Madison Orchestra
Kaleigh A.
Violin & Viola
Offering in-person instruction
Kaleigh Acord hails from Fairfax Station, VA, where she grew up studying equal measures of violin and viola. She graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music in December 2020 with a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance. At UW, she was a student of Soh-Hyun Park Altino and a recipient of the Paul Collins Fellowship. Kaleigh previously earned a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, as well as a Masters of Music and an Undergraduate Diploma from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA. Her previous teachers include Violaine Melancon and Laura Bossert. Kaleigh served three years as teaching assistant for Ms. Bossert's violin and viola studios at both Longy and Wellesley College. She has mentored through several El-Sistema-inspired string projects in the Boston area, served on the Young Artist faculty at Lyricafest Chamber Music Festival in Lincoln, MA, and has taught privately for over 10 years. Kaleigh aims to help her students cultivate trust in their own ability to tackle challenges, musical and otherwise.
Jeff W.
String Bass
Offering in-person instruction
Jeff is a graduate of UW-Madison's School of Music. His studies began with his first teacher, Rob Junceau III, continuing Into college, where he studied under Richard Davis for five years. There he performed with Davis's Black Music Ensemble, UW-Jazz Little Band and as principal bassist for UW-Madison's Symphony Orchestra. Jeff's music reflects a broad application of classical and jazz influences along with almost all other genres of music. Whether it be Metal, Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, Funk, Jazz or Rap, Jeff has had professional playing experience in all and is willing to share any knowledge. Besides teaching he is working full time in 6 various bands and composes music for film. He recently won Madison Area Music Award's best bassist of the year for 2012.
Effaeye A.
Violin & Fiddle
Offering in-person instruction
Effaeye Aawenyn has worked as a violin and fiddle teacher for over 23 years. Patient and creative, she's a very experienced teacher of young children and beginners of all ages. For intermediate through advanced students she offers expertise in nuanced bowing techniques, tone production, rhythm, phrasing, and stage presence.
She studied classical violin with Dr. Joseph Conte in the 1980s, and taught at Maine Fiddle Camp in the early 2000s. A longtime dance teacher, she's earned two professional training certificates from the Bates Dance Festival. Her original curriculum of creative movement and fiddle music has been presented at libraries, schools, and children’s museums since 2003. Effaeye's individualized teaching style brings out every student's potential for playing with artistry and musicality, no matter what age or level of study.
Reviews of her work as a fiddler and singer, in a country duet with newgrass (Breakfast Special and Skyline) songwriter Jim Tolles, praise "a powerful performance … marked by front-porch informality and graced with superior musicianship" (Will Gottlieb, Coastal Journal). Effaeye's original fiddle compositions are featured on four albums (@fiddledancemusic).
