Testimonials 

“Miss Molly is an amazing teacher. She is very encouraging. She brings out the best in her students. She is very patient, and never gives up on them. She loves playing the violin and shares that passion with her students. Because of Miss Molly, my girls have not only learned how to play the violin but also learned to love the violin.”

“Our daughter begged for violin lessons for well over a year before we finally caved at age 7 and signed her up for Suzuki, wondering if it’d be a passing fad. But nearly four years later, she is still playing and still motivated and we’ve realized this could well be a lifelong passion for music. We were paired with Miss Molly for our weekly Suzuki private lesson, and I’m certain she is the reason we are still playing. Molly is the kindest soul and wise beyond her years. Not only does she approach lessons like an absolute professional, speaking to and respecting her students with the utmost calm and genuine approach to get to know them and how they best learn, but she’s also an amazing talent. She plays so beautifully; having a teacher who knows their instrument that well and for whom music is their first language, is an absolute privilege. She can and will match your student’s learning preference and do it without you even realizing she pegged it until later.
Our daughter has some medical issues that have made consistency and pushing too hard difficult for us, but Molly was patient, kind and accommodating, assuring us that the goal first, should always be just loving music—that the speed of the learning may come and go with life’s challenges, but just keeping at it is all that matters. And so we are, and our daughter still loves the violin.
If you’re looking for the real deal, you’ll find it with Molly! ”

“Molly was an ideal “first teacher” for my beginner violin player. She is not only patient and kind, but consistently positive. It took a little while for my child to find her groove at first and we were navigating ADHD and a short attention span, but Molly never wavered...Nor did she let any of the new young students get off track.

Her encouragement is genuine, she maintains high standards, and she is flexible while working, with plenty of fun ideas in her back pocket. She finds creative ways of making the students feel comfortable. Molly has a natural way of inspiring the kids while offering support. She’s also incredibly knowledgeable and hardworking, and she plays absolutely beautifully. We’re very lucky to have had Molly as a guide and I’ll always be grateful for her influence on my daughter’s musical and artistic journey.”

“My daughter who is 16 now has had 5 violin teachers. Apparently, they are hard to come by! But Molly, by far, was the best one we’ve ever had. She is gentle & kind, always. She is creative & intuitive for coming up with different ways to teach. She strives to help the student have “light bulb moments” so they enjoy learning. She’s incredibly talented & plays in local symphonies so she is well versed in performance & learning new material. She has a deep knowledge of music, musical authors, & history of music. She relates so well to children of all ages. And she smiles & laughs, a lot! She is a gem to have as a teacher & one your child will remember long after. ”

“Molly has a wonderful way of making lessons both fun and relaxed while still helping students grow. She’s so patient and encouraging, and her positive energy made my child, a beginner, feel completely at ease with the violin. Molly not only helps kids learn music but also builds their confidence. After each lesson, they always left feeling proud and excited to play more! ”

“From introductory classes with our youngest violinist, to technique, advanced repertoire, and performances with our oldest musician, Molly consistently demonstrates exceptional depth and range in violin pedagogy. Her flexibility in accommodating individual learning styles means lessons are always joyful and encouraging, and the generosity of spirit with which she shares her love of music with students and the community is inspiring for parents and students alike. It is a delight and a privilege to have Molly mentor our young musicians as they explore their own journeys in music.”

“It is with immense pleasure that I recommend Ms. Molly Nogaj as a violin teacher. Ms. Molly was my son André’s violin instructor for two and a half years, and during that time she made a truly remarkable impact on his musical development and overall growth.

From the beginning, Ms. Molly impressed us with her exceptional ability to connect with children. She possesses a deep understanding of child psychology and employs a teaching style that is both nurturing and stimulating. My son, a sports enthusiast, isn’t naturally drawn to artistic activities. However, Ms. Molly’s perpetually positive attitude and engaging methods not only encouraged him to practice diligently but also fostered a true interest for violin in him. This, I believe, is a testament to her talent as an educator.

Ms. Molly’s teaching approach goes beyond simply instructing on technique; she cultivates a true appreciation for music. She has a gift for making lessons fun and inspiring, while simultaneously ensuring that her students are making consistent progress. My son, who was initially hesitant, came to look forward to his lessons with Molly.”

“For music instruction, particularly for kids, look no further. Molly is not only an accomplished musician herself, she is gifted with patience (with budding musicians, who teeter at times between frustration and distraction 😉). She encourages students to stay focused while also giving them the space and freedom to make the music “theirs.” With Molly, my daughter was composing, learning pop music ditties that she loved, and even performing for an audience of stuffed animals. My daughter learned not only how to play the violin, but to love music from Molly.”

“Molly taught two of my children over about six years during their elementary and junior/senior high school years. She is not only knowledgeable about the violin and music, but also very encouraging, warm, and personable. One daughter is now continuing to play violin in college thanks to Molly’s good instruction!”

“Molly brings a very positive attitude towards lessons and growth of the student. She is always able to find something constructive to identify and encourages the student to continue to improve their playing skills.
My son felt the energy she brought to each lesson helped him want to do his best for the next lesson.”

“As an artist, Mrs. Nogaj beautifully expresses her passion and mastery for this craft, while inviting others to join into the excitement at even the beginner level. Her positive and encouraging demeanor is motivating for the student, yet without flattery.

As the mother of a homeschooler, I appreciated Molly’s flexibility in offering lessons earlier in the day.

My recommendation comes wholeheartedly and without reservation to families who wish to enter into a learning environment that will stimulate and foster creativity in young hearts and minds.”

“Our daughter began her violin journey at the age of 4 with Molly as her instructor. Over the past three years, we have been incredibly pleased with her progress and the joy she finds in playing the violin. Molly has an exceptional ability to engage young children, instill a sense of joy in learning, and guide them through challenges to achieve mastery in a particular skill or song. Molly is herself a talented musician, and when she plays, everyone cannot help but give their rapt attention to the beautiful music. We wholeheartedly recommend Molly to anyone considering violin lessons for their child.”

“Not only is Molly a phenomenal musician, she is a kind hearted and caring teacher! Molly has a wonderful way of connecting with my child on a personal level. She always seems to know when to offer words of encouragement to keep children motivated. She was also great at offering fun and unique ways of learning, like color coding music, which was really helpful to my child with dyslexia. Molly was a delight to work with on every level!”

“My daughter took lessons from Molly from May 2023-December 2024. Molly is such a
naturally gifted educator as well as a beautiful musician. We are so grateful for the
experience of having Molly as our daughter’s first violin teacher! My child looked forward to
every single lesson with Miss Molly. Molly’s ability to cater to her students’ needs with
compassion and care allowed my child to flourish in her music education. My child has
some sensory challenges and performance anxieties, and Molly could easily pivot and
tailor lessons to allow my daughter to grow and perform at a pace that worked for her. Molly
also went above and beyond often sending extra videos to help break down learning for my
child. Molly was always quick to respond and accommodate as needed. Respect, kindness
and a gentle demeanor were always a part of every interaction with Molly. Molly is an asset
to any music program, and we are indebted to her for such a great Suzuki experience.”

“Molly was our son’s first violin teacher. She was a great teacher for our son because she motivated him to not only learn violin skills but to be creative and have fun with the violin. She is very patient and listens to students as well as gives them helpful, constructive feedback. Our son enjoyed his lessons with her because she listened to him and taught him new techniques. She tailored her lessons to fit his learning style very well, and he progressed very quickly in learning the violin. She also made sure he had extra opportunities to play the violin and attend performances. She is a great teacher!”

“Our girls started their violin journey with Molly several years ago. Our youngest, Kate, was only 4 at the time and Molly skillfully engaged her interest with playful, creative, developmentally-appropriate instruction. She was a challenging student; she wanted to play, as her older sister had also started, but wasn’t ready to dedicate the effort. I cannot express how grateful we are for Molly’s patient teaching style. As she has gotten older, Kate is now regularly practicing, of her own volition, and moving forward with joy. It would have been easy to squash her love of music, but Molly’s patience has allowed her to flourish. Our older daughter, Claire, has steadily gained confidence and skill, while also enjoying the journey. They both look forward to their lessons every week. We wholeheartedly recommend Molly and miss her back here in Illinois. ”

“Molly was my children’s first music teacher. They were 8 and 6 when they started with her, and she was ideal for them. I appreciated her gentleness and attentiveness to the children. She catered lessons to the individual child’s strengths, weaknesses, and personality. I felt like she was always sensitive to the balance of pushing the children forward musically yet celebrating the progress they made.

I appreciated the depth of knowledge, musical insight, and technical care that permeated even the beginner lessons we had with her. She also plays beautifully. We all always enjoyed the times in the lessons where Molly played for the children. She’s very talented, and Molly was and still is an inspiration to our family and children.”

“We were so fortunate to find Ms. Molly to teach viola to our son. An outstanding performer herself, she helped nurture our son’s creativity and interest in composing while also developing his skills as a violist. She is truly a gifted musician and teacher and will be sorely missed in central Illinois!”

“Ms. Molly was our son’s violin teacher for the past 2.5 years (until moving out of Peoria, IL). Her positive teaching style would make anyone enjoy learning violin from her. Our son admired her kindness, patience and encouragement she provided throughout. I highly recommend Ms. Molly; students will be truly lucky to have a great teacher like her.”

“You were the perfect teacher for Amelia just starting out on the violin. You are so kind and patient and always found new ways to engage Amelia’s interest. I loved your games to get Amelia to practice when she didn’t feel like it was practicing. Amelia really loved the ornament with buttons and the friendship bracelet. I learned a lot about teaching and working with Amelia and the violin because you always focused on something positive about what she was doing, even if it was the smallest thing. This is such a great lesson for everyone but particularly parents (like me) who tend to point out flaws first!”

“My daughter had lessons with Molly for almost 3 years. Molly is very caring, soft spoken and a responsible teacher.
She always tries to adjust to our schedule.
My daughter absolutely loved her. ”

“Molly was our violin teacher for many years. She is a great instructor, patient, positive, encouraging and fair. She always made learning to play the violin fun. We miss having her around now that she moved away.”