Camber Charlot Viola Studio

About Camber

I started playing the viola in my fourth grade music class and started private lessons in 6th grade. After attending Marrowstone Music Festival and the Johannesburg School of the Arts summer program in high school, I decided I wanted be a professional musician.

I went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Viola Performance from Seattle Pacific University, an Artist Diploma from the Boston Conservatory and a Masters of Music from the University of Washington. My teachers included Richard Skerlong, Patricia McCarty and Walter Schwede. I also studied excerpts with Robert Vernon and Barbara Westphal and chamber music with David Finkel and Bill Preucil.

From 1996 through 2006 I was a freelance violist in the San Francisco Bay area, where I was assistant principal violist of the Santa Cruz County Symphony and the Napa Valley Symphony and a member of the section of the California Symphony, the West Bay Opera Company and the Golden Gate Opera Company. I spent the summers playing in the Bear Valley Music Festival.

When I moved to Issaquah in 2006, I switched my focus to teaching. My students have placed at the state and district levels for All State and have participated in the All State and Junior All State Orchestras. I'm also happy to be sending a new generation of violists off to some of the same summer programs I participated in, including Marrowstone and Interlochen. I am a viola coach for Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra and encourage my students to participate in their school orchestras as well as Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and Sammamish Youth Chamber Orchestra.

I perform regularly and am principal of the Rainier Symphony and assistant principal of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra. I play a commissioned Jeffrey Ovington viola.

Why study viola?

Playing a musical instrument is a great way for kids to learn about how regular practice can lead to mastery. The skills you learn as a musician transfer over to school and other things you'll do in your life. Most people who learn an instrument in elementary, middle and high school don't go on to become professional musicians, but many of them will continue to play throughout their life.

If you're planning on attending college, playing an instrument is a good extra-curricular activity to to include in your application. Viola can be particularly helpful, because violists tend to be in high demand since they aren't as plentiful as violinists or cellists.

Who are the students?

I have students of all ages and experience levels, from beginners to professionals. Everybody has different goals, and as long as you're willing to practice and have fun, you can get something out of lessons.

What are the goals?

Playing an instrument should be fun. You'll make friends with kids with similar interests and, if you play in in your orchestra, travel with the group to music festivals and contests. Like anything else, the more effort you put into music, the more you'll get out of it. If you practice regularly, you'll improve steadily. You'll find that playing viola is more and more enjoyable as your skills improve.

What should you expect?

It's easier to learn good habits in the first place than to get off on the wrong track and have to unlearn things. We'll work on scales and technique so you will be able to successfully play the viola for years without injury.

Most students play in school orchestra and/or one of the local youth orchestras. We'll spend time on your orchestra music so that you will do well in the section and move up to the more advanced groups. There's lots of great solo viola music, and you'll learn this repertoire. You'll play the solo pieces in music festivals and in my studio recitals which happen a few times per year.

We all have lives outside of music, but as you progress, you'll need to practice a bit more. Beginners can start out with around 20 minutes per day, 4 times a week and the more advanced students typically practice at least an hour a day, nearly every day. It's better to practice a little every day than than to try to fit all your practicing in on the weekend.

My rates are $50 for 45 minutes and $60 for an hour. Students generally have one lesson per week.

When either you or I need to cancel a lesson, we'll make it up as soon as possible, usually on another day that same week. Don't come to your lesson if you're sick. If you feel up to it and like Zoom, we can have a lesson via Zoom or reschedule.

Let me know in advance if you won't make your scheduled lesson time. I don't offer refunds for lessons canceled less than 24 hours in advance for reasons other than illness.