Heritage Hill String Ensemble Violin Solo/Duo • String Quartet ?/span> Lessons

Classical and Celtic Music for Weddings and Other Special Occasions

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About Us Heritage Hill String Ensemble was established in 2002. Our group is comprised of young musicians with extensive musical training from Muskegon's West Shore Symphony. Two of our members live in the historic Heritage Hill area in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, hence the inspiration for our name. All of our members share a love of teaching. We also extend our services into the community, in part by performing free concerts in nursing homes. Some of our past performances have included the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Frederick Meijer Gardens, Mayflower Congregational Church and Grand Valley State University.

Our Members

	Natalie Hockamier started violin in her 5th grade music program. She has studied privately with members of the Grand Rapids Symphony, including Dave Haaland, Diane McElfish and Chris Martin. Natalie holds a degree in botany from the University of Michigan and has played in the U of M Campus Philharmonic and Pops Orchestras. She started with the West Shore Symphony in 2002 and has performed with both the Traverse City and Holland Symphony Orchestras. Natalie has been giving private violin lessons for the past five years, and also enjoys playing Celtic music, gardening, growing orchids, reading and playing with her cats Jude and Salinger.
	Tugsu Armstrong graduated in 1998 from the Mongolian Music Conservatory with a performance degree in violin. She has played in the Flint Symphony Orchestra, as well as the West Shore, Traverse City and Holland Symphony Orchestras. Tugsu has studied with Diane McElfish and Christina Fong and is currently studying with Dylana Jenson, an internationally-renowned soloist. Tugsu teaches violin at the Grandville Avenue Arts Academy and gives private lessons as well. She lives with her husband, Sean, and daughter, Amina, in Grand Rapids' Heritage Hill area.
	Jennifer Alman began her music studies at the age of 7, taking piano lessons from her mother. At the age of 12, she began violin lessons at the Blue Lake Community School of the Arts. In 1996, she joined the West Shore Symphony Orchestra and continues to perform with that ensemble as well as the orchestras of Manistee and Traverse City. She also performs with a number of local string quartets. From 1999 to 2004, she attended Grand Valley State University and earned degrees in Music and German. In 2002, she began her viola studies and has since decided to focus exclusively on that instrument. Her principal teachers included Jean Manning, Hyunsai Lee and Robert Byrens. Jennifer enjoys teaching, and currently has 26 private violin, viola and piano students. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, skiing, rollerblading, playing video games and spending time with family and friends.
	Chris Meyer, cellist, obtained a music degree from Hope College and is currently attending Western Michigan University for music education. He has written numerous arrangements of string quartet music.

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For bookings, lessons (including fiddle lessons) or more information, contact Natalie Hockamier at (616) 451-2732 or natt718@yahoo.com

Webmaster: Amy Cochran