Joy Lin
About
Hello! I’m Joy. I’m a violist and violinist from Taiwan. I started learning viola at seven years old and violin at nine. Since I started playing, I immediately fell in love with the warm and human-like tone of both instruments.
I graduated from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance. During my undergraduate studies, I also studied music education and had experience teaching young students violin, piano, and drum set. I really enjoy working with students and the process of creating our own music together.
Currently, I’m pursuing my Master of Music in Viola Performance at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, studying with Professor Choong-Jin (CJ) Chang and Victoria Chiang.
As a performer, I have participated in festivals including Tanglewood Music Center, Taipei Music Academy & Festival, New York String Orchestra Seminar, and Ticino Musica Festival Orchestra Academy. I have also served as principal violist in several orchestras at Indiana University.
I welcome students of different ages and levels, whether you are just beginning violin or viola, preparing for events, or simply looking to enjoy music and improve your playing. I look forward to making music together!
Teaching Style
My main goal as a teacher is to help students feel the love and joy of music. At the same time, I want to inspire students to put their own thoughts and personalities into their playing through different techniques.
In lessons, I focus on consolidating the student’s basic technique, because I believe a strong foundation gives us more freedom to achieve the musical expression we want to create. I also understand that every student learns differently, so I will adjust my teaching depending on the student’s age, level, goals, and personality.
Most importantly, I hope my students can enjoy playing music and gradually become more independent and confident musicians.
Curriculum
I incorporate ideas from the Suzuki Method and Mimi Zweig’s pedagogy, with a focus on natural body coordination, listening skills, and a structured learning process.
My typical lesson and practice structure includes:
Scale → Etude → Piece
Scales and etudes are a great way to warm up and develop technique. At the same time, the techniques we learn from them can be directly applied to the repertoire. I want students to understand the connection between technique and music instead of treating them as two separate things.
Depending on the student’s level and goals, I will also include exercises for posture, sound production, intonation, rhythm, shifting, vibrato, bow technique, and musical expression.
Credentials & Affiliations
* Master of Music in Viola Performance, Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University
* Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
* Tanglewood Music Center — Full Scholarship
* Taipei Music Academy & Festival — Full Scholarship
* New York String Orchestra Seminar — Full Scholarship
* Ticino Musica Festival Orchestra Academy — Full Scholarship
* Principal Violist, Indiana University Philharmonic, Chamber, Symphony, University, and Conductor's Orchestra
* Masterclasses with Tabea Zimmermann, Teng Li, Eric Nowlin, Rebecca Gitter, Steve Ansell, Danny Kim, and others