Our Teachers

  • Jennifer Lyford

    Jennifer Lyford is a violinist and violist originally from Holland, Michigan who has been living and teaching in Laramie since 1994. She received her B.A. and B.M. in Music Education from St. Olaf College and her M.M. in Violin Performance from the University of Wyoming, studying with Charles Gray, Brian Hanley, Sherry Sinift and Jim Przygocki. Ms. Lyford has over 30 years of experience in private and group string instruction, and has also taught elementary general music, beginning band, orchestra, guitar, and choir in local schools for 20 years. Since the fall of 2019, she has directed the orchestral and guitar ensembles at Laramie High School. An active performer, Ms. Lyford plays in the Cheyenne Symphony and the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra as well as in the Lovejoy String Quartet. She is a member of the American String Teachers Association and the National Association of Music Education and holds a Level 2 Certification from the Paul Roland Society. In her free time, Ms. Lyford enjoys spending time with her family and pets, preferably in the beautiful Wyoming outdoors.

  • Erin Decker

    Erin Decker is a violinist who has been involved in the Laramie string community from a young age. She received her B.A. in Music Education from the University of Wyoming, where she studied violin and violin education with Sherry Sinift and Jim Pryzgocki. During her time at UW, Mrs. Decker performed with the UW Symphony Orchestra and taught with the UW String Project. Mrs. Decker also received a Master's in Theological Studies from The WEST Institute. She has seven years of experience in private and group string instruction and holds a Level 1 Certification from the Paul Roland Society, and is a member of the American String Teachers Association and the National Association of Music Education. When not in the studio, Mrs. Decker enjoys showing the world to her two kids, and exploring the wilderness of Wyoming.