Hahn became interested in the violin after taking a walk with her father in their Baltimore neighborhood (Zaustinsky 1999). The two passed a branch of the Peabody Conservatory that advertised music lessons for four-year-olds and observed a music lesson where a young boy was playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Hahn began taking lessons the following week and participated in a Suzuki class for about a year.