I teach students of all ages and levels of experience. I am committed to student progress and cultivating an enjoyment of music. By providing a supportive environment that fosters a spirit of experimentation, I encourage my students' growth as musicians. You can learn more about my teaching from my students’ feedback below. My rates are currently 50 dollars for an hour, 40 for 45 minutes, and 30 for a half hour. I offer online lessons as well as in-person instruction in the Westwood neighborhood of Kalamazoo, MI. I would love to hear from you regarding openings in my studio by submitting a contact form. Schedule a lesson here.

Reviews

“I have been taking violin lessons with Tim for roughly 6 months and I can't speak highly enough of him. I'm currently a PhD student at University of Colorado-Boulder and decided to pick up a new hobby. Tim has an enormous amount of both patience and knowledge of the violin. I was trained in both classical and jazz guitar and Tim has been able to combine my previous experience with this new endeavor. Despite my previous training in guitar, playing the violin is a completely different experience and he has had nothing but support in the pursuit of this new skill. For all intents and purposes, I'm a beginner at music and he has been instrumental (pun intended) in helping me improve. He's personable, funny, and a down to earth kind of guy. If you put in an inch, Tim will go a mile.”

— Miles D.

“My son Jack has had three different violin teachers and it was with Tim that he loved the instrument most. Jack’s introverted personality flourished under Tim’s care and he sounded better than ever on the violin!”

— Stacey B.

'“Thank you Tim for nurturing a love of violin with my 9 year old daughter. My daughter has struggled with different instructors in the past, and we appreciate Tim’s proficiency and patience in working with us over the years. Daughter is currently learning a version of the song Thousand Years that Daughter picked and Tim helped tailor to her skill level, and she very much enjoys it. I highly recommend Tim for violin instruction!”

— John D.

“I highly recommend Tim Cuffman as a violin teacher! He has been teaching our daughter violin for 2 years now and she is doing amazing. His calm, kind demeanor and patience have been a perfect fit for her. Our daughter started when she was 5 and was a bit more timid back then.

Tim is incredibly talented and knowledgeable. He makes sure she keeps improving her technique and insists on quality. He readily switches gears when she gets stuck on a particular exercise, keeping her interest and motivation up - no small feat with these little ones! As a parent I thoroughly appreciate how responsive and flexible he is. It has made it very easy to stick with her violin classes. Not playing the violin ourselves, he's always been open to giving us tips to better support her practice outside of class. We are grateful to have found Tim and hope our daughter can stick with him for years to come!”

— Florine L.

“We were very lucky to have found a teacher as talented as Tim for our 5-year-old daughter when she first started. He was patient and kind to her as he guided her to learning how to play the violin.

Tim’s teaching is diligent structured, and organized. My daughter progressed very quickly with his help. After two years learning with Tim, Tim moved to Iowa to pursue his DMA degree. Despite his busy schedule, he kept in contact with us to ask about our daughter’s progress. He helped us find books and videos to watch to help imrpove her technique. When we moved to another state, he helped us get in contact with a new instructor. Needless to say, he goes above and beyond the role of a violin teacher We are fortunate to have had Tim as a teacher. We highly recommend him to anyone.”

— Fang M.

“My daughter has been studying the violin under Tim for the past three years since she first started playing and she has made tremendous progress. Tim is a skilled musician that is able to breakdown the fundamentals and convey them to young students in a relaxed, patient and consistent manner. I highly recommend Tim!”

— Poe T.