Cello Lessons in Tewksbury, MA

Instruments: Cello

Teaching should never revolve around the notion that "perfection" is the ultimate" goal. This way of thinking not only provides my students with a false sense of hope, but more importantly is simply unattainable. In the modern age of playing, too often do I feel students losing sight of what is most important: the music. While good intonation and rhythm are certainly important, what I hope to instill in each of my students is a level of understanding far beyond learning the "notes" on the page. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I center the way I teach technique around what "feels" good to a student, especially older students who have already started, to make sure that we are able to prevent and respond to injuries. So, I start with stretching and will frequently refer back to exercises that are meant to integrate physical ease into playing. Aside from that, I try to balance a consistent routine/expectation of things I want to cover (asking for things a week in advance, always playing a scale at the start of the lesson, etc), while also meeting a student where they are at on the day. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I do not typically use method books.  With younger students, I rely on Suzuki text materials but teach using my own ergonomic, technical and musical methods that I have developed as a cellist in my own playing.   Beginner/Youth Etudes: -Scale Book -Rick Mooney Position Books -Selected Repertoire For more advanced students, I enjoy explaining and/or assigning pages to read from Diran Alexanian's Treatise on the Theory and Technique of the Violoncelliste. Read More

Instruments: Piano Cello

I am trained in the Suzuki method and will typically start my beginning cello students in this if they are not already interested in another method. If you are interested in a different method I will typically alter my teaching to accommodate. Early lessons typically work on establishing a strong technical foundation so the student will be able to pursue music that speaks to them. Pianists will typically begin with Faber's early music books. Read More

Instruments: Piano Cello

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with teaching basic music theory, scales, and start with John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course for the piano students. For Cello beginning students, it's very important to have a correct playing position. Therefore, we will spend some time on knowing cello, position for both hands, and then we will start with Suzuki. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Cello Bass Guitar

I always try to guide my instruction in a fun and engaging direction to keep the student interested and motivated to get better. I am able to do this by being energetic and enthusiastic about my teaching and I feel its important to make the material matter to the student. When a student has confidence in their abilities they are able to achieve much success on their specific instrument. As I also previously mentioned, getting to know what inspires a student and knowing them on a more personal level helps develop a better student/teacher relationship and thus yields a better outcome on the instrument. Read More

Instruments: Cello

With beginning students, I use exercises from Suzuki and Essential Elements books as a basis for note reading, but I also frequently use "echo" or "call-and-response" playing. I find this is especially important in developing a student's ear for pitch and tone early on. As a student progresses and their musical interests develop, I combine standard classical repertoire that I grew up playing with song transcriptions of film, jazz, and rock music formatted to match each student's ability level and current technical goals. Read More