Cynthia Richards began her study of the violin at age eight. She has
maintained a successful private teaching studio since 1964 and
performs as a free-lance violinist.
She pursued performance and teaching skills in America and Europe,
receiving a Bachelor of Arts in violin performance from Brigham Young
University (BYU). Her teachers include David Dalton, Percy Kalt, Elaine
Richey and Franz Samohyl.
A faculty member at BYU from 1996 to 2005, Cynthia taught violin and
the innovative
String Pedagogy class for teaching young children, based on Kodály
principles of music education. She continues her teaching at Utah Valley University
and in the Provo School District.
She is the mother of eight children, all successful musicians,
who served as her laboratory subjects in preparing this book.
Jerry L. Jaccard
Professor and Music Educator
Jerry L. Jaccard is a full-time faculty member at the Brigham Young
University School of Music, an Affiliated
Faculty Member of the BYU School of Family Life, and volunteers as a
music specialist and elementary music
curriculum/in-service leader for the Provo City Schools in Utah.
He specializes in music pedagogy,
with interests in children's aural development, the dynamics of music
reading and music literacy, beginning
instrumental pedagogy, and the character development of children through music.
Jerry serves on the Organization of American Kodály Society editorial
boards, is a member of the Board of
Directors of the Willems International Association of Musical Education,
and is
a member of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
Jerry received his B.Mus.Ed Degree in 1965 from the University of Arizona,
his M.M.E. with Kodály Emphasis in 1976 from Holy Names College, and
his Ed.D. in 1995 from the University
of Massachusetts-Amherst.
