Allyson C  
Instruments: Violin
Styles: Classical, Pop, Musical Theater

Hi, I’m Allyson and I am a passionate violin teacher! I have been teaching since highschool and have always loved sharing my knowledge of music with others. As I am still a student, I can relate to the mentality of learning a new skill and how difficult it can be. My goal with teaching is to cater to the students individual needs; everyone is unique and needs a different approach! I like to make practicing goal oriented, giving the student specific tasks to work through during the week. I am happy to teach all ages, both those who have played before and those who have never held an instrument are welcomed! I am currently teaching online but that may change as Covid dies down. My studio is is an open minded place where we can experiment and find ways to make playing the violin fun!

If the student has never played violin before, I start by just working on posture. I may have the student hold the violin and bow but not play. This is to make sure the setup is a good starting point. I would then work on some pizzicato, just plucking the strings to get a feel for the instrument and the sound. The bow grip is often the hardest part so that would be the next focus. When it comes to putting bow to string, I begin with just open strings and rhythms. I think learning by ear at first can be really helpful so I would teach the student to hear and identify pitches and play songs by ear. Then I would teach basic one octave scales in a few different keys. I believe that scales are the foundation to everything! At this point, I would begin the studnets on the first Suzuki Book. I think working through book 3-4 gives a good foundation for some simple pieces and techniques. For adults or students who have played before, I would cater the starting point and instruction to the desires of the student. I want to keep things fun and interesting so I am very open to requests from my students.