Bio
According to his parents, from a very early age, Bill was entranced by music. As a toddler, he would crawl to the front of the speakers and plant himself there whenever someone turned on the stereo. Although his parents weren’t musical whatsoever, they sensed a musical gift and were determined to put an instrument in his small hands. They learned about a San Diego violinist named Ted Brunson who had recently founded the Suzuki String Program at SDSU, having adopted the Suzuki teaching method. Bill’s parents were mainly drawn to that program because it boasted teaching very young children.
Mr. Brunson turned out to be an excellent choice, and Bill’s skills progressed rapidly under his tutelage. While still in elementary school, Bill often performed with other, select Brunson students at both recitals as well as demonstrations of his being a very successful product of the Suzuki method. This included performances and demonstrations, at age 6, for the residents of a summer SDSU Brunson workshop at which the visiting Dr. Shinichi Suzuki also taught.
As he matured through diligent practice, Bill progressed and was accepted into the San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra, where he was eventually named concertmaster. Exploring beyond classical performance, Bill also enjoyed playing violin in both local bluegrass and rock bands while in high school. It was here that he discovered a talent for and love of improvisation.
In 1981, enrolling as an undergraduate at UCSD, Bill found himself at a crossroads. Somewhat burned out from years of practice and performance, and having developed many other interests, Bill made the decision not to pursue a professional career as a violinist. He packed his violin away in a closet and pulled it out only sporadically over the next 30 years.
After marrying, Bill and his wife spent 19 years in Vermont where he enjoyed a career in scientific journals publishing. Returning full-time to San Diego in 2012, he continued to work remotely for his Vermont company, but also found himself being seduced once again by the violin. Invited to play first at his church and then at other, various events for non-profits, his love of making music was rekindled.
Through friends, he heard of a charitable program (now called Doors of Change) in Ocean Beach which needed a very part-time violin teacher for its music program. The students were homeless young people (18-24 years old), most of whom had never picked up an instrument before. Though a novice teacher at the time, Bill volunteered his services and stayed with the program from 2014 until 2021 (until the operation was moved to North County).
Playing regularly once again enabled him to regain skills he once showcased, and he was pleased to find that his sound today contains a maturity that was lacking during his peak teenage years. More importantly, having discovered how much he now loves teaching violin and sharing his enthusiasm and technique with students, he left publishing and began teaching violin professionally. His current students range in age from 9 to mid-50’s years old with varying abilities.
Timeline
1967_Gets a tiny violin (1/32nd size) because Bill’s parents are encouraged by his maniacal desire to plant himself in front of stereo speakers whenever music is turned on.
1969_Plays a couple of pieces for Dr. Shinichi Suzuki when Bill’s parents invite him for dinner (see photo above). The only memory Bill has of the event is that Dr. Suzuki smoked that evening and blew tantalizingly entertaining smoke rings.
1969 or ’70_Performs on the Uncle Russ Saturday morning tv show with a few of Ted Brunson’s other students. Not too thrilled about missing cartoons that morning, Bill’s resentment instantly fades when each student is allowed to pick one toy from a small selection after the show, and he goes for an SSP Racer car.
1975_Auditions for the San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra and is accepted in the second-tier orchestra (a junior-varsity version, more or less). Bill works his way up to the major league orchestra within a couple of years.
1979_Becomes the concertmaster of the more advanced CYO.
1980_Puts his violin in a closet due to burnout—the very back of the closet where it’s dark and likely to be buried.
2012_Moves back to San Diego after he and his wife, Lynne, spend 19 cold but picturesque years in Vermont.
2013_Pulls his violin out of the closet and almost puts it back again when he discovers his playing is so awful that he’s afraid of scaring animals in the neighborhood. Bill perseveres, however, and begins teaching for the Doors of Change program in Ocean Beach. For the first time in decades, Bill starts practicing and simultaneously finds that he loves teaching. Also for the first time, he seriously considers teaching violin as a career.
And since then…
- Started offering private lessons (early 2018).
- Played a track on a blues album (2017) by a teaching colleague from Doors of Change and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The album became one of five candidates selected for San Diego Blues Album of the Year. In 2024, contributed a violin track to another rock/blues song for the John January Band.
- Performed at a few local clubs with a few different bands (2019, prior to COVID).
- As a volunteer, and occasionally as a paid assistant, worked with orchestra students at Roosevelt Middle School (2018-2023), San Diego High School (2018-2019), and Wilson Middle School (2023-present).
- Taught beginning strings at several summer camps at Roosevelt Middle School (2019-2023) and Wilson MIddle School (2024).
- Taught online-only students (thanks to COVID) during the 2020-2021 school year for Roosevelt Middle School.
- Privately taught many high school students (including three concertmistresses) and middle school students, several of whom have been accepted into school district honors orchestras. One past student is now part of the UC Santa Cruz orchestra, and another, is minoring in music at the University of San Francisco.
- Coordinated with San Diego High and Roosevelt Middle School to have several students be part of ensemble groups (duets and quartets) that performed at school concerts.