Musicianship
The means to express yourself through music is our ultimate goal. Similar to language, the tools we use to communicate with music can be broken down and taught. Musical skills include:
Phrasing — Musical equivalent of sentences.
Dynamics — Expressive control of volume.
Rhythm & Meter — A strong internal sense of rhythm and pulse.
Ensemble Skills — The ability to listen to and adapt to playing with other musicians.
Technique
Technical proficiency enables us to communicate freely through our instrument. Technical skills include:
Healthy Posture — Relaxed and balanced bow hold and left hand position.
Efficient Motions — Playing with a feeling of comfort and ease.
Bow Control & Tone Production — The means to produce a beautiful sound and a variety of tone colors and articulations.
Practice
In lessons, students develop new skills. To make those new skills become easy and habitual, students need not only to practice daily, but to practice effectively. Therefore, it is vital to teach students how to practice efficiently at home.
In the end, we want our students to play their instruments with joy, confidence and passion. We embark on the journey together.
Listening
Listening to music and ear training develops an aural awareness of tone, pitch, intonation, and rhythm. For most, the ability to hear fine differences in pitch is a skill that can be developed.