Violin Lessons in Oklahoma City, OK

Instruments: Violin

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Remember: Every difficult task is actually many small, easy tasks clustered together. The first step to practicing effectively is slowing down and breaking the piece down into small, manageable categories. Practice for rhythm. Practice for pitch. Practice for the dynamics and markings. You don't learn anything from jumping in and playing faster than your brain can process. I had a teacher who once told me that practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect. Fundamentals first, always!

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
Children between the ages of five and six are generally at the right time in their lives to start learning music. At this point in development, children have a remarkable ability to retain what they learn as well as the faculties to start concentrating and applying it, although their stamina is limited. That's the main reason why children start off practicing their instrument approximately a half hour per day. Gradually, a child's ability to concentrate for extended periods of time increases, although this growth varies between children.

When will I start to see results?
The main notion to keep in mind when you're playing music is that everybody develops at a different rate. Every person is experiencing their own unique obstacles and trials. On the violin, each person has something unique that they do amazingly that helps form their individual style. "Results" are what you make of them. Maybe your performance of Beethoven doesn't look like much next to Vengerov performing the same piece, but that doesn't mean that your playing isn't valuable or beautiful in its own right. I'll leave you with this thought: If you are concerned about results, make lists of short-term and long-term goals and do everything you can to meet them. That's when you'll start seeing positive changes.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I wasn't particularly inspired by one person. Actually, it was more like an entire community of professors and friends at Baldwin Wallace that inspired me to exceed my limits and become the man I am today. Knowing that all of these people believed in me gave me the incentive to pursue this path.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I was just four years old when I decided that I wanted to try this instrument, so my memory of why I wanted to try the violin is hazy at best. All I do know is that it has sent me on a journey that has helped me work with brilliant musicians, helped me meet some of my best friends, and helped me have a much more profound understanding of myself as a person.

Read More