Guitar Lessons in Chicago, IL

Instruments: Guitar Violin

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Do not practice when you are tired. Warm up with a previous lesson and move into the current lesson. And then finish with a piece that you really like to play.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
There are recommended ages for children to begin learning. A lot of teachers say five should be the earliest. And at five a child does have a sense of what he likes and doesn't like. If the child shows interest in music and favors a particular instrument, then that would be the time to begin the musical journey.

When will I start to see results?
During the first lesson there is results. It might be proper posture, or tuning the instrument, possibly playing a short song. And it is a team effort. Practice is important for results as well as guidance.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
Yes, Christopher Cornell was my first music teacher. And he didn't do anything special, except that he was there for all of us in his class and his love for what he was doing made it a special place.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I began with the saxophone because I remembered seeing one in my aunts attic. Turns out it was a toy that I played with when I was younger. But the violin is my main instrument. It comes to life when I play it. The way the violin is played is as if it were a part of me.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
Playing around for so long with different groups has been educational and I never desired any special recognition, but I was pleasantly surprised when I told I was to receive the Thomas Barton Post Preservation Award. It was a wow moment. But the best moment was when the younger brother of one of my students, who I was told that he did not take to adults too readily, told me he wanted to play the violin too. Spread the joy of music.

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
I moved to Illinois several years ago and have not been in contact with any students, except one who is doing well in University and has put his instrument down for now. It happens.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Bowing at the beginning. Your bowing arm is constantly changing position and the location of where the bow hair meets the string and the angle at which it moves across the string is very important.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I like to begin with the Essential Elements. It's all there for the beginner. For someone who is has some playing ability, I like the Suzuki teaching method.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
practice session is, tune up, warm up, review prior work, work on trouble spots and new material, then play something nice that I enjoy. Often it will go for more than an hour

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I studied education at the University. Music was taught in Junior high and high school. We had performances all year long with marching band, concert band, rehearsals. We always had good teachers that were dedicated to their work and were very knowledgeable and shared their knowledge with us. Plus extra classes in theory.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I like to play the Moldau by Smetana. It is a story of a river from the trickling stream that is it's beginning through the countryside of Romania and you can feel where the river finds rapids and quiets down as it widens and you hear where it passes by a party on the river bank. It is simply wonderful

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
A handyman who can offer quality work for a reasonable fee. I like repairing things and making things. Car repairs. Home improvements. I like a feeling of accomplishment.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
all of them. I go through my music folder and find so much I haven't played in a while that I have a pile of music waiting for my attention constantly

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I find instruments at reasonable prices and purchase them. Some I do not study for years. But eventually I do get to them. I found a guzhong for a very low price. Then I found a woman to teach me to play using the chinese notation. Then through her I met a Famous guzhong player Yang Yee at a symphony concert where she was featured. All instruments are relative to each other. Playing one gives you ideas to use with others.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Yes, My dad played violin, mother, piano, sister accordion and brother, the clarinet. But we did not all play together. At different times of our lives we played different instruments.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I did not plan on it. I just like doing it. I still like doing it and I always will. There is no end to playing music. doing so much with just a hand full of notes for centuries is just amazing and keeping it going is so much fun.

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