Kathy Walden
Instructor of String Methods
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Biography
Kathy Walden grew up in a musical and church environment with her family. Today, she & her brothers & sister continue the same involvement in their individual church music programs. Kathy began her violin studies at a very early age, and she later went on to receive a Bachelor of Music Education at Southern Oregon State College. The pleasure of teaching “Suzuki Style” led to her pursuing a Masters in Music Education at Southern Illinois University; the home teaching grounds of Prof. John Kendall whom was highly instrumental in bringing the Suzuki Method from Japan to the US & world-wide attention in the 1960’s and 70’s.
After teaching strings in the Edwardsville, Illinois Public Schools & as a graduate assistant at at Southern Illinois University, she (gratefully) came home to continue teaching the string program in Oregon Public Schools. Invited to teach private lessons at Pacific & assist with the Pacific NW Suzuki Institute at Pacific, Kathy also taught a K-12 string program with Suzuki Method foundation, from 1981 until semi-retirement in 2005 with the Forest Grove School District. She also directed the Suzuki Institute on Pacific University’s campus for 6 years.
The Forest Grove School District String Program received statewide recognition as one of the few remaining strong public school string programs in Oregon. In 2005, there were upwards of 350 students enrolled, including 4 orchestras & 7 elementary school programs. Several of Kathy’s students have gone on to teach & perform in the professional circuit.
Kathy has presented a clinic at the Oregon Music Educators’ Convention on Suzuki Method in the Public Schools; she has been involved in assisting other teachers in establishing their own programs. She is the music director of the “Stringendo!” Summer Strings Program, and also teaches string methods courses & private lessons at Pacific University.
As a violinist & violist, she has played in the Columbia Symphony, the Yaquina Chamber Orchestra, and the Pacific University Orchestra. She has been the choral & music director for 15 years at Kairos-Milwaukie United Church of Christ.