Upcoming Shows

Welcome! Please look through the site menu to the right to find live music videos, bio, student testimonials, and more! or check out my new, easier to navigate blog @ www.MichelleLevy.wordpress.com
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Please visit www.myspace.com/MichelleLevy for calendar and showtimes.

Lessons

Michelle teaches private lessons for all ages at the lovely and beautiful Music Sources Center for Historically Informed Performances at 1000 The Alameda in Berkeley (at the corner of Marin & The Alameda, just a block or two from Solano.) Parents are welcome to be in the room during the lesson, or sit down to read/do work at a table just outside of the room. Alternatively, parents can easily walk to Solano St to sit at a cafe or do errands during the lesson if they prefer.

Please call her at (339)927-5698 to schedule a lesson or email her at Michelle.levy82@gmail.com

She is trained in the Orff-Shulwerk approach to teaching music, and is skilled in a variety of styles of music, including classical, world folk music, Celtic, English Country Dance music, Medieval & Renaissance music, and improvisation. Check out her bio for details:
http://michellethefiddlinist.blogspot.com/2008/07/bio.html

"Whenever Michelle returns for a performance in my area, I am there swooning and begging for another lesson. As a teacher, Michelle gives a level of personal attention to your needs and is able to quickly pinpoint areas for improvement and direct the student to skill building exercises. She has a positive outlook and communicates a level of confidence that combines serious work with a sense of play. I recommend Michelle on the basis of her artistry, her excellent communication skills, and her joyful personality. I feel blessed to have had her help me along in my violin studies and I hope we shall meet again soon."
Service Category: violin coach
Year first hired: 2008 (hired more than once)
Top Qualities: Personable, Expert, High Integrity
--Kathryn Semolic, Eureka Springs AR

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Michelle Levy is an excellent violin teacher in Berkeley, and teaches both
children and adults. She also performs on medieval vielle, viola, and violin in a
range of styles.
--Daniel

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After trying out a few violin teachers, our 6 year old son finally settled on a
wonderful one named Michelle Levy. She teaches violin and viola out of a studio
called Music Sources on Alameda Street in Berkeley, but also makes home visits if
you live near enough. She is skilled with children and an accomplished musician
whose enthusiasm for music is infectious. Xavier looks forward to his lessons
and is learning so much! I highly recommend her.
--Rebecca

Bio

Michelle Levy studied classical viola with Consuelo Sherba and David Rubenstein as well as Old Timey fiddle/banjo with Professor Jeff Titon at Brown University. After receiving the McKasson scholarship to Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School, she fell in love with the spontaneity of folk music and began a career focused on accompanying vocalists, improvising, and performing ancient music. For two years she toured with improvisational world music ensemble Cantiga, which was accepted to the Special Events roster of Cirque du Soleil.

Michelle continues her musical studies in Medieval performance practice on vielle with Shira Kammen while performing throughout the country with an eclectic variety of ensembles and vocalists, including Abby Green, Istanpitta Early Music Ensemble, and Maia Archote (2007 Ozark Mountain Songwriter of the Year). She teaches private lessons at Music Sources Center for Historically Informed Performances in Berkeley and is on the faculty of Bay Area Academy of Music and Art & Soul Music Studios. Most recently she was awarded the Jude Biggs scholarship to study English country dancing & music at BACDS English Week in the Mendocino Woodlands. She especially loves to play for dancers and to teach!

Michelle is available for private lessons and ensemble coaching. Please contact her at: Michelle.levy82@gmail.com or call her at 339.927.5698 for more info.

Beautiful illumination by Lady Alheydis von Korckhingen. Many thanks to Lord William Meriic for the gift of this portrait!

Ensembles Michelle has performed with:

The Funky Fandango String Hexadecemet (Jon Berger, Erik Ievins, Shira Kammen)

Neither Fish Nor Fowl (Steve Jobe)

The Wholebellies (Directed by: Steve Jobe, Rachel Maloney, Chris Turner)

Big Nazo Puppets (Directed by Erminio Pinque)

The Wheel (Phil Edmonds, Otis Read))

The Toe Jam Puppet Band (Vinny Lovegrove, Tom Poitras)

Cantiga (Bob Bielefed, Max Dyer, Martha Gay, Conrado Garcia)

The New World Renaissance Band (Owain Phyfe, Jamal Mohammed, Max Dyer, Martha Gay, Bob Bielefed, Conrado Garcia)

Sam Hill Trio (Steve Jobe, Rob Bethel)

Istanpitta Medieval Music Ensemble (directed by Al Cofrin; rotating roster of musicians includes Abby Green, EJ Jones, Annette Bauer, Sahira, Heather Gilmer, Therese Honey, Gina Watson, Shira Kammen, Shulamit Kleinerman, Eden MacAdam-Somer, Jay Kruze, Laura MacKenzie, Leah Zeger, Richard Kean, Melissa Kacalanos)

Pacem Trio (Helen Gillet, Martha Gay)

Maia Archote Band songs by Maia Archote, Winner of Ozark Mountain Folk Festival Songwriter of the Year 2007 (includes: Melissa Carper, John Arredondo, Alex Korolov, Steven Archote)

Umzimba (Melissa Carper, Kadi Zelt)

The Silver Belles(Maia Archote)

(Michelle Levy & Abby Green haze the new girl-- aka Princess Arwyn from LOTR)

Reviews

The Maia Archote Band featured in "Nightflying:The Entertainment Guide", Arkansas 2007
Steven Archote (back), Michelle Levy (left), Maia Archote (right), Johnny Arredondo (front right)

Excerpts from July issue of "NightFlying: The Entertainment Guide" ("Eureka!" by Karen Fitzpatrick):

[...]"The Basin Spring Park Bandshell, as well as the Art Colony on N. Main Street has free music in the afternoons for your enjoyment. I got to catch a wonderful performance by M.A.B. (Maia Archote Band) recently. Normally, M.A.B. is made up of singer/ songwriter Maia Archote on guitar, Melissa Carper- upright Bass, violinist Michelle Levy, and Johnny Arredondo on drums. They were missing Melissa that day, but were joined by Maia’s Dad, Steven Archote playing lap steel. Maia’s style is sweet, but strong and I love her original songs! All of M.A.B. are versatile veteran musicians currently living in Eureka Springs, and the group is fun to watch and easy on the eyes!'

[...]'And the award for “Most Exotic Entertainment in July” goes to The New Delhi for Umzimba, the belly dancing troupe accompanied by Michelle Levy on violin and Melissa Carper on dumkeb “bringing ancient movement and melodies to the Ozarks!”




Click HERE! for reviews of The New World Renaissance Band Concert at Tarrant County College, Arlington TX (April 26, 2005)

Photos Page 2

above photo by Josh Jones

photo by www.mikephotography.com



















The Love Show:Abby Green, Michelle Levy at Texas Renaissance Festival












Maia Archote Band (left to right: Alex Korolov, maia Archote, MIchelle Levy) @ The New Delhi, Eureka Springs, AR 2007