About My Teaching
Many of the great artists and master pedagogues of today have stated in interviews that in order to truly have a chance at being successful in the world of classical music, a person needs to have devoted their entire upbringing to the study of this art, as if the only path forward is to be born to the right family with the right resources, in the right place, at the right time. Of course all of these things are substantially beneficial, but to condemn everyone who isn't "born special" to a life separate from this most-human-of-things is immoral and irresponsible. While one cannot deny that a lack of resources and support will make the road insufferably difficult, there is always a way forward. I did not have any of those things, and I have still managed to pursue this and continue to open new doors and share new stages with wonderfully accomplished artists. It is my hope that I might help all students who are have a dream of pursuing the study of violin playing.
​​
To pursue mastery of the violin is to develop supreme control over the many systems of the human body. In my teaching, we begin by addressing the musculoskeletal system, how to stand in the most correct way, how to hold the violin and the bow, how to move correctly in the most basic of forms. We then delve into a conscious conversation with the nervous system, learning about the various inputs of the visual, aural, tactile, proprioceptive, and chronoseptive senses, and how they lead to and correspond with the outgoing neurological transmissions that become commands executed by the muscles of the body. This naturally transitions to learning about the endocrine system, and how cortisol and adrenaline impact these transmissions to induce "stage-fright", and what we can do to mitigate those effects. All of this learning allows us to identify issues in our playing and can inform us of the root causes of those issues, so long as we have sufficient knowledge of violin playing technique to rely upon, which then enables us to pursue the most highly efficacious solutions to those problems through our practice. As long as a student is diligent and applies themself, they will be able to continue developing their violin playing, and with continued improvement come ever more opportunities to perform.
​
I specialize in two areas of teaching: beginning students who are either brand new to the violin or have only been playing a short time and are willing to put in a lot of work, and strong players looking to prepare for the next stage in their studies by auditioning for music schools.
​
I place high value on scales, etudes, solo Bach, and certain standard repertoire, while also keeping an ever expanding repertoire of music that I love to pass down to my students. Listening and watching are also equally important parts of the education, as are music history, historically informed performance practice, and music theory.
​
If you are interested in studying with me, please send me an email at: