I have been teaching violin for the past 25 years and have enjoyed working with children of all ages and abilities. Introducing children to the violin at a young age will kindle a lifelong passion for music and the arts. I use a variety of teaching materials and repertoire to fit each student's learning style. I don't believe there's a "one size fits all" approach as each student enters my studio with a different set of strengths and musical experiences. I do expect a serious commitment to the violin from my students and their families and consistent practicing, at least 5 days a week, is a must.
My students have successfully moved on to careers in music, have been prize winners at local music competitions and have played at Carnegie Hall. Many are intensely involved in the music life of Northern Virginia and are members of some of the area's best youth symphony orchestras, such as the American Youth Symphony Orchestras, The Capitol Youth Symphony Orchestras and Washington Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
Playing chamber music can be one of the most rewarding experiences for any musician. I encourage my students to team up for violin duo, trio and quartet playing. Please let me know if you are interested and I'll see if there's someone to partner up within my studio.
I offer plenty of performance opportunities to my students. Each year we have two big studio recitals to showcase everyone's progress. I also take smaller groups of kids into retirement homes for extra concerts throughout the year to gain more performance experience.
Going to live concerts is another important learning experience. I expect my students to attend at least one concert per semester. The DC area has an abundance of opportunities, many of them at a low or no cost. I'll keep you posted about appropriate choices.
My studio is located in West Springfield. I do not travel to student houses for lessons.