Sarah's Vision

Sarah Van Kleeck grew up in a large, musically rich family in rural Michigan. Her dad was a self-taught guitarist and her mother a classically trained pianist and vocalist. She grew up singing with her family and playing duets with her mother in their various ministry opportunities. Sadly, however, she was the only one of the twelve children that received a formal music education. Sarah married Peter Van Kleeck, Jr.  in her early twenties and was determined that all of her children would be able to benefit from structured, formal music lessons for two reasons: to pass on the gift she had been given and to add to the formation of their souls. 

Sarah and Peter wanted a large family as well, and it soon became apparent that formal music lessons would be financially out of reach, as it often is for large families. Her vision for her own family was to provide formal music education for each of her children in two instruments. She wanted all of her children to be able to play the piano fluently and also have a solid music education in an instrument of their choice that they could take with them when they left home. After all, music should be shared!!  As Peter and Sarah's family grew, it became apparent that private lessons as formal, individualized instruction was an avenue that was financially impossible.

As a music educator, however, Sarah knew that formal music education in an instrument must be individualized in order for students to be successful. The student meets himself in the practice room and wrestles with hard things. He wrestles with his own inadequacy and failures. He learns to will himself to get back up after failure and tackle the project again. He learns to think outside the box and solve problems. He learns to judge himself rightly according to the unchanging standard of the correct sound. He learns to consider and feel complex emotional ideas presented in the medium of music and to communicate them on his instrument. He learns to decode a foreign language. His confidence builds as he sees his worthy accomplishments. These, and more, are some of the most beautiful, soul-forming aspects of learning a musical instrument. 

In 2016, after 26 years of teaching private music lessons, Sarah began brainstorming how to offer effective online music instruction. She took her experience as a teacher and homeschooling mother and began crafting a system of formal music instruction that could serve families at a small fraction of the cost of private lessons. Her system of education had a few non-negotiable aspects: it must be a thorough music education that gave each child access to live, individual feedback to be realized in actual, recognizable skill for every child involved without the insurmountable price tag that accompanies private music lessons. A huge project!

Sarah launched Practice Monkeys in 2018 as the answer to these specific goals and since has been delighted at the success of her project. Her own children now successfully study violin, cello, guitar, piano and even harp and banjo informally! She has been able to share success with large families (and small families, too!) over several continents and and many countries. 

In 2023, Sarah launched SarahStrings.com as the recorded version of her educational programs while keeping the option of live lessons when requested. She continues to expand the offerings in both Practice Monkeys and Sarah Strings to include instruction for Homeschool Co-ops, String Ensembles, Piano Improvisation, Composer Studies, and Fiddle Classes. Her students continue to reach their goals and succeed. 

Sarah Van Kleeck - Founder of Practice Monkeys

Sarah Van Kleeck

Founder and Teacher

Sarah has been teaching Suzuki Violin for 30 years.  Equipped with the gift of private instruction throughout childhood, high school, college, and Suzuki Teacher training, Sarah dove into teaching with a heartfelt passion at a young age, seeking success for each of her  students.  

Throughout her teaching career, Sarah has honed her teaching to include, not just technique, repertoire, and theory, but also whole person traits like patience, attention, determination, perseverance, problem solving, follow-through, organization, vision and imagination among other traits.

She passionately seeks to help her students develop the habits to become excellent people, who not only recognize beauty in the world but also desire to give that gift of beauty.  

​Utilizing her background in Suzuki Philosophy as well as Classical and Poetic Educational Principles, she weaves practical instruction with inspiration and poetic knowledge to aid the student in discovering Truth, Goodness, and Beauty using music as a vehicle to become excellent people, as well as excellent musicians.  

​Deb Peterson - Violin Teacher

Deb Peterson

Violin Teacher

Deb lives in the Peoria, IL area where she and her husband homeschool their 8 children.  She received her degree in Bible, music, and children’s ministries from University of Northwestern, St. Paul, where she studied violin with Minnesota Orchestra associate concertmaster, Roger Frisch.

​She has studied Suzuki pedagogy under trainers such as Ed Kreitman and Ed Sprunger at the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point, WI. She has taught violin for over 20 years and is currently a first violinist in the Peoria Pops orchestra and plays regularly with her church worship team.

Sarina Steward - Piano Teacher

Sarina Steward

Piano Teacher

Sarina Steward lives in Canada in a small town in Ontario. She studied piano
as a child, branching out to guitar and bass guitar while attending high school. From
a young age Sarina was involved in music ministry with her parents at church and
has continued in their footsteps by sharing worship ministry with her family.
With 18 years of homeschooling under her belt, the years have been full of
balancing family life, school, mentoring her children in their musical pursuits
ranging from piano, violin, theory, drums and ukulele, and furthering her own
musical education through the Royal Conservatory. She has spent the last 15 years
involved in local home school groups teaching large groups of children anything
from music to the art of walking on eggs without breaking them.
She is excited to share her love of music with your students and to help
them to learn the big concepts in an engaging, fun, and age appropriate way.​

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