About Crystal

Crystal Boyack is a leader in early childhood violin pedagogy and is a highly sought-after teacher, clinician, and lecturer. She is the best-selling author of Wee Violin: World Music Preparatory to Twinkle.

 

Crystal began teaching and performing at the auspicious age of 15 when she founded and directed Morgan Valley Strings, a community orchestra program.  Over 15 years and 400 students later, Crystal has performed solo, chamber, and symphonic works all over the United States and has taught violin, viola, orchestra, and early childhood music in public, private, and charter schools, youth symphonies, and music camps.  She attended Weber State University studying Music Education studying with Dr. Michael Palumbo and the University of New Mexico studying String Pedagogy and Viola Performance with Susan Kempter and Kimberly Fredenburgh, respectively. At the University of New Mexico, she received her long-term Suzuki training and is still an avid Suzuki teacher. She also is certified in Music Together and currently teaches Music Together Family Classes. 

 

Crystal is an avid solo, chamber, and orchestral performer, performing all across the State’s Southwest. Before taking an indefinite maternity leave, she was the principal violist of the Albuquerque Philharmonic. 

 

She is the founder and president of the Albuquerque Upper String Teachers’ Association, on the board for the New Mexico chapter of the American String Teachers’ Association, and is an avid member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. 

 

In 2016 she began studying Early Childhood Development and Music Learning Theories and synthesizing the two into early childhood violin pedagogy. Crystal is the author of Wee Violin: Music for Young Violinists Preparatory to Twinkle, the only early childhood violin curriculum, which contains traditional music from around the world.

 

 She currently teaches at the University of New Mexico’s String Lab School and in her home studio. She loves gardening, doing yoga, and playing with her husband and four young kids.