ulevich-neal-photography
Photo Credit: Neal Ulevich

Learn Viola and Violin ​in Dripping Springs, TX

Dennise Cherkauer is located in Belterra. She is a dedicated teacher who strives to develop her students' love for music through excellence in teaching. Using the Suzuki Method of Talent Education as her foundation, she creates an environment that is warm and nurturing and enables students to reach their full potential.
"Dennise is the best teacher of anything we've ever had."  — Grace, Parent
"Dennise was more than a violin teacher to my daughter - she was a friend, mentor, and another important adult in her life.  Dennise was able to see and honor Autumn and help her to discover what is unique and special about her every step of the way, from third grade to middle school.  We are so grateful to have had the chance to work with Dennise, and we miss her dearly."
​— Sharon, Parent
"Even when I wasn't as motivated to practice, I always wanted to go to lessons with Dennise.  She made everything easier.  Dennise is not like other teachers who only care about the subject.  She cared about me and my life, and she shared things she was doing, too.  Because of my relationship with Dennise, I stuck with it.  Now I play in the middle school orchestra, and I love it.  I think I will keep playing for a long time."
​— Autumn, Student
"Miss Dennise is a wonderful teacher!  She is such a nurturing person.  My daughter and I started lessons when my daughter was 4.  I am so impressed with Miss Dennise's ability to achieve a magical mix of fun creativity and inspiring guidance.  We both love her immensely!  As a music teacher myself, I have met many different musicians and teachers over the years and have never known anyone quite like Miss Dennise.  She is a treasure!  I very highly recommend her."
— Sherry, Parent & Adult Student
"For Dennise, music is not just a job but a passion.  She teaches with organization and a smooth progression of introducing new concepts and skills that logically build on each other so that improvement is heard and felt.  She teaches with a balance of challenging me and sensing my limits.  She is upbeat but calm, encouraging but realistic, and serious but with a great sense of humor.  Dennise has helped me feel successful and confident."
​— Cathy, Adult Student
"Dennise's violin and viola instruction has been top notch for my children. She has been extremely reliable and has shown genuine interest and care for them. They love working with her, and I appreciate her passion and knowledge of not only violin and viola, but music in general. Dennise gives her best effort always."
— Anna, Parent
"Dennise is not only a talented musician, she is a professional. She is clear in her communication, does what she says she will do, and does it in a timely fashion. My son has grown in his musical skills over the last 4+ years under her tutelage.  More importantly, because of her patience and coaching, he is learning to persevere through challenges, work hard, and take risks (such as auditioning for competitive orchestras). Dennise is a rare find in a teacher. She takes on challenges that other teachers might step away from. Using humor and encouragement, she has the ability to give constructive feedback such that the child understands what they are doing correctly and how to do better."
— April, Parent