About Music & Families
 
Music & Families was started to help families discover and apply the joy and knowledge of music in their lives.  Our own family is very passionate about music.  Collectively, we have studied, played and enjoyed music for over 100 years!

Claude began to play the violin when he was in junior high.  He stopped, though he enjoyed singing and listening to music for years until he and Larene started taking violin lessons together when he was 45 and she was 8.  He has since taught himself to play the viola, and is now learning the guitar and flute.  With his engineering background, and his love of music and woodworking, he began to make and repair violins and other instruments.  Claude and Deanna have 5 children and 16 grandchildren.

Larene started taking piano lessons when she was 6, and violin when she was 8.  She started teaching lessons when she was 14.  Larene majored in piano performance at Idaho State University for a year before she left school to have a family.  She married Barry, a music education major at ISU, and they now have three young children, one dog, five cats, three goats, a rabbit... and lots of musical instruments!

Andrea also started taking piano lessons at age 6 and violin at 8. She started teaching music lessons at age 14 as well. Andrea earned her music degree from BYU-Idaho.

When Larene, Andrea and their younger sister Montana were in grade school the Nielsen family decided to home school.  That was a major turning point in our lives.  We share a passion for music, reading and learning, and we believe it is important to continue to learn every day of our lives!
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