. Kodaly Society and of the National Kodaly Society of Canada. I have presented at the BC Music Educators' Conferences 2013 and 2014 in Vancouver as well as at Kodaly workshops and conferences in Vancouver and Victoria. I have a BA and MA from UBC.

While raising my family in Victoria, I completed courses in the Montessori method with Angela Martin and the Kodaly method with Connie Foss More. I also did extensive violin teacher training with Professor Jaroslav Karlovsky at the University of Victoria and Suzuki training with Frona Colquhoun as well as course work in the Music Dept at UVic. In Victoria I played in the Victoria Chamber Orchestra, the University Orchestra and was a founding member of the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra (under Norman Nelson). I also sang in Capriccio Vocal Ensemble, Christ Church Cathedral Choir and Musica Eclectica.

I am an avid choral singer and chamber music enthusiast, playing duets, trios and string quartets! I also love learning languages. My biggest passion, other than my family, is teaching beginners of all ages how to be musically literate and to play the violin.