Kristi H
Instruments: Violin, Viola
Styles: Classical, Avant-garde
Kristi H
Instruments: Violin, Viola
Styles:
Classical, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
BM, West Virginia University, Violin Performance MM, University of Texas at Arlington, Violin Performance
2015 Bayview Music Festival Alumna 2012-2014 Eastern Music Festival Alumna 2010-2014 recipient of the West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship 2007-2010 West Virginia All-State musician
I am an energetic and motivating teacher who enjoys helping people achieve their musical goals. I began violin at the age of 7 and have been playing music ever since! When given the opportunity in school I chose to take band as well and over the years I have taught myself to play nearly 20 instruments! I come from Charleston, West Virginia where it is sometimes hard to find musicians so I took it upon myself to become the player that could be called for anything. I have been a member of marching and concert bands since middle school and have attended many honor band and orchestra festivals as well as workshops where I have worked with many world renowned composers and educators. The opportunities provided to me through my school ensembles has filled me with a wealth of musical knowledge and teaching tools to help students achieve their dreams. My longterm goal is to get my Doctorate of Musical Arts with a minor in music theory and teach at the collegiate level. I dream to one day be a famous pedagogue like Dorthy DeLay! I wish for my teaching to be my legacy and my students to be inspired to cultivate the passion of others as I have been inspired to do.
My teaching experience began in high school as a counselor at a summer string camp where I worked with young students individually and in small groups. During my undergraduate degree I was focused on becoming a better player myself so I could become a better teacher to others and I worked frequently with my peers to work on my abilities as an instructor. While studying for my Master's degree I substitute taught a private studio of young students that was very successful. I also worked with a couple of undergraduate students to help them prepare for a very important playing exam and was pleased to find out that they passed with flying colors and judges commented that they had never heard them play that well before!
I believe it is important to cater to each student's needs individually so I have many method books and options for teaching. If the student is being instructed through a school program I will happily use that book and the methods therein so that the student does not get confused. If there is no such outside instruction I choose to begin with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements supplemented by other method series' such as Suzuki and All For Strings. In time, if a student is showing a particular interest in continuing in music I will begin teaching theory skills and more difficult musical assignments. For non-beginner students I will address more advanced matters of technique and musicality while also teaching music theory principals. My own work in the field of music theory has helped my playing and understanding of music immensely and I feel that any student, whether or not they intend to pursue music as a career, will benefit from understanding the WHY behind things we teach.
Throughout my years as a student I have worked with some teachers that have been very verbally supportive and others that firmly believed in the "tough love" strategy. Many students, myself included, seem to work better inside and outside of lessons when our hard work is acknowledged and praised by the instructor. For this to work one must set achievable goals for the student. I ask each student to bring a notebook where I can write down their assignments for the coming week. For each assignment I write a goal and tips on how to practice for that goal so that the student always has something to refer to in their times of need. I do not require students to keep a practice log because I feel that requiring a certain amount of practice a week is a negative way of doing things. Practice logs encourage students to fake their numbers and feel that practicing is a chore when they are told that they must reach a certain number of minutes or hours a week. Instead, I want lessons to be so fun and exciting for the student that they look forward to practicing! I will encourage a certain amount of practice time per week for a student depending on age and ability but will not require a record of it.
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