In-Person lessons are back! I am happy to say that not only do I love my job, but my passion in life has always been teaching. I spend 12-15 hours a day either teaching violin, educating myself on the newest methods and materials, or helping my students outside of class. Your success means everything to me. I pride myself on my attention to student progress, and your satisfaction with lessons and classes (translation: I've got to make sure you're having fun so we can keep up interest, and practice time in between lessons!) Factually, I am sure there are a lot of great teachers on TakeLessons. They seem really nice! One thing I can tell you is that I am looking for students right now. My schedule is normally very full, but I have some drop-offs due to Covid and I am looking to fill some holes. I am currently accepting Absolute Beginner violin and viola students. I've been playing violin for 30 years, and I've been teaching for the last 11 of those years. I love every day at my job and love being able to bring the joy of violin to anyone who wants to learn it, no matter their age. Finding a trained violinist and finding a good violin teacher are two very different things. When I see other teacher's profiles, they boast of the years of training they had. Anyone can learn to play (that is my philosophy), but it takes a love of teaching to really make a difference in someone's life. PATIENCE With a love of teaching comes a seemingly endless resource of patience. This is because what the student sees as "patient" is really just a small step in the educational process. It is a fraction of time just before a correction. When you have something new to teach, whether it is a new technique, or a correction of something being done improperly, and you know exactly how to break it down so it is understandable and accomplish-able, you know it is always a short matter of time before the student gets it. And by short, I mean a matter of seconds, or minutes. FRIENDLINESS I respect others and what they feel and have to say. I treat others as I would want to be treated and lessons are always a pleasure to my students, because it is a pleasure for me to teach them. EXPERIENCE I have been playing for over 29 years. I have played with a multitude of local orchestras and bands and have done countless studio recording sessions and live shows. Real-world experience is vital to understanding what people want to listen to. When you are learning, there is a vast sea of information. Not all of that knowledge is equal in importance. It is most important to distinguish what is important and what is not very important. All of my real-life experience, and continuing experience reveals itself in the form of ensuring my students know what is truly important. Lessons are fun, because they are productive. I know your happiness is directly related to your success, which is why I guarantee it (as long as you practice). You will walk away being able to do something. HOW FAST CAN I EXPECT RESULTS? Some students who were musicians previously leave the first lesson being able to play their first song. Most students however, who have never played an instrument before, can expect to be comfortable bowing (a huge part of the process - half the sound!) within the first few weeks, and will then move on to learning songs. We will be learning sheet music as well, on a very, very easy gradient. After the first couple months, I expect you to tell me a song you might like to learn most so that we can start working on it. RENTALS I rent out violins of all sizes. If you have any questions, I am happy to answer them. You can use the contact button on this website for any queries. Thanks for giving me a few minutes of your time. Stay Safe, Antoinette