Janell Preheim: Strings
Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, violinist Janell Preheim graduated from Goshen College in Indiana in April, 2021 with a B.A. in Music and P-12 Education. Here, she studied under Dr. Solomia Soroka, served as concertmaster of Goshen College’s Symphony Orchestra for three years, and was a member of the Voices of the Earth Choir, Chamber Choir, and the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra. As one of the winners of Goshen College’s Concerto-Aria Competition in 2020, Janell performed the first movement of Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major. In the fall, she will continue her musical studies pursuing a M.M. in Violin Performance at BGSU.
Janell’s experience with strong relationships and a sense of community built through music have strengthened her love of teaching music. Janell’s interest in teaching was developed through her work as an assistant for the middle school orchestra and Music for Everyone orchestra programs while still in high school. While in Goshen, she taught violin lessons and worked as assistant director for the youth orchestra at the Community School of the Arts and Goshen High School Symphony Orchestra, in addition to completing her student teaching in middle and high school string orchestra.
One of Janell’s goals for teaching is to develop a sense of curiosity and love of learning in her students. By encouraging them to take leadership in their own learning, she hopes to guide them in listening and reflecting to begin improving their sound on their own. She loves seeing the excitement on a student’s face when they finally master a tricky passage or discover a new, more interesting way of phrasing a melody. Janell believes that music education should provide a space for students to develop their gifts with encouragement and support, and create leaders and listeners in their community.