Are you ready to go on a musical journey? Me too!

In this 1-on-1 class, students will receive private instruction on the viola. Whether you're playing your first notes or have been playing for a few years already, I'll be here to help you every step of the way.

The lesson format will vary slightly from student to student, but will typically begin with a scale or warm-up exercise. From there, we will work on a solo piece for the remainder of the lesson.

I will have my viola in hand for each lesson to demonstrate the concept and have the student replicate it on their instrument. 

This class is for 30-minute lesson times only. If your child has been playing for several years already, they may be interested in hour-long lessons. Please check out my other course "Advanced 1-On-1 Viola Lessons With a Symphony Musician" for more information.

Beginners and younger students will be learning primarily by rote. Intermediate and older students will gradually learn about music theory and note-reading as new notes come up in their pieces. 

I teach in a classical style. My students learn and perform pieces from the Suzuki books, but I may recommend other pieces or books in addition to Suzuki depending on the student's age and level. I also give the opportunity for students to learn music from other genres, such as fiddle, pop, or film music. Sometimes your favourite tunes can be just as challenging (if not more challenging) than classical repertoire. 

A beginner student should expect to be working on the "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Variations" for approximately 1-2 months when they first start. These pieces are essential for developing the fundamentals of technique and rhythmic precision. I will encourage students to listen and play along to recordings on YouTube during their practice time to facilitate the learning process.

After that, the progression through the Suzuki book 1 will depend highly on the individual student's learning style. Generally, we can cover 2-3 pieces per month in the early Suzuki book (numbers 2-14), but the later pieces may take one month or more to learn and polish (numbers 15-19). Listening to the pieces will always be an important part of the daily practice routine. 

For students who have previously taken lessons, I will use the first lesson to assess their current skills/levels and work together to develop a learning plan from there. Generally, it's best to pick up from where they last left off in the Suzuki Book series. 

I will also welcome students who are looking to take only a few lessons to prepare for an audition, concert, or competition. In these situations, I will focus on dynamics, phrasing, intonation, rhythmic accuracy, and sound production to elevate the overall performance quality. I will also give concrete practice strategies and suggestions for continued work after the lessons are completed.

In my lessons, I encourage students of all ages and levels to be analytical and learn how to be their own teacher. A 30-minute lesson goes by in the blink of an eye, so effective practice sessions are essential to retaining the skills taught during lessons.

For younger learners (under 12 years old), I recommend that parents and guardians sit in on the lessons off-camera to assist the student with setting up the Zoom meeting and to help them with their technique/posture. However, as per Outschool policies, the child must be the active participant in the class and the parent/guardian cannot sign on to the class through another device.

In addition, parents of younger learners should supervise individual practice sessions and take an active role in monitoring the child's progress. Auditing lessons will allow you to keep the child on track and reinforce what was taught in the lesson.

In order for me to properly assess a student's viola technique, they will need to keep their camera on for the duration of the lesson. Students do not need to show their face beyond the initial check-in and verification, but their instrument, bow, and hands should be clearly visible in the frame.

I currently have minimum notice for bookings set for 4 days in advance. If you would like to have lessons sooner than that, please message me. 

*NOTE: If you schedule lessons on Wednesdays or Thursdays after 6:15pm EST, I may occasionally have a symphony rehearsal during your lesson time. I know these specific dates ahead of time and already have them blocked off on my calendar so you will not be scheduled or charged for lessons on these dates. I will also give a heads up at least one week in advance so you can plan accordingly. Rescheduling lessons may be possible on these symphony weeks, but NOT guaranteed.