Andy Bhasin

In my 16 years of experience as a strings teacher, I have met the needs of students from ethnically and musically diverse backgrounds in the areas of ensemble conducting, chamber music coaching, and applied teaching at public universities, private universities, and 2-year colleges in Illinois, New York, and Connecticut.  As Professor of String Methods at Adelphi University (NY), I prepared music education students with practical knowledge and skills to perform on all instruments of the string family, effective strategies for teaching each instrument, and a firm foundation for the instruction of string ensemble courses with students of varying levels and learning styles.  I am equally at home working with diverse public school orchestra programs in New York City as well as international festivals such as Festival Eleazar de Carvalho in Fortaleza, Brazil, all while building my current program as Orchestra Director at Somers High School. In response to the COVID pandemic, I have deployed best practices for delivering student-centered hybrid instruction.  I use online discussions, Zoom breakout rooms, and additional cameras and microphones to preserve a sense of community in the classroom and boost student engagement.

I hold a B.M. in violin performance from New York University, an M.M. in Violin Performance with an emphasis in Suzuki Pedagogy from the Hartt School, and a D.M.A. in Violin Performance at SUNY Stony Brook.  I also hold a Master of Arts in the Music Teacher Education Program.