Violin with Kira H.

Ms. Kira Hall has enjoyed a diverse and passionate performing and teaching career in the greater NYC area for over a decade. Her performing schedule has taken her to every major concert hall in New York City, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall, and Symphony Space as well as culminating in performances with pop star Sarah McLachlan and solo performances with the Rockland Summer Institute orchestra. She holds both an Artist Diploma and Master's Degree from New York University as well as a BS in violin performance and a minor in psychology from Mannes College of Music where her primary teachers included Ann Setzer, Sally Thomas, Yi-Wen Jiang (Shanghai String Quartet), Claudia Schaer, Amy Barlow. She has also participated in masterclasses with Daniel Phillips, Eszter Haffner, Cho-Liang Lin, Pamela Frank, and Ida Kavafian, and has worked with a wide range of chamber music coaches throughout the years with names such as as Ann Setzer, Peter Prosser, Chin Kim, Gena Raps, Jeffery Swan and members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. As a passionate and dedicated educator of over 15 years, members of her private teaching studio have been accepted to performing arts high schools such as Laguardia Highschool School for the Performing Arts, New Jersey Youth Symphony, and ensembles such as Chicago University's Chamber Orchestra. They have also received perfect scores at NYSSMA. She has served as an adjunct professor at New York University and on the faculties of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and Montclair Music Studio. Currently, Ms. Hall is a registered teacher with the Suzuki Association of America and completed Suzuki teacher training for books 1 - 8 at NYC's School for Strings, where she trained with Ekaterina Gerson and Allen Lieb. She has also completed additional violin and viola pedagogy studies with Ann Setzer of the Juilliard School and Michiko Yurko, the creator of Music Mind Games. -----I am fully vaccinated and boosted for Covid-19. My studio is equipped with double HEPA filters.------- *** Lesson Details *** When working with a student, I believe in taking a holistic approach to their well-being, adapting my methodologies to tailor an experience that recognizes the whole person while taking their personal goals into consideration with a strong emphasis on proper playing technique. While I am primarily a Suzuki instructor, I believe in adapting lessons to the needs and desires of my students. With students younger than 7 years of age, I strongly recommend that a parent take lessons for 6 weeks prior to their child beginning instruction. I also insist that parents sit in on their child's lessons and take notes with this age group. This enables parents to properly supervise their child's practice, which ultimately leads to speedier progress, a better grasp of the material being taught, and less frustration. *** Studio Equipment *** Separate dedicated violin studio in apartment with piano. I do own cats, so please let me know if this is a problem! *** Travel Equipment *** I ask that my students please speak to me prior to purchasing or renting an instrument. Following your first violin lesson, you are expected to provide your instrument (a list of resources and rental companies for instruments is available upon request), a notebook, any music books assigned, a music stand, and a metronome. *** Specialties *** I specialize in classical playing and prefer teaching using the Suzuki method. I am currently registered with the Suzuki Association of America. I am also flexible enough to assist a student seeking to branch out, and for those not interested in Suzuki, I am also able to teach via more traditional methods. Additionally, I have an extensive educational background in music theory, I am also able to accept students interested in taking beginning to intermediate viola lessons.