The Team
Who We Are
Alex Caplis-Tuttle
Violin/Viola
Alex Caplis-Tuttle is a violin and viola instructor based in Austin, TX. They teach Suzuki Early Childhood Education and Music Mind Games. Alex is a certified Music Mind Games Teacher Presenter, who travels around the world guiding students, giving workshops to fellow teachers, and continuing their own education. Alex graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelors Degree in Music Performance, and has attended multiple masterclasses and seminars around the United States. These include workshops with William Hagen and Vadim Gluzman, and performing for renowned violinist Hilary Hahn in an inclusive and contemporary masterclass for trans and nonbinary musicians. Alex continues to perform and teach in the Austin area, and is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the American String Teachers Association, and the Suzuki Association of the Americas.
Amy Harris
Violin
Dr. Amy Harris is an experienced violin and viola teacher with over ten years of experience helping students excel on their instrument. In that time she has gotten students to play well using Suzuki Talent Education, as well as more traditional methodologies and texts. She has had students accepted to Texas All-State Orchestra for the past four years, and has been asked to give tutorials of these pieces to classes and online to help them prepare for Texas Region and All-State auditions.
She began her own violin studies at the age of three with Peggy Fasing. Upon graduation from High School, she went to the University of Northern Colorado and continued her violin studies with Professor Richard Fuchs, from there going to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music to study violin with Piotr Milewski, and after a few years off, she then went to the University of Texas at Austin, Butler School of Music to study violin performance with Vincent Frittelli. She won awards at each school, including the Angie Southard Convocation Award (2000), the CCM Chamber Music Award (2003), and the Best Instrumental Performance at the Sydney M. Wright Competition (2009).
During her studies and after, she was able to attend several different summer music festivals including; Brevard Music Festival, Round Top, and the Henry Mancini Institute. She was also accepted to play with the National Repertory Orchestra for two different summer seasons in Breckenridge, Colorado.
As a professional musician, she has played with many different orchestras and chamber groups, including the Colorado Springs Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, Greeley Philharmonic, and the Austin Symphony.
She maintains professional memberships with Suzuki Institute of the Americas, Texas Music Educators Association, Pi Kappa Lambda honorary music fraternity, and the Delta Omicron music fraternity.