Student Spotlight: Emmanuelle and Eliana Kamau
December 16th, 2025
“My husband and I knew that learning an instrument would be a great character-building exercise for them, to teach discipline and perseverance, but it has been most wonderful to see their confidence grow." - Bethany McKnight-Kamau
Eliana (Ella) and Emmanuelle (Emmy) Kamau have both embraced the violin in their own ways, learning and growing in the Suzuki program at the Music Institute of Chicago. Ella, at eight years old, has been studying for four years at MIC, while her younger sister Emmy, five, started her musical journey just a year ago.
Ella first became drawn to the violin after seeing one at the symphony. “I saw a pink violin and I really liked it,” she remembers. “It’s a really special instrument and it’s pretty rare for people to learn to play the violin.” Emmy, on the other hand, wanted to follow in her sister’s footsteps. “My sister is a very good violinist and I wanted to be a good violinist,” she says. “I like learning new songs like my older sister.”
Both sisters study with MIC faculty member Rachelle Puccini. One of Ella’s favorite parts of her Suzuki experience is how much she learns each week. “I like that I always get to learn something new,” she says. She also loves group class, where they get to work on improvisation. “My favorite is when we get to make stuff up,” she shares. This year, a major milestone and a favorite memory for her was learning that she could begin Book 2.
Emmy enjoys learning songs and being part of performances. “I get to play a lot of songs,” she says. One of her favorite moments was playing the drum pattern “Tiri Tiri Ti Ti” at the MIC Fall Fundraiser concert. Learning music has helped her develop body control. “It helped me learn not to bounce all around the place like I like to do.”
Their mother, Bethany McKnight-Kamau, is a pianist and music educator who knew she wanted her children to study an instrument. “When they chose the violin, I searched for what I thought would be the best opportunity for them,” she explains. “In my search for a good Suzuki program, I found MIC.”
Bethany has seen her daughters grow in ways that reach beyond the instrument. “My husband and I knew that learning an instrument would be a great character-building exercise for them, to teach discipline and perseverance, but it has been most wonderful to see their confidence grow,” she says. “The environment at MIC has done so much to foster that. They are simultaneously nurtured and challenged in their musical growth, and it has been amazing to see the ways it is shaping them.”
The most meaningful part of watching her daughters learn music has been seeing them, especially her oldest, embrace the instrument as their own. "It's no longer something that she does because it’s what mom does, or because her parents signed her up, but it's something that she’s starting to take on as part of her own identity, and that has been a lot of fun to see.”
Music has become part of the family’s shared experiences. “It has been so much fun to have this shared experience of learning and making music in our family,” says Bethany. “I’m looking forward to playing together more as a family.”
Learning the violin has also connected the girls to their cousin in Kenya, who is taking violin lessons as well. “It’s been great for them to have one more thing they can share on the rare occasions that they get to see each other,” Bethany shares.
Outside of lessons, Ella enjoys reading, building with Legos, writing, and traveling to Kenya, where her father is from. Emmy likes drawing, coloring, visiting the library, and enjoying screen time.
Ella’s favorite piece is one she is currently learning, the "Gavotte" from Mignon. She also enjoys playing Christmas music, especially "O Come, O Come Immanuel." Emmy’s favorite pieces include "Lightly Row" and "Song of the Wind."
As Ella and Emmy continue their Suzuki studies, music continues to be something they share with each other and their family. As their mother Bethany remarks, “Music has always been an important part of our family, and I look forward to seeing my children grow to be better musicians, to collaborate and make music with one another, and to see it become a strong part of our family culture.”
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Suzuki Education at the Music Institute of Chicago
MIC’s Barston Suzuki Center offers one of the Midwest's largest and most comprehensive Suzuki programs. Suzuki instruction is available for piano, violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, guitar, harp, and recorder.
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Registration Deadline (violin, viola, piano, flute): January 10, 2026
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