Newington, VA Viola Lessons

. I can help you understand what is going on behind the music and hopefully see what the composer was hoping to convey, if that is something you want to know. When I was a student I always wanted to know "why?". As a teacher, you will know why if I do.

*** Lesson Details ***
I try to keep my lesson area as stress free as possible. It's OK to make mistakes in my studio. I would like you to bring a notebook to lessons as well as your music and instrument. I write as much as I can down because if you were like I was during lessons, I would forget everything I was supposed to be watching for after 3 days. Like I said above, we move at your pace. The more you practice, the faster we move. Questions are a good thing. It shows interest. But sometimes you just have to stop asking questions and just take the leap of faith.
We start with note reading as well as proper form and the parts of the instrument. We also deal with general care. I will tune your instrument every time you come in for lessons until you learn how to tune it yourself. We will review the day before, I will check on what work you've done and then move onto the next song/ technique etc. After we learn how to pluck the first 8 notes, we start with scales and bowing.

After that we move through the "usual" routine. Scale, etude, song(s) or school test songs, audition requirements etc.

I try to keep the same routine because for some students it's easier for them to focus if they know the lesson is going to move in a familiar way. It's reassuring. After we become proficient in the basics, we move into whatever genre you would like to play, within reason. If you are in the school orchestra we will work towards you getting an A.

I would say I'm more laid back when you are not preparing for an audition. Auditions require a lot of work and I want you to do as close to perfect as possible. I become fairly demanding during that time.

In about 6 months, you can play almost any tune you can hear on the radio. Explaining where you could be gets fairly technical and I might as well be talking like Charlie Brown's teacher.

*** Studio Equipment ***
at the away studio: music, music stand, stool, piano, laptop, tuner, metronome.

at home: music, music stands, chairs, computer, laptop, keyboard, microphone, tuner, metronome.

pictures of the away studio are posted.

*** Specialties ***
I am familiar with Paul Rolland's work, Valerie Bobbett Gardner's Violin Virtuosity, as well as Guillespie's. I was brought up Suzuki but haven't been trained in Suzuki. I have taken classes on how to teach to a variety of students so I could hold a teaching license in the state. I do participate with (Canadian) The Royal Conservatory of Music Music Development. This is active in the US also.

Special note: If you are allergic to cats, you will want to take lessons at my other studio location, not at the home.

IF you are contacting me with questions, please include either take lessons or lessons in the subject area so I can find you faster. I get a lot of junk mail and it is easy for me to miss a note from you.

years. During this time, I was able to take lessons from master violinists such as Marc Thayer and Glen Cherry. During this time, I was given the opportunity to perform with the New World Symphony at 17 years old for pops concert conducted and performed by Chuck Mangione in El Doral, FL.

I later on accepted a scholarship for violin performance at the University of Miami for my Bachelor of Music, and earned my Master of Music from Florida State University. I also taught string orchestras for 10 years at Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 Center, South Florida Youth Symphony as conductor (and now composer!), and conductor of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. I was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Alhambra Orchestra for two seasons under the guidance of my high school orchestra teacher, Mr. Reginald Nicholson (1947-2011). It was here where I was able to work on my compositions, orchestrations, and conduct a fine group of musicians.

I now live in sunny Los Angeles, in the Sherman Oaks area, and I'm loving the new change. I am eager to share my knowledge with new students on various subjects such as learning a string instrument to learning a different language. Please feel free to ask me any questions.

I am looking forward to getting to know you and your goals for learning!
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LESSON DETAILS
I have been teaching music as an adult, certified teacher since I was in college, but have done teaching as early as 15 years old.

I will help you create a fantastic technical base so you will be able to play with ease as your skill level develops, all while keeping the lessons fun and engaging.

MUSIC STUDIO
Piano, Violin, Guitar, Music Stand, General Teaching Aids, Recording Equipment.

TRAVEL EQUIPMENT
I can provide a music stand and basic materials but the student is expected to have their own instruments and to buy the music I recommend. I can recommend various vendors/shops where you can buy the ideal instrument for your lessons.

EXPERTISE
I am classically-trained musician that also specializes in Tango performance, Latin/Jazz, Rock, and a variety of other styles. I believe that training in the classical aesthetic will create a firm, solid foundation to crossover into other areas listed above. With a good dose of technical exercises, scales, and a variety of repertoire, my students always turn out well-rounded, ready to tackle almost any kind of music they wish to learn.

Thank you for stopping by and let me know what you would like to learn!

such as, science and mathematics.

Mr, Ray's comprehensive 3 step courses.

1. Learn the basics of the music language, reading and writing.

2. COUNTING. keeping time, the ruler of motion in music. 

3. Learn how to create beautiful melodies and syntax of song to discover the process of creativity with a structure toward musical thought.

Also. effective personal practice techniques and the basics of Improvisation and Composition. 

It is well documented that exposing children to music and the creative arts is a prerequisite to fundamental logical thought processes and schematic reasoning.

Music is organic FUN for kids of all the ages! 4 years to 104. Lol
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Recordings with artists and celebrities throughout the U.S. and Europe. Presentations of jazz and classical ensembles with rotating artists for hire of various genres of music.
You may consider me a Triple threat as they say, Singer, Dancer and Entertainer.

He has performed with notables such as Stevie Wonder,
Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, and Carmen Mac Cray.
Akademisches Festival Orchestra, Leipzig,
Kammerorchester de St. Laurentius, in Dessau, Germany.
National Gallery of Art Orchestra, and the
American University Symphony.
Howard University Community Orchestra
La Fete Musique, World-wide Busking Society.
MTA-Music Under New York
resently D.C. Concert Orchestra and DC Strings workshop
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tt Rawls. She has attended several music festivals within the United States and Internationally such as: Cincinnati Conservatory Music Festival, Cleveland Institute of Music Viola Workshop, Brevard Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Orford Music Center in Canada, Parma Conservatory-Italy, Musica en Compostela in Spain, and many others. Back at home in Venezuela she is considered founder of el Sistema’s Carabobo Music Conservatory. Her Major teachers include Santiago Garmendia, Margaret Karp, John Graham, and Scott Rawls.

TEACHING
As a performer, soloist and active chamber musician, and as a pedagogue, I provide private lessons to any individual interested in the art of music, education, and the good times. My teaching welcomes individuals from the youngest to college students. My primary instrument is the Viola, and simultaneously I focus on the instruction of the Violin, and the early and beginning studies of the piano. I have great experience as master class teacher, sectional leader, group teaching, and individual or one-in-one pioneer.

THE OUTCOMES
Apart from the academic outcomes the student will obtain at lessons, my intentions as a teacher and artist is to incorporate and welcome the student in the fantastic music world and literature. One of the many purposes of music is the idea of the student developing a sense of responsibility along with following tasks in a didactic and dynamic manner. I love bringing and promoting the idea and the philosophy of enthusing and inculcating a leadership position of the student in the family, and building most importantly a harmonic and artistic environment among their relatives and into their homes. I love to program and propose little student recitals in where the student will have the opportunity in performing the pieces worked throughout the teaching sessions in a little concert for their friends and family. Every student loves the fun in which they get from these opportunities and from their performance experiences. I do believe that the learning and instruction of music is an important influential factor in participating and in the development of many other abilities and skills; in the expansion and promotion of creativity, the adoption of a more discipline attitude for other arts, it helps to easier approach other academic courses, and to focus on developing the tools and creativity to participate at their schools and anywhere else.

*** Lesson Details ***
METHODOLOGIES
About the teaching methods used, I basically like to approach the beginner student through the methods of Suzuki, which is a very efficient and didactic method most pedagogues uses today. This one is a clear method that demands from the student and it simultaneous engages the interaction and participation of their parents, family, friends, and their community as well. In other occasions, it is most common that I would also incorporate a new student to my studio-transfer students-, who would have used other materials and methods with his/her previous instructor. In this case I would continue using his/her methods to examine the level and content learned and practiced. Then, it is in later lessons where we might establish and suggest other good methods and books to which the student might be ready to switch or scale up to.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Books, Stands, Metronomes, Chairs, Tuning & repair equipment, and more.

*** Specialties ***
Viola, Violin. Chamber, private, solo, & orchestra.

n for music. In addition, she will provide instruction on music theory and music history as part of instrumental lessons as it applies.

Susanna received her training at State University of New York at Purchase in 1991, where she received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music. In addition, she attended the University of Denver, Lamont School of Music in 2000 where she received a Masters in Music. She has studied with Sol Grietzer, Karen Dreyfus and Basil Vendryes. In addition, she received her Music Education K-12 Certification in 1995 from Carnegie Mellon University.

As an expert in her field, Susanna looks forward to helping new students achieve their goals. Her teaching style is positive, supportive, patient and constructive, focused on the individual student's needs, and enjoyable. She will work at your pace and cares about each of her students. Susanna will teach you the proper position, technique, how to read music and how to improve your playing. Susanna works with students from ages 7 through adults and believes you are never to old to learn.

I recommend weekly lessons for all students to ensure good progress. I can provide information on purchasing or renting an instrument, if needed. You can check my availability on my schedule and sign up for lessons with TakeLessons.com. Please message me with any questions or about available times for lessons. I will respond quickly. Thank you for your interest and consideration.

c that YOU want to play!

I also teach composition and music theory (which is beneficial skill set for performers and composers alike).

Please send me a message and let me know your musical goals. I'd love to work with you!

e remaining pieces will go. The process itself gets easier down the road, because you've developed strategies and have spent so much time looking at your goal, i.e the finished picture on the box.
My role in this little analogy is to ensure you like the puzzle enough to keep going, give you hints on where to put pieces, and to show you the things you've put together that might have otherwise gone overlooked. All of which are easy for me to find simply because I, too, have done this puzzle before!