Faculty

Marguerite Jayasimha

Elly Schmidt

Marguerite began her training as a violinist at age five, developing a lifelong love of music. She is a trained Suzuki Early Childhood Education Teacher and Suzuki Violin Teacher, having completed training in Units 1-10. She also has training and experience in Kodaly, Music Mind Games, Creative Ability Development, and enjoys teaching alternative styles and improvisation. She holds an Engineering degree and loves applying science and engineering to Suzuki teaching, from developing bow holds to parent education. Marguerite has performed with the La Jolla Symphony, Redwood Symphony, numerous string quartets and served as asst. conductor of the International Women’s Choir of Singapore. She has served on many Suzuki and cultural performing arts boards. Marguerite loves Indian classical music and plays fusion with her husband, an accomplished Tabla player. She is happy to be back in San Diego at the San Diego Suzuki School of Music, which she co-founded in 2005.  She is a former director of the Advanced Suzuki Institute at Stanford and is a current asst. director of the San Diego Suzuki Institute. In addition to teaching at Suzuki Institutes and Workshops, Ms. Jayasimha also enjoys directing middle school orchestra in her local school district. Her passion for directing led her to learn and train up to level 4 Suzuki cello, which she now plays for (lots of) fun.
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Elly is an accomplished violinist and educator. She has a B.M. in Violin Performance, is a founding faculty member of the San Diego Suzuki School of Music, and along with many enrichment courses in violin technique, music theory (Music Mind Games) and child psychology has completed training in all ten units of Suzuki violin. Performing with various professional orchestras she has shared the stage with notable artists, such as Midori, Zubin Mehta, and Mannheim Steamroller. She has been Orchestra Director at Oak Park Music Conservatory, Beginning Strings Director at the Kadima Conservatory, and a clinician for southern California youth orchestras and Suzuki camps. Her students have earned top positions in youth symphonies and string competition awards. In addition to Elly's love for teaching, improvisation, and studies in child development and pedagogy, she continues to perform as a freelance artist throughout San Diego.


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Danielle Kravitz

Danielle started playing Suzuki violin at the age of four. She began playing viola at age twelve. She attended the University of Evansville as a music scholar where she studied music therapy.  Her former teachers include Rebecca Campbell, Carol Dallinger, and Chi-Yuan Chen.  She has played in a number of orchestras, including the La Jolla Symphony. 

Her past professional writing work includes publications for the Suzuki Music Association of California - San Diego Branch quarterly newsletter, Strings Magazine, and over a dozen published manuals. She successfully runs several blogs including her Suzuki education blog, Rethinking Genius.

Danielle is the Director of San Diego Suzuki Institute at Point Loma Nazarene University.  The non-profit institute was founded in 2017.  She is a faculty member with the San Diego Suzuki School of Music and has been teaching full time since 2008.  Her students have won string competition awards and earn top positions in youth symphonies.


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