Violin Lessons in Des Plaines, IL

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar Ukulele Recorder Euphonium French Horn Tuba Electric Guitar Djembe

The approach, overall, is to drive toward the student's goal. When someone wants to learn how to play an instrument well enough to play in a band or orchestra, I usually consider two needs - playing music and interpreting written music. These are basic parts of education, literally easy to define by achieving pages in etude books. In addition, though, there is a third component to meeting the set goal: writing music - a sensibility that you can create. Read More

Instruments: Violin

I began teaching private lessons towards the end of high school. As my love for teaching grew, I realized how many students there truly were in my hometown who had the talent and thirst for proper education in music, but did not have the resources. This is when I became involved with a program for underserved children which eventually became the Fine Arts Institute in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The program began small and only offered violin lessons. Read More

Instruments: Violin

With beginners and early age students I combine Susuki and traditional method along a series of exercises and songs that help them build the core of violin playing. I make sure that I provide my students the necessary tools to succeed. With my students I have developed a curriculum that covers technique, scales and repertory. For advanced students I work Jaques Dont studies, Kreutzer etudes, Scales and Arpeggios, and we cover Baroque and Classical violin repertory like Vivaldi and Bach concerti. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Violin Bass Guitar Harmonica

The first lesson is always partly an interview so I can understand exactly what the student's goals are. I typically establish good posture and breathing habits (or bowing and fingering, if violin) first and then move on to essential warm-up exercises. Those exercises then become their regular homework, to hopefully be practiced multiple times a week or if possible, every day. I remind the student of breathing and posture regularly - good habits are the goal! Read More

Instruments: Violin

I have been instructing students from kindergarten to high-school all over the Chicago area for the past thirteen years. My highest accomplisment is having a high-school sophomore student playing second chair first violin in Chamber Orchestra and third chair first violin in Symphonic Orchestra at Maine Township, Park Ridge, Illinois. Other accomplishments are having students prepared for Granquist Memorial Music Competition, Geneva Illinois. Since 2015 I am a member of the Northwest Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Saxophone Clarinet Recorder Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

Because I accept children as young as 3, my methods vary quite drastically. I also work with children who have learning disabilities, so I like to cater my lessons to the needs of the student. We play a LOT of games and when I feel they are ready, they can progress to books. I use everything from Hal Leonard and Bastien to Alfred and Faber Faber. Being a Special Education Aide, I understand that no book is a one size fits all". Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

I have loved music for as long as I can remember. At three years old I was dancing around my dad’s office as he played Stevie Ray Vaughn. At four I was begging my older brothers to teach me something on their guitars. By eight I was teaching myself “I Want It That Way” on my MIDI keyboard and by nine I finally decided to play the violin through my school orchestra program. Read More