Laura is a professional British freelance violist, certified Colourstrings Music Kindergarten and Violin\ viola teacher having trained in London, Glasgow and Helsinki where the approach originates. She is the Director of Colourstrings Vancouver and is highly qualified with over a decade of experience teaching children and adults of all ages, levels and abilities, through Colourstrings/Kodály and traditional methods.
Born in Grimsby, England, Laura studied violin and viola at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music and a Certificate of Postgradute Studies in performance with distinction as well as numerous prizes and scholarships, one of which took her to continue her postgraduate studies with Gerald Stanick at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
An active professional freelance violist in the Vancouver BC area, Laura has worked and toured extensively with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera Orchestra, the Cadell String Quartet, BT Ensemble, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, West Coast Chamber Orchestra, Northshore Symphonia, Vancouver Metropolitan and BC Chamber Orchestra. Highlights of her orchestral career to date include performances at the annual Proms concert series with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and soloist Yo-Yo Ma at the Royal Albert Hall in London and a UK tour of Wagner's complete Ring Cycle with Scottish Opera Orchestra in 2002-2003.
Julie Jennings - Colourstrings Specialist
Julie is a professional educator from the UK, where she has worked as a
teacher, manager and independent Consultant to the primary years age range (age
5-11), advising and providing in-class teacher-tutoring support in ‘Teaching
for Learning’. She has had over 30 articles and 2 books published
in the UK Education Press on a range of educational topics re the teaching and
learning of young children, including ‘Music as a Way into Learning’,
‘How we teach Music’ and a range of children's activities using music as
a medium for learning across the curriculum. Until recently she was also
Editor of a UK national publication for school management teams and teaching
staff called ‘Working with Parents’, which provided materials enabling schools
and parents/carers to work together to enhance learning. A keen
guitarist and community choir member, Julie is passionate in her belief in the
value of a high-quality music education for children from birth, having seen
throughout her work and in her own children the difference such an experience provides. After
taking part in many music programs on offer for young children Julie decided to
qualify in the Colourstrings approach, which meets the standards and values in
which she believes.
Laura Hasthorpe - Colourstrings Director
