Teacher Profile: Kris Jennyma Celestin

About Kris Jennyma Celestin

Originally from Haiti, Kris Jennyma moved to Canada, Ottawa with her family at a young age, where music was a big part of her life. She had the opportunity to study with a number of great violinists, including Barbara Vogel. She received a music scholarship to study at Loyola University of New Orleans where she studied the violin with Amy Thiaville and the Viola with Bruce Owen. She played with the Gulf Coast Symphony for several years.

With a violin performance Bachelor’s degree, Kris is an violinist and teacher with experience in classical, jazz, and popular music. She began playing at age 3, and teaching at age 15, which gave her both the opportunity to play in various orchestras and ensembles throughout her musical career, along with the chance to help students explore and experience music. Living in New Orleans allowed Kris the opportunity to both gig extensively and develop her teaching skills. She taught violin and viola at the Musicman School, where she enjoyed sharing her passion to other kids.

As a teacher, Kris's goal is to help students explore the meaning and the message of any piece of music. Learning and teaching for her are both about the exploration and experimentation. She loves seeing her students' ideas develop, and being there to guide them each step of the way. She provides students with the skills of sight reading, musicality, and improvisation which will help them take their creativity and their love of music further. Her goal is not only to teach, but also to help each student become independent learners and problem solvers as they grow into their musicianship.

Through her many ventures in education and discovery, Kris's passion for music has remained, and allows her to share the knowledge in music that she has accumulated throughout the years. Music is meant to be shared.