Violin with Gabriel M.

Thank you for taking the time to consider joining my studio! As a teacher, I am very analytical, specific, and ordered in my approach. The study of the violin should be encouraging and exciting, and it should never feel overwhelming or too difficult. With steady student practice, thoughtful assignments, and clear instruction given by the teacher, new concepts and skills are added in little by little until mastery of every part of violin playing becomes natural! For beginning students: I use methods that emphasize duets and careful listening from the very beginning. I seek to encourage more reliance on learning to read music and listening to sounds produced by the instrument rather than relying on physical/visual cues such as tapes attached to the fingerboard for finger placement. Physical/visual crutches like tapes are often introduced only because the student is overwhelmed with putting too many fingers down at once in the very beginning. While I am happy to build on any previous good work a student has done, my preferred approach is for new students to become confident putting down one finger at a time (without tapes), checking the quality of his or her playing by sound (with the possible occasional help of a tuner). Ear training, or learning to hear correctly in the context of violin playing, is a very important skill that I seek to build from the very beginning of a violinist's study. I have found that, in the context of playing duets and playing with recordings, this can be inspiring, encouraging, and fun for beginning students! Also, there is some introduction to how to make a good sound with the bow and some open string practice just for that. Basic instrument maintenance is also introduced. For intermediate students: I use short pieces and methods that introduce each left hand position individually and I give a lot of practice playing in that position (and shifting to it from others) until good intonation becomes second nature in each area of the violin. As intonation becomes secure, more elaborate techniques such as vibrato and double stops are introduced. Also, students are given short pieces and etudes to improve bow control. For advanced students: Specialized technical studies and scales are used to perfect intonation, bow control, coordination, and virtuosity. Students study standard concerto repertoire, the solo violin works of J S Bach, short concert pieces, sonatas, orchestral audition music, and advanced etudes and caprices. The most basic building blocks of violin playing such as open string practice, "simple" bowing exercises, perfect intonation within various hand positions, and shifting are revisited and rediscovered at a higher level. The very most advanced and dedicated students are prepared for opportunities such as auditions for colleges and conservatories, the most rigorous and respected summer music programs, and high level student orchestra programs. Having graduated from a top musical conservatory in the US and having won auditions for employment in professional orchestras, I am very aware of the current educational and professional landscape in the American classical music world today. I can offer students of any level advice about opportunities to pursue for their musical development and I can point the most advanced students to the best schools and career preparation opportunities for their own unique development. I continue to explore new ideas for my own musical growth, and I still diligently practice my own violin playing: I am a strong believer that I should always be able to demonstrate anything I ask my students to do on the violin. I continually seek to discover new and exciting ways to make my playing more and more outstanding, and I hope to inspire my students to do the same! Currently, I am exploring musical improvisation, and apart from the violin I continue to educate myself in a variety of subjects including psychology, math, history, and classic literature. If you look forward to learning the violin and are looking for an inspiring and ambitious teacher, feel free to contact me! I look forward to hearing from you! -Gabriel