A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Matt Bethe studied cello performance under Dr. Elizabeth Morrow at the University of Texas at Arlington. After his discovery of the Suzuki Method, he has devoted years to extensive training in the teaching practices of Dr. Suzuki and has been studying the violin with master Suzuki teacher Judy Bossuat-Gallic.
A two-time winner of the UTA Concerto Competition, Mr. Bethe has experience performing both as a soloist and also as an orchestral musician. A co-founder of Prairie Quartet, Mr. Bethe has been a collaborator wth and coordinator for many of the top musicians in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. He has performed at the Mimir Chamber Music Festival in Fort Worth, and has been sought after as a teacher, soloist, and a recording artist in Dallas area churches, schools, and recitals. Mr. Bethe currently maintains a full teaching studio, educating the next generation of Fort Worth violinists and cellists.
Becca Watson began violin studies at the age of three with Gwen Runyon, a dedicated pupil of Dr. Suzuki. After a full-time Suzuki Method music education in her youth, including instruction from Irene Mitchell and Michael McLean, she was awarded a scholarship to attend TCU.
Ms. Watson studied violin and Suzuki pedagogy under Barbara Barber, violin with Dr. Curt Thompson, and viola Dr. Misha Galaganov while at TCU. In 1998, she also began teaching in the TCU Suzuki Program under the direction of Patricia Purcell, and has been enthusiastically instructing young students ever since.
Beginning in college, Ms. Watson had the opportunity to play fiddle with a country music band, and discovered a whole new way to use her abilities. Recording, touring, and playing live shows of non-classical music became a source of great enjoyment, and she pursued it along with continuous work in chamber music, symphonic groups, and the wedding industry. In her private teaching studio and in group classes, she works to find repertoire that will resonate with her students in a meaningful way, while focusing intensely on technique that can take them into adult playing.
As a new mother, Ms. Watson began taking her daughter to Music Together classes in 2011. Finding the program musically well-rounded and wonderfully educational for parents and caregivers, she fell in love with the Music Together philosophy as well and completed their training course in 2014.
Ms. Watson has an intense love of music, children, and harmony. Her favorite composers are Bach, Beethoven, and Barber.
Mrs. Lindsey Hamilton has a BA in Elementary Education from the University of Wyoming with an emphasis in Creative Arts. She has also completed extensive training in early childhood music through the Come Children, Sing Institute, MusicTogether, and First Steps in Music.
In addition to teaching early childhood music for three years, her professional experiences include teaching 1st, 5th, 6th grades, K-6 music, assistant principal, and serving as Director of Early Childhood Music for the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra Suzuki School.
She homeschools her two sons, who are both Suzuki strings students, while learning to play the cello and pursuing her love of vocal music and musical theatre.