Collegeville, PA Viola Lessons

A classical approach to any music style, whether classical, folk, tango....let's make beautiful music together.

Correct play position, reading viola clef, scales, etudes, solo pieces, shifting, vibrato. Possibility to play in a student string orchestra!

My teaching purpose is to instill a music appreciation while showing the technical aspects, reaching for a deeper way of transposing the even the most distinct feelings into music. To share my musical and educational experience with others, to exceed all others expectations, as well as mine, to fulfill my dreams, and create stronger principles, while reaching personal growth.

Though violin was the first instrument I learned, the viola just might be my favorite to teach! Technique, confidence building and rhythm are my main focuses for viola students. In addition to performance skills, I aim to give all my students musical knowledge about theory, music history and musical terminology.

I can teach beginning-advanced viola students, and I can also help a student in the process of switching from violin to viola.

I began privately instructing students while I was still in high school. Thirty years later, my studio teaching experience continues to instill a passion for music and students that are performing in their own venues in school and the community. Knowing that the time I have with each person is leading them to grow and share their own abilities with others is truly the heart of where I think musical instruction should lead.

Interested in building your chops and becoming a better musician? Let me help you grow as a musician! I hold a Masters Degree in Music Performance, am a Certified North Carolina Teacher, and am currently an orchestra director specializing in strings.

I usually work with children or teenagers and I can teach someone who has never played an instrument before as well as intermediate players. I use a variety of books that teach theory, rhythm and playing songs such as the Suzuki method, I Can Read Music, the String Builder series and Winning Rhythms by Edward Ayola. For the pieces I focus on a routine to prepare and perform "performance ready" pieces so students gain confidence in their playing and know the level of expectation for what a professional polished piece sounds like.
For complete beginners I focus a lot on the correct positioning because that is the base for playing and it is very hard further down the line to change a bad habit related to positioning.
For more advanced players I focus on the core skills such as intonation and the ability to read notes and rhythms but I also incorporate how to add musicality and flare to a piece so that it is emotional and interesting to listen to.