Teachers

Gaby Aguirre

Hi everyone! My name is Gaby Aguirre and I'm proud to say that I have known Dr. Certain for nine years now. My younger brother originally started with him at four years old and my sister and I followed suit a couple of years after. I started with the violin at eleven and originally was just going to take lessons the summer before sixth grade to get a head start on orchestra. Instead, I ended up falling in love with the instrument and stuck with it until my senior year! Somewhere along the way I decided that I wanted to pick up piano as well since both of my younger siblings played it. I was fortunate enough to have mentored students alongside Dr. Certain and now lucky enough to assist him with teaching beginner violin and piano students!

Dr. Stephen Beall

A little about me: I grew up in a musical family; both my parents were pianists, and my father is a composer. I began violin lessons at age 6 and piano lessons at age 8, and violin became my focus growing up. I started playing viola at age 13 to play chamber music with my friends, and viola was my secondary instrument until 2007 when I started my doctoral program.

I attended Eastman School of Music (B.M.), West Virginia University (M.M.), and University of South Carolina (Artist’s Certificate) with a major in violin performance, and finally graduated from University of North Texas (D.M.A.) in viola performance in 2014. I have been teaching for over 20 years, and teaching has become a real passion for me.

I still maintain a musical career in violin and viola in the Dallas area, albeit with some difficulty due to Focal Task-Specific Dystonia in my left hand, which I began experiencing in 2008. The lessons I have learned through having Dystonia, however, have made me a better teacher. I currently attend Dallas Reformed Baptist Church, where I also serve as their pianist.

Christian Johnson

I am an assistant teacher for Dr. Certain, who helped me to prepare for auditioning for the New Texas Symphony Orchestra back in 2021. Thanks to Dr Certain, that audition went well! I have played violin with the NTSO since fall of 2021, and have joined Dr Certains students for special events since then, and now I am assistant teaching.

Prior to working with Dr Certain, I had grown up in the St Louis Youth Symphony program and studied under a brilliant violinist, Lucy Kaymakanova, whose unyielding demand for excellence matched perfectly with her uncompromising teaching style. I can’t say I live up to her standards, but I try to pass on the best of her teachings to anyone I work with.

In my life outside of music, I am a licensed Professional Engineer and Senior Structural Engineer for Nucor. I have mentored and trained engineers for going on 7 years, and look forward to expanding my teaching into the world of music.