Violin Lessons in West Friendship, MD

Instruments: Violin

To become a good musician, it is important to have strong fundamentals and also good understanding of different musical styles. I have had the opportunities to study music with top professors across Asia, Europe and the United States. This has brought me valuable perspectives of different musical styles, practice methods and systems. As a result, I have combined and rearranged everything I learnt and created my own system and lesson plans tailored to different students of all levels. Read More

Instruments: Violin Fiddle

When teaching fiddle I teach students starting on simple tunes that we learn by ear and memorize. With a few standard well known tunes down I use those to demonstrate more of the nuances of fiddle performance. The process of learning fiddle is a simultaneous process of learning how to pick up tunes quickly by ear and play them idiomatically so there is not much in the way of text that I use in the actual lessons however I will recommend readings depending on how much the student is interested in that, otherwise we mostly have a fun time playing fiddle Music Theory I teach using the standard AP music theory text and the Kostka Tonal harmony book or other textbooks that the student is using from their classes. Read More

Instruments: Violin

Over my years of teaching, I have learned that music is such an incredible outlet for my students to express themselves. Especially for younger students, it gives them a way to show their emotions when words are not enough. I enjoy watching my students grow as musicians and learn to articulate different concepts with confidence. Perhaps most special is watching a student's personal confidence grow as they learn a new skill that makes them feel special. Read More

Instruments: Violin Music Keyboard

I want my students to be well-rounded musicians. This means that as we work towards fluency on the instrument, in the meantime, we will also work towards a stronger understanding of music theory, as it will tremendously strengthen one's ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret music - to a much deeper level. In my lessons, I also try to allow students to have a chance to explore improvisation. Improvisation skills is something that is often not seen in classical musicians (and what a shame! Read More

Instruments: Violin Cello Viola

I have been teaching for six years, giving lessons at my home to students aging from 6 to 60. In addition to private lessons, I have worked as an assistant coach to the Harford String Orchestra, a youth orchestra for gifted middle school students. As a teacher, my goal is to share my passion and love of music, by combining classical music with music my students are interested in. This has proven to form a compromise with students, making lessons and practicing more appealing, especially for younger students interested in playing music they are already familiar with. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Ukulele Mandolin Recorder Lute Double Bass Mallet Percussion Conga Latin Percussion

I have been teaching private lessons for 10 years. Encouraging students to practice regularly and to have fun with their instrument is essential for the learning process. I stress the importance of these two things so that the student may develop a love for music and their instrument of choice. Also, being able to teach a variety of musical styles keeps students wanting to learn. I encourage students to not only learn written pieces, but to create their own music and individual sound. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola Recorder

For my youngest students, age 7 and under, I begin with Adventures in Violinland, a wonderful method written by Shirley Givens, instructor at Peabody Preperatory. This teaches note reading with a solfegg system. It has a strong emphasis on technique. For beginners ages 8 and up, I use either Essential Elements or Sound Innovations, usually matching it with whatever the school district uses that the student lives in. As the students progress, I use the Suzuki repertoire as well as various scale and technique books. Read More