Director, Violin, Viola, & ECE Instructor

Daniel Gee Cordova is founder and director of the Austin Suzuki Music School. He has studied the Suzuki Method in Violin, Viola and Suzuki Early Childhood Education extensively with a broad scope of teachers. He holds degrees from the Crane School of Music - SUNY Potsdam and the University of Texas at Austin. In May 2012, Daniel was awarded the Suzuki Association of the America (SAA) Certificate of Achievement, a recognition given to teachers that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to excellence in their teaching. Since 2020, Daniel has been a registered Teacher Trainer of the SAA working to provide professional development to teachers wanting to learn and teach the Suzuki Method in the Western Hemisphere.

Daniel is an active clinician giving presentations at National Conferences as well as guest teacher at workshops around the country. He has presented his work at numerous conferences including at the Suzuki Association of the Americas, American String Teachers Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Director's Association. Daniel has also been featured as guest conductor for Texas Region orchestras.

In the summers, Daniel serves a Director for the Greater Austin Suzuki Institute and has been on faculty for Suzuki Institutes around the country including the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute in UT, the Japan-Seattle Suzuki Institute, the Ozark Suzuki Institute, Acadiana Suzuki Institute, Ithaca Suzuki Institute, Northern California Suzuki Institute, Los Angeles Suzuki Institute, Ithaca Suzuki Institute, and the Chicago Suzuki Institute.

Daniel performs equally as a violinist and violist, serving as Assistant Principal Viola with the Austin Opera. Mr. Gee Cordova previously served as Orchestra Director at Chisholm Trail Middle School in Round Rock ISD from 2009-2019 infusing the Suzuki approach to students within the public school system.

Outside of teaching and performing, Daniel enjoys spending time with his husband Jerry and their son Liam who is embarking on his journey as a Suzuki cello student.

Violin & Viola Instructor

Rachel Alvarado serves as Lower and Middle School Strings Teacher at St. Andrews Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. Previously, she served as head orchestra director at Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock ISD, earning sweepstakes awards at UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Contest. Mrs. Alvarado also maintains a private Suzuki Method violin and viola studio, serves as Secretary of the Greater Austin Suzuki Association, and is a regular clinician at the Austin Suzuki Institute and Suzuki music festivals throughout Texas. Additionally, she conducts the Camerata Orchestra in the Austin Youth Orchestra program. She enjoys performing regularly in the Austin area and with the Waco Symphony Orchestra.

Mrs. Alvarado completed her Music and Human Learning degree (M.M) as a Sarah and Ernest Butler Excellence scholar, where she was the Preschool Coordinator for the University of Texas String Project and taught in a pilot string program at UT Elementary School. She developed an interdisciplinary curriculum in music and phonemic awareness as her master’s thesis. Mrs. Alvarado has studied topics in music research, string pedagogy and literature, school organization, classroom management, and music in therapy and special education. She was chosen as the UT representative to attend the 2011 Global Music Camp in Ghana.

Rachel Alvarado received a B.M. in violin performance and pedagogy from the Wheaton College Conservatory (IL), where she was Concertmaster of the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra, Senior Class Representative, a Presidential Honors Award recipient and a Memorial Merit Scholar. She served as an intern faculty member at Wheaton’s Community School of the Arts. She has studied the violin with Professors Sandy Yamamoto, Anne Akiko Meyers, Paul Zafer, Dr. Lee Joiner, and Elizabeth Suh-Lane. A scholarship recipient of the SAA, she trained with Rebecca Sandrok, Ann Montzka-Smelser, Nancy Jackson, Alice Joy Lewis, Dr. Laurie Scott, and Doris Preucil. She is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, Texas Music Educators Association, and the American String Teachers Association.

Violin, Viola, & ECE Instructor

Connor Bell received his Bachelor of Music in Music Studies and teacher certification in Music Early Childhood through 12th grade at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. His principal violin instructors include Dr. Eugene Gratovich, Dr. Laurie Scott and William Dick. He has taken extensive Suzuki teacher training from esteemed teachers including Doris Preucil, Dr. Laurie Scott, William Dick, Christie Felsing, Nancy Lokken, Ed Kreitman, Edmond Sprunger, and Mark Mutter. He received training in the first stage of the Early Childhood Education class with Dorothy and Sharon Jones. Connor teaches 6-8th grade violin, viola, cello, bass and harp students at Deerpark and Canyon Vista Middle Schools in Round Rock ISD using a Suzuki in the Schools curriculum.

Additionally, Connor continually goes to enrichment courses to develop and expand his teaching and is an active member of The American String Teachers’ Association, The Suzuki Association of the Americas, The Texas Music Educators Association, Greater Austin Suzuki Association and The North Texas Suzuki Association. Connor has performed with the University of Texas University Orchestra, the Round Rock Symphony and the Prince George’s Philharmonic. Connor has served as guest clinician for the Manor ISD String Festival, Longhorn Music Camp, and the Greater Austin Suzuki Institute.

Violin & Suzuki ECE Instructor

Megan Canney began her violin studies as a member of the Buffalo Suzuki Strings and then continued her studies in Houston, Texas with the Gulf Coast Suzuki Strings. Megan received her Bachelors of Music from the University of Denver and has also studied privately with James Maurer, Yumi Hwang-Williams, Mimi Zweig, and Sherry Sinift. She completed her Masters Degree in Violin Performance at The University of Texas at Austin, studying with Anne-Akiko Meyers and Sandy Yamamoto. While at UT she was the Early Childhood Program Coordinator at The University of Texas String Project.

A scholarship recipient of the SAA, Megan has studied the Suzuki Method extensively. She completed her long-term Suzuki Violin teacher training under the guidance of James Maurer, with additional training from Dorothy Jones, Sharon Jones, Brian Lewis, Doris Preucil, Dr. Laurie Scott, and Mimi Zweig. She has maintained a private Suzuki Method violin studio for over thirteen years and served as an administrator for many string programs including the University of Wyoming String Project, Austin Montessori Suzuki Program, and University of Texas String Project.

Following a passion for arts administration, Megan currently acts as Assistant Director of Donor Engagement and Events at UT Austin. She has also worked with the Mann Center for Performing Arts, Scientific and Facilities Cultural District, and Austin area non-profits.

Suzuki Bass Instructor

Billy Satterwhite is a professional bassist who has been performing and teaching in the Austin area since 2012. Growing up in Houston, TX, he studied music from a young age on trombone and bass guitar, eventually finding a love for classical music, jazz music, and music theory. He received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies on Double Bass from Texas State University in 2009, and his Master of Music in Improvisation from The University of Michigan in 2012, where he studied with legendary jazz bassist Robert Hurst, and world renown improvisers and composers such as Geri Allen and Ed Sarath.

Billy believes that one of the unique aspects about learning the bass is its necessity in all styles of music, teaching his students to be well-versed and comfortable in many styles of playing is one of his passions. He has performed many styles of music in performances around the United States, Europe, and Asia; styles such as jazz, big band, contemporary improvised music, classical, latin jazz, salsa, bluegrass, folk, blues, and pop. In addition to teaching and performing, Billy has worked in a variety of roles in the music industry, working as an administrator and conference planner for the International Society of Improvised Music, church music director, and Ableton software audio engineer for multitracks.com.

In addition to playing and teaching, Billy loves trail running, traveling, gardening, and being outdoors as much as possible with his wife Kat, daughter Millie, and their three dogs.