Our Faculty and Staff
Suzuki Teacher's Pledge
We realize the unlimited possibilities of early education.
We also realize that every child can be educated.
Our purpose is to develop this ability and present this fact to the world.
We are delighted to be teachers of the Suzuki Method and fully comprehend the responsibilities we have as teachers.
Ms. Sandra
Violin and Early Years
Ms. Terra
Violin, Viola, and Early Years
Ms. Xena
Early Years
Ms. Maria
Cello, Piano, and Early Years
Ms. Kati
Studio Admin
Ms. Terra
Ms. Terra is a music educator specializing in Suzuki violin, viola and early childhood music. She holds a Master’s degree in Performance/Pedagogy from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from Arizona State University. She has taught classes and provided applied lessons at the University of North Texas, where she also served as the Assistant Director of the String Project. Currently, Ms. Terra directs Suzuki Music School of San Jose.​
Her Suzuki journey began at the age of 8, and since then, she has remained an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, seeking training and committing to lifelong learning. Influenced by her own teachers, including Dr. Katherine McLin and Violaine Melançon, as well as her teacher trainers like Beth Titterington, Judy Bossuat-Gallic, Danette Warren, and Cathy Lee, Ms. Terra strives to give her students the support and resources they need to become both great musicians, and good people. Outside of teaching, she enjoys or biking with her family, spending time with her two cats, and gardening.
Ms. Sandra
Ms. Sandra holds a B.S. in Veterinary Science from Alexandria and a Diploma in Violin Performance from the Conservatoire of Alexandria University, Egypt. She has performed with the Opera House Orchestra and has been teaching Violin since 2011 and was a Suzuki Student as a child.
Ms. Sandra creates a welcoming and supportive environment where students can build confidence, develop their musical skills, and discover the joy of learning music.
Ms. Maria
Ms. Maria is a cellist and educator from Lima, Peru, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She helps young musicians discover the joy of cello and grow into confident, curious artists. A performer, coach, teaching artist, and private teacher, Maria creates welcoming lessons where students learn at their own pace through empathy, careful listening, and individualized guidance. Maria brings high-level musicianship, thoughtful preparation, and a genuine commitment to helping children feel capable, creative, and excited to make music.
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Maria began her studies at Peru’s National Conservatory under Annika Petrozzi and is completing a Bachelor’s in Cello Performance at San Francisco State University with Amos Yang on a full scholarship. She has also studied with members of the Telegraph and Alexander String Quartets. On the Dean’s List since Spring 2023 and a Wendell Ottey Award recipient in 2023 and 2024, she has performed with the North State Symphony, Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra, and ensembles in Lima. As an Orchestra of the Americas fellow, she values music as a bridge across cultures.
Ms. Xena
Ms. Xena teaches the Early Years curriculum at SMSSJ on Sundays. Originally a Biology graduate from Wellesley College, she has worked as an early childhood educator since 2018.
As a hobbyist musician but toddler wrangler by trade, Ms. Xena has found the Suzuki curriculum refreshingly in tune with the developmental needs and capabilities of our youngest students. She especially enjoys helping young children build the foundational skills for a lifelong musical education through play, movement, listening, and community. She raises chickens on her property in San Jose.
Ms. Kati
Ms. Kati is the SMSSJ Studio Admin. A music teacher and studio owner in Ottawa, Ontario, she holds a BSc. in Music Education from Messiah University in Pennsylvania and has lived in Quebec, Canada for over 25 years.
In addition to teaching, performing, and serving as Technical Coordinator on the board of Cantiamo Choirs of Ottawa, Ms. Kati also uses her 30 years of teaching experience and studio administration to support several studios across the United States (including California, Idaho, and Illinois).​
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