With school just around the corner and music lessons are starting back up, I know I need a pep talk as a teacher and music mom to get my students and children back in musical shape. And who better to ask for advice than my own mom, violinist and vocalist, veteran violin teacher, and mother of five professional violinists!… Read More...
Writing, Performing, and the Creative Process/Tips for Practice (Ideas para Practicar)
I was thrilled to speak with Author/Suzuki teacher Christine Goodner from The Suzuki Triangle Blog/ Time to Practice Podcast! Click HERE for full episode!
If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend checking out Christine’s incredible resources for teachers and parents of musicians! I took one of her online courses a year ago, and it was incredible!… Read More...
Violin or Fiddle, What’s the Difference?
Have you ever wondered the difference? It’s not the instrument; it’s the way you play it. Check out this video to see how!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download… Read More...
A Dad’s Take on Parenting Musicians
What is it like to be the non-musical parent of a budding musician? I couldn’t think of a better person to ask than my own amazing dad. Having attended countless violin recitals, orchestra concerts, and gigs, he’s been my number one supporter. A seasoned teacher and mentor, as well as a leader in his field, I decided to interview him to get his take on the world of music education.… Read More...
Violin Studio 101: Free Course
Do you want to start or improve your violin studio, but don’t know where to begin? On March 10, I’m sharing my Violin Studio 101 Course for FREE to my subscribers. Sign-up here, and you’ll receive a link to the course and eBook translations on release day. You can also sign-up by joining my What’sApp Group.… Read More...
Preparing Advanced Students for Auditions, with Violinist Valerie Sullivan
A few months ago, I had the privilege of interviewing my own high school violin teacher, my aunt Valerie Sullivan, on this topic.
Over the course of her career, Valerie has served as a violin professor, strings sectionals coach for the youth symphony, orchestral musician, soloist, chamber musician, and private violin teacher.… Read More...
All Aboard the Rhythm Train: Interview with Author Dana DeKalb
“Everything living has a rhythm. Do you feel your music? ”-Michael Jackson
As a violin instructor of many young children, I believe it is important to use resources that appeal to the age demographic I teach. In addition to the resources I mentioned in my previous post, I use The Rhythm Train books with my young protégés.… Read More...
How Do I Motivate my Child/Student to Practice?
While most people find it daunting to motivate even one child to practice regularly, my mother Allison managed to motivate all four of my sisters and me to practice nearly every day from the age of 3 until we went to college, all of us with violin scholarships in hand. As the mother of a budding music student myself, I wanted to find out her tricks of the trade, not just as a professional violin teacher, but also as a busy mom, with all of the responsibility that entails!… Read More...
Violin Studio 101: Box Violin Craft
Build your own little violin! This craft works great for teachers as well as parents of young students. It can also just be a fun introduction to musical instruments.
Prospective students are usually anxious to get started on the real violin, but often they’re not ready.… Read More...
Violin Studio 101: Beginning Method Books
Check out my favorite beginning violin books! My primary method is the Suzuki Method, which emphasizes aural training and imitates language learning. In graduate school, I took a couple of linguistics classes on Second Language Acquisition, which further reminded me of Suzuki’s genius to combine these principles with music education.… Read More...
Violin Studio 101: Instrument Basics
“Where can I buy a violin?” students often ask. My answer is usually threefold.
Local Strings Shop
Please don’t buy from Amazon for an acoustic (not as good of quality)
As students get more advanced, they can always try out violins from other string shops as well.
Don’t forget to check their size!… Read More...
Violin Studio 101: The Nuts and Bolts: Who, What, Where, When, How Much: Part 2
Whether you’re a veteran music teacher or just starting your studio, it’s important to consider the nuts and bolts of your business. These are the “who, what, where, when, how” questions about your studio. Those of us who’ve been in the business for awhile know several of the traps people can fall into in a small business, so it’s best to address these issues before they even start.… Read More...
Violin Studio 101: The Nuts and Bolts: Who, What, Where, When, How Much: Part 1
Whether you’re a veteran music teacher or just starting your studio, it’s important to consider the nuts and bolts of your business. These are the “who, what, where, when, how” questions about your studio. Those of us who’ve been in the business for awhile know several of the traps people fall into, so it’s best to address these issues before they even start.… Read More...
Violin Studio 101: Get Philosophical
Random fact: I majored in violin performance for undergrad, but I got my Master’s Degree in French Literature. A bit of a shift in areas of specialization, I know, but both disciplines have shaped who I am today.
The French are a philosophical bunch.… Read More...
Violin Studio 101: Get Connected
After nearly a decade of running my own studio, I decided to re-examine my studio and methods, taking a good look at which techniques I’ve found successful, and which areas leave room for improvement.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, I want to share the resources that have been most beneficial to me over the years.… Read More...