Detroit music teacher nurtures artistic expression for all ages
Finn Daigh poses with their violin in their Ferndale studio
If you're ever strolling around an event in Metro Detroit, you might be lucky to encounter one local musician’s passion project—a retrofitted tea cart, displaying violins of many shapes and sizes, suspended beneath an ornate sign that reads “Free Violin Lessons”.
The owner of this traveling music studio is Finn Daigh, a 34-year-old professional violinist dedicated to making music education accessible to our community. Teaching more than just scales and arpeggios, Daigh inspires their students both young and old to find their own authentic voice through music.
Growing up in a single-parent family, Daigh was unable to afford formal lessons like the rest of their classmates. “All my friends in orchestra had lessons,” said Daigh. “It was like there was some club that I wasn't a part of.”
Much of what Finn learned prior to university was self taught. Daigh developed their own experimental practice methods and sought out resources online, feeling a sense of accomplishment for their ability to learn independently.
Their devotion to self-study led to scholarships, one of which awarded four private lessons with a violin teacher. “One of the reasons I wanted to be a teacher was because those lessons were torture,” said Daigh.
The teacher required students to follow rigid, “cookie cutter” practice methods. "She didn't fit or match my style at all, so I got zero out of those lessons. It bums me out.”
Though the lack of formal education meant their level was behind that of their peers at first, Daigh went on to study violin at Wayne State University. Their professor admired their “heart” and dedication to practice. This opened up a whole new world to Daigh and their skills blossomed.
Daigh describes the violin as something that has grown to be a fundamental part of themselves. “It’s just a piece of my soul really,” said Daigh. “I always call it my actual second arm.”
Daigh went on to graduate and open a violin studio, but a crisis of perfectionism caused them to stop playing for several years. “I stopped and thought, am I doing this for me?,” said Daigh. “I realized at some point I started doing it to impress other people.”
Daigh has since reconnected with their own creative authenticity and is having fun making art. “I feel like I'm a better musician now because of it," said Daigh. “I definitely have more soul to my playing.”
Daigh now passes their knowledge on to aspiring violinists, encouraging students to discover an artistic voice of their own. Blending their formal education with the independent practice skills they developed as a child, Daigh's students are encouraged to be self-reflective, curious, and design a practice that works for them.
Daigh’s ultimate hope for their students is that they follow in their footsteps and go on to “create art for themselves.”
Finn teaches private lessons for all ages at their Ferndale and Detroit studio locations, including specialized classes for adult beginners. To register for their Fall 2026 cohort, visit www.finndaighviolinstudio.com.
