As a Suzuki student from a very young age with former Jackson teacher Beatrice Baker Thorpe, Baltia does not remember life without a violin. Baltia has a love for teaching the Suzuki Method of violin, which emphasizes nurturing the student’s whole character and creating a musical environment. She has completed Suzuki training Units 1-3 with the Suzuki Association of America, and is currently training in Unit 4. As a Suzuki parent and teacher to her own four children, she has learned how to create a musical environment and practice routines in the home. Baltia has experienced each role of the Suzuki triangle, which consists of the student, parent, and teacher. She has taught both private Suzuki lessons and led groups over the past 20 years. Pertaining to other arts, she studied voice with Monte Long, and performed in community theater. She plays in JSO’s Community Strings, and has played in both Albion College and Hillsdale College Orchestras. Baltia loves sharing the gift of music through the Suzuki Method with students, since it has played such an important role in her own life.