Ruth Meints became the Artistic Director of the Omaha Conservatory of Music (OCoM) in the fall of 2023 and was the former Executive Director from 2005-2023. She authored the String Sprouts curriculum, which launched in 2013. String Sprouts enrolls over one thousand preschoolers from underserved areas and provides an instrument for all five years of instruction at no cost to the families.  She currently teaches violin and viola at OCoM and conducts various workshops around the country in violin/viola pedagogy and music education, integrating current neuroscience findings into music teaching. While at OCoM, she has developed many music education programs, such as OCoM’s Summer camp programs, Winter Festival Orchestra, a full music program at the St. Augustine Indian Mission School, as well as the Inside the Mind of the Artist recital and master class series.  Her teaching experience has included head of the string department at Azusa Pacific University and faculty at Biola University in the Los Angeles area, as well as faculty at San Jose Talent Education, Omaha Talent Education, and Artist-Faculty at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. In 2016, Ruth was given the Governor’s Arts Award for excellence in arts education sponsored by Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska Cultural Endowment. In 2019, she also presented a TedXOmaha talk entitled “Music, Preschoolers, and Poverty.” 

Ruth received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Suzuki pedagogy from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville with John Kendall, pioneer in bringing the Suzuki philosophy to the United States.

What you can expect from lessons with Ruth:

• Challenging, motivational and fun environment for violin OR viola players – any age or level – Twinkle to Tchaikovsky
• Suzuki repertoire is used for all pre-concerto levels, as well as other supplementary materials from books such as Barbara Barber’s Solos for Young Violinists or Violists
• Parents are required to attend the lesson until their child is high school age
• Theory, scale studies, note reading and etudes are used to build a strong technical foundation at all levels
• Preparation for leadership in orchestras, chamber music and other musical settings
• Students are expected to participate in other activities at the Conservatory, like chamber music, Frontier Strings, SoundWaves, String Festival, and Suzuki Institute