Piano Lessons in Chesapeake, VA

Instruments: Violin Viola

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
It was a gradual decision! Many people have "aha" moments, but not me. When I began to take it more seriously, around the age of 14-15, I saw my progress and that I was getting better at viola, and that along with my teacher who encouraged me made me want to audition for music schools for college.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Not really, all of my siblings learned a musical instrument for a couple years when we were kids. I'm the only one doing it professionally. My parents learned piano and guitar for a bit as kids.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I've mentioned my favorites on my profile, but I often use books by Suzuki, Barbara Barber, Harvey Whistler, Essential Elements, Samuel Applebaum, Wohlfahrt, and Josephine Trott's books.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
I always do a physical warm up for my bow without my left hand, and then I do a left hand warm up. I use a metronome and a tuner always. I play scales, arpeggios, double-stops, vibrato exercises, and any technical exercise I feel like focusing on. I do that as long as I can, which can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours on a good day. I then move on to my musical pieces which can be solo pieces like a concerto, sonata, or Bach suite, or orchestral excerpts. Again, I use the metronome for maybe 50 percent or more of my practice time. I also frequently record myself on my phone and listen back, just small chunks sometimes just 20 seconds long.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
Viola is my primary instrument, but I also play violin. The two are very similar, with viola being a bit bigger and more physically awkward. Often, violinists and violists play both instruments.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
This is tough - I love playing anything by Brahms specifically. He has the most heartbreaking melodies and his music is full of rhythmic tension. It would be fun to hone my improv skills and play various genres including jazz and fiddle music.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have a Bachelor's, Master's, and I'm working on finishing up a Doctorate in Music Performance. I chose performance because I love learning and practicing and getting better at my instrument!

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I absolutely love Two Songs for Viola, Alto, and Piano by the German composer Johannes Brahms. It is for a viola, a singer, and a pianist to perform and it is one of the most beautiful pieces of music!

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I'm not sure, I would still be listening to music all the time definitely! I earned a paralegal certificate while working on my doctorate music, and I enjoyed doing a bit of legal research. Not sure that's what I would choose as my next profession, but maybe!

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
For the viola, it's really hard to play in tune with a strong sound! The viola is physically bigger and more awkwardly designed than the violin, which makes it harder to play in tune and produce a good sound. Shifting can be a difficult left hand technique to learn and teach. A difficult concept to explain, and one that takes a while to learn, is how play use your right arm weight to produce sound through the bow. People often think the left hand is the more difficult part of playing, but often the right hand (bow arm) is neglected.

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