Carol Brobst

My mission is to provide a mentoring environment for all motivated students to enable them to realize their musical dreams from the simple joy of creating a pleasing sound to obtaining a career in music. My teaching comes from a place of years of professional performing experience as a member of Richmond Symphony in Richmond, Va, the National Gallery Orchestra in Washington, DC as well as many other freelance orchestras and ensembles on the east coast. 

I have been teaching and mentoring continuously for 35 years.  In 1994, I began operating a full time studio called the Village Academy of Music in Richmond, Va. and invited a variety of instrumental and vocal teachers to share the teaching space. The studio presented solo and chamber recitals throughout the year and became the home of the Richmond Summer Music Exploration Institute, a two week long intensive study program for aspiring music students. Each day I led the students through daily classes in music history, theory, conducting and chamber music. Evenings were filled with fascinating seminars on jazz improvisation, early music demonstrations, violin-building and the classical music industry presented by invited experts. The Institute was so popular that many of the students extended their music theory and chamber music studies into the school year. Most of the participants in the program are now in professional music careers. During my time in Richmond, I co-conducted the Richmond Symphony Youth Concert Orchestra. In 2001, I took a public school position as an elementary string teacher and gave many youngsters their first exposure to the joys and trials of playing a stringed instrument and also co-directed the school system's youth orchestra program. From 2011-2017 I worked in the DC Youth Orchestra Program, teaching beginning violin classes, coaching the upper strings and adjudicating move-up auditions. I currently enjoy teaching in my home studio in Woodbridge, Va and at Prince William String Academy in Manassas, Va.