Melanie R. Rodgers, violist, violinist, music educator and music therapist, is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, with a degree in viola performance and music education.

Melanie’s career has been a blending of her passions; performing, teaching, and especially providing music as a means for therapeutic and spiritual purposes. As an orchestra musician, she performed in the viola sections of orchestras in the Northern and Southeastern United States including the West Virginia Symphony and her native Pittsburgh with The Pittsburgh Ballet and Opera Orchestra. Since moving to Birmingham in 1991, Melanie has been a substitute violist with The Alabama Symphony. For six seasons, she served as principle violist of The Huntsville Symphony, and through the years has contributed to the viola sections of the Chattanooga, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden, and Montgomery Symphonies.

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Melanie’s thirty- five years of teaching experience ranges from private violin and viola instruction using Suzuki and Traditional methods to public and private school string classes of violin, viola and cello students. She enjoys presenting workshops in styles of fiddling; mostly Celtic and Bluegrass. During her seventeen years as faculty member of The Birmingham Southern  Conservatory of Fine and Performing Arts, Melanie has taught music theory and pre- school( Moppets) music classes, and incorporated introductory violin classes into general music classes of several local schools. Her private teaching studio has included violin and viola students ranging from 4 years old to retirees learning to fiddle. Melanie considers working with students and their families as one of the true blessings and privileges of her life.

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Merging lifelong interests of psychology and music’s powerful influence on human behavior, Melanie completed  a two year course of study at the University of Alabama and became a board certified music therapist in 1999.

Living in Birmingham with her husband John and dog, Buddy, Melanie loves being part of this city’s vibrant musical community. This provides her the joyful opportunity of performing a wide range of musical styles with bands she loves including String Theory, Shades Mountain Air, Shelter in the Wreckage, local praise and worship bands, and Nouveau Reinhardt.

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Offers - Viola lessons

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