Instructor Spotlight

Christine Collins

Growing up in Houston, Texas in an English family in a neighborhood rich in Latin American traditions, Christine Collins developed a love for Latin culture, including music, Salsa dancing, and Latin food. In fact, she’s been playing Mariachi music for several years and had the memorable opportunity of opening for the world-renowned group Mariachi Sol de Mexico with her local mariachi group Mariachi Aguilas. Contrast that with the children’s songs you’ll hear almost any day of the week outside a Children’s Music Academy class and you’ll discover one of the many things we love about Christine. She loves music – teaching music, discovering music, performing music, and appreciating music.

In addition to her more than 20 students in Children’s Music Academy classes, Christine teaches private lessons in violin, viola, voice, and piano, as well as the Treble Maker Show Choir group class. She lives for those light bulb moments when a student understands a concept they had been struggling with. “It happens with every student I’ve ever had,” says Christine, “and it never gets old.”

Read on to learn more about Christine. Another “note”-able member of the Harris team, we’re pleased to showcase her this month!

More About Christine:

What is your main instrument?
Violin

How long have you played your instrument?
Since I was 6 years old

How did you get started playing your instrument?
The daughter of my mom’s best friend would always bring her violin to every holiday gathering we had since I was born. Around age 3, after listening to her perform, I began begging my mom to let me play violin and didn’t stop begging until she finally gave in 3 years later.

Do you play any other instruments?
Yes. I sing and play piano and played viola, oboe, and saxophone through middle school, high school, and part of college.

What is your favorite kind of music?
I am very into folk type music including bluegrass and Irish fiddle and Latin pop.

Do you have any good stories about where you grew up?
I grew up in a mostly Hispanic area in southeast Houston and so grew up speaking a little Spanish and to this day I love Latin food and music of all sorts. (That’s probably the reason I became super interested in Mariachi music later on.)

What other hobbies do you have besides music?
I love to dance, Salsa, swim, read, and binge on Netflix

What is your favorite food?
Pizza and cookies

Do you have a fun or inspiring story to share about teaching lessons?
I don’t have a specific story, but in general, I feel so inspired whenever I have a student finally understand a concept that they had previously been struggling with. It happens with every student I’ve ever had and it never gets old.

What is one of your favorite recital or performance memories?
My favorite performance was playing at the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival with the Mariachi group Mariachi Aguilas. I had a solo on a piece based on a Tango and got to play in front of my friends, family, students, and 300 people.

What is your favorite quote? 
“Let us take our children seriously! Everything else follows from this…only the best is good enough for a child.” –Zoltan Kodály

What do you think is the best movie of all time? 
Anastasia

What is a book everyone should read? 
The Harry Potter series. I know it’s actually seven books, but you can’t just read one book in a series.

What is a little known fact about you? 
Everybody in my family is English, so my upbringing was a mix of very English traditions and Latin American traditions from families that lived around us.