My Teaching Philosophy
If you are an experienced student, please bring me a major & minor scale and a polished piece of your repertoire.s
If you are new to lessons, please bring your instrument to the interview and I will show you how I teach.
Lessons are $80/hr, 1 hour a week. Recitals are held in Spring and Fall. If you are working hard and would like to do 2 lessons a week, I can accommodate you.
Interview & Lesson Details
I have two strict rules in my studio. I require students to practice at least an hour a day, and students may only miss 4 lessons each calendar year. Consistency is key to building muscle memory. With consistent practice, students are constantly surprised by the rate of improvement that is possible.
Studio Rules
Most students who are not getting where they want to be have some technique issues or are not thinking clearly about how to solve the musical problem on the page.
My first job is to take care of the fundamentals. I make sure my students' hands are properly set up. Proper hand placement is essential to natural, fluid movements and creates effortless playing. Students who get tired very quickly, have a coarse tone, intonation problems or a crooked bow usually need some set up work.
Next I figure out which basic skills the student needs. Music is a written language
made up of overlapping patterns, executed in rhythm. Fluency in musical notation allows a note to be accurately placed in tune, and held for the proper length. Students who need to hear someone play a piece to see how it goes usually have some rhythm and note reading problems.