Violin Lessons in Memphis, TN

Instruments: Piano Voice Music Keyboard

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
This is a great question because music is NOT everything! It is a gift and a privilege and a wonderful part of life, but it is not "life". As a creative person, if my primary focus were not music, then I would likely be focused on some other creative art form: acting, theatre, dance, writing, painting, designing, illustrating, glass art, etc. I do these kinds of things now and enjoy them, but music is my primary focus at this point. I would not stop creating and being imaginative if for some reason, it was no longer right for me to be a musician. But there are many life-changing obstacles that have not stopped musicians in the past: deafness, blindness, etc. A life-altering change does not necessarily mean my livelyhood should also.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
Several teachers have inspired me and encouraged me in musical pursuits. One of them was my high school choir and show choir director, Deborah Friesen. She was very positive and energetic! And she awarded me "Best Soprano" my senior year. That was a confidence booster. Another very important influence was my Vocal coach in Nashville, TN, Dr. Joseph Collins. He has a PhD in Vocal Pedagogy and was very encouraging of my Vocal giftings. He taught me many wonderful secrets about singing and understanding my voice.

When will I start to see results?
First ask yourself- am I or my child learning and having fun? If you can answer "yes" to that at any point, then you are seeing results. That should be happening from the first lesson. Enjoyment is an important reason that Music is shared with us. If you are engaging in music in some way and having fun with it, then its serving its true purpose for you. If you have professional musical goals, then results will come OVER TIME , and that varies based on the age of the student, amount of consistent practice time, natural gifted ability, and learning and applying pertinent music business skills.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
This is really determined on an individual basis. EVERY child is different and should not be compared to other children or siblings. The first thing to look for is the child's interest in music. Start by exposing your child to live music events (age appropriate) and engaging in some music making time together. Music should be fun and a creative expression and should not be enforced upon a child as a means of punishment or for the primary purpose of instilling discipline. Music needs to be a choice made by both child and parent.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
This a great question! There are a few key secrets of success to effective practice time. One of them is finding the right place and space to practice in. This should be a place that has all of your equipment and materials needed and that is free from distractions. Distractions include interruptions from a technological or entertainment device. Distractions also include pets & people of your household. Once you have your quiet space, and your materials you should commit a small amount of time to practicing your voice or other instrument. This helps prevent burnout or discouragement. Set aside 15-20 minutes per day and do that 5 times a week, rather than an hour a day two days a week. This helps brain and body retention of the exercises.

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