Connecting Up the Dots was founded by John Austin, an active performer and teacher of Music and Alexander Technique based in Brooklyn, to bring together the fields of movement science, education, artistic performance, mindfulness, and somatics viewed through the lens of the Alexander Technique, providing a unique perspective on well-being. Connecting Up the Dots explores the science behind movement and posture and aims to bridge the gap between science and art.

Mr. Austin currently teaches at P.S. 310 ‘The School for Future Leaders’ and the New Jersey Academy of Music. Mr. Austin has been invited as a guest teacher and lecturer at Teachers College, Columbia, and McGill Universities. As a performer in NYC, he has performed as principal violist with the Manhattan and Bergen Symphonies in major performing arts venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Previously, Mr. Austin taught in school group violin at P.S. 219 Kennedy-King Elementary while working for the Brooklyn based non-profit Noel Pointer Foundation. Mr. Austin was a member of the Asheville, Winston-Salem, and Hilton-Head Symphonies. He also taught on faculty at the Louisiana State University Music Academy and has been a coach at the Winter Harbor Chamber Music Festival. In addition to his classical roots he has recorded and performed live with folk, contemporary jazz, and rap groups such as Deltron 3030 & Tarbaby.

Mr. Austin is an AmSAT certified (3 year, 1600-hour) teacher of the Alexander Technique. He trained at the American Center for the Alexander Technique in Manhattan, the first and most prestigious teacher certification program in the United States, and was one of the youngest in the history of AmSAT to receive certification. Mr. Austin is also a certified teacher of the Suzuki Method for Violin & Viola. Mr. Austin attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for both his high school and undergraduate studies. He received a full scholarship to UNCSA and was teaching assistant to Sheila Browne (formerly on faculty at NYU & Juilliard Tianjin).

All of Mr. Austin’s primary teachers were graduates of the Juilliard School. Mr. Austin embodies the philosophy of Karen Tuttle’s ‘Coordination’ of musical expression with the appropriate physical gesture(s) and combines it with the Alexander Techniques’ mind-body awareness and habit changing potential in the framework of the Suzuki Method’s naturalistic pedagogy. This approach of scaffolded learning supports the whole child’s potential for multidimensional development. With support from Mr. Austin and parents, children will find learning violin and viola a healthy experience that’s fun and easy.

Ready to book a lesson?

Email: mr.johnlaustin@gmail.com or use the form above to inquire about availability. Convenient Brooklyn location steps from the Church Ave. B/Q trains and several buses.