Sarah Mitchell began studying the violin at age 4 as a Suzuki student of the late Dr. Michael Gattozzi at the University of Alabama. After moving to Tennessee, she continued her violin study with Mary Kathryn Vanosdale at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music. Her other teachers have included Soh-Hyun Park Altino, Beverly Shin, Julianna Waller, and William Hayden. She received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Western Kentucky University and began her Suzuki violin teacher training at the University of Memphis with Kimberly Meier-Sims, earning a Master of Music in Suzuki Pedagogy. Her violin teacher training also includes courses and workshops with Lorraine Fink, Carrie Reuning-Hummel, Carol Smith, Mark Bjork, Hiroko Driver, Joseph Kaminsky, Mary Cay Neal, Terry Durbin, Ed Kreitman and Cathy Lee. In addition to her violin study, Sarah has also trained with Dorothy and Sharon Jones to become a Suzuki Early Childhood Education teacher.
In 2003, Sarah was invited to help launch and direct the Pre-College String Program at Western Kentucky University, teaching Suzuki violin and beginning viola as Professional-in-Residence. In addition, she helped introduce string education in the Bowling Green/Warren County public schools. While in Bowling Green she was a member of the Bowling Green-Western Symphony Orchestra and the Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra, occasionally performing with the Owensboro Symphony.
From 2005-2015, Sarah served on the faculty at Buffalo Suzuki Strings, where her advanced students performed at the Suzuki Association of the Americas conference and around the world as members of the Buffalo Suzuki Strings Friendship Touring Ensemble. While at BSS, she also served as lead teacher for the Suzuki Early Childhood Education program for infants and toddlers and directed the Fiddle Club performing group made up of violin, viola, cello, and guitar students. Sarah enjoys fiddling, and as a fiddler has performed with Brother Trouble, Danny Potter, and Rory Feek.
Since moving back to Tennessee, Sarah has served a term on the board of the Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association and has enjoyed being a part of the wonderful community of Franklin Suzuki Academy, teaching violin and viola, baby and toddler music and fiddling, and contributing as Artistic Director and now as Program Director.