Violin Lessons in Austin, TX

Instruments: Piano Violin Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Synthesizer Recorder Electric Violin Fiddle Orchestral Percussion Music Keyboard

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
Depending on the instrument, I refer to a variety of methods books and other sources...no one book is going to provide you with a 'comprehensive' approach to all things on your instrument--that's what lessons are for! Years ago, I went through book level 1 (beginner), level 2 (intermediate), and level 3 (advanced) from different publishers and for each book and for each level of that book, I compiled (in chronological order) numerous excerpts and put them into Finale software. By doing so, I'm then able to format their appearance however I prefer (e.g., AlphaNotes, beat numbers or sticking for drummers as 'lyrics' under each note, enlarged staff and note size as well as increased spacing between staves and number of systems on each page; special fonts, etc.) I then can quickly transpose to any other instrument, save, print, or e-mail, etc. I prefer not to copy pages out of books! I started on the Ed Sueta Band Methods books myself (ca, 1990-1992), and when I first started teaching in NJ everyone was using Bruce Pearson's Standard of Excellence books; here in TX everyone uses Essential Elements. They all have similar songs in a logical order, only the layout is different. I sometimes pull from Rubank or Premier Performance. For violin, I recommend All For Strings (and get the accompanying theory workbook, too). For piano, I mostly use Keys to Successful Piano Performance (by William Workinger and Ed Sueta). For drums, I also use: Stick Control for the Snare Drummer, Progressive Steps to Syncopation (by Ted Reed), and Joel Rothman's Mini-Monster Book of Rock Drumming. FYI: All exercises for warm-up purposes (to build and maintain skills) are created by me using Finale for each instrument. I've copyrighted my own material which begins each lesson I teach. If there is a physical muscle or theory skill required in the music, then custom-tailored by both skill level and instrument I have an exercise to combat that!

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
As a saxophonist of over 27 years now, I have achieved everything I have sought out for (thus far). Humbly, I must also say that as far as I have come, I'm still learning to play the saxophone in terms of there being a lot more work to do to continue to learn new techniques in order to improve. During my first few years, it was mostly about learning to play music that everyone knows and also applying ideas of my own plus influences from other musical works during performances outside of the regular school band scene. Yes, I focuses on intonation, breath control, dynamics, accuracy of rhythm and pitch, steady tempo, scales in all keys, and paying close attention to articulations, etc. but I also chose to play what was in my heart. In high school, I learned how to functionally use the altissimo register, along with other techniques (e.g., flutter-tongue, growl, etc.) In college, I finally mastered the circular breathing technique and not only do I employ in on the saxophone, but also on the clarinet and even the oboe. I find this particular technique most useful when sight-reading through fast-tempo music that has little to no rests in which to take a normal breath, so instead of breaking up the continuity of sound during these passages, I am comfortably able to perform all of the material that the piece warrants and supply my lungs with much needed oxygen as I proceed.

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