Cello Lessons in Garwood, NJ

Instruments: Cello

So, the students overall context in which he or she lives their lives is important for me to understand. For example, the kind and amount of stressors that a particular student has to cope with(academics, familial, etc) are essential to properly gage the degree of challenge a student can take on. I usually use an assortment of teaching books, both for foundation building and musical expression. Suzuki methods is fine, but I do not restrict my teaching with it alone. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I believe that each person has a unique set of skills and characteristics through which he or she acquires knowledge, maintains and improves the acquired knowledge, and uses it to his or her benefit. Therefore, although I do have a system that I follow, I attend to the specific strong and weak points of each student. My goal is to be present in each and every lesson and to focus on each student's current level with the understanding that only through direct and personal guidance could my students improve and thrive. Read More

Instruments: Cello

Usually in my lessons I like to hear the student play something from start to finish just so I can listen and take in what exactly a student's strengths and weaknesses are. Encouraging strengths, and praising accomplishments, is a great way to help a student to progress. I try not to dwell on mistakes or weaknesses but try to demonstrate or push the student in the right direction. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Violin Cello Viola

Violin/Viola: String Builder, Strictly Strings, Introducing Positions, Wohlfahrt, Sitt, Kayser, Fiorillo,Kreutzer, Flesch, etc. Cello: String Builder, Strictly Strings, Introducing Positions, Klengel, Popper, etc. Piano: Thompson's Methods, Piano Pieces for Children, Alfred's scales and arpeggio exercizes Voice: Vocalises, 24 Italian songs and arias, Vaccai, Marchesi, Lutgen, supplemental exercizes, English, German, Italian, andFrench diction. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Cello Viola

For violin and viola students, I use All For Strings for beginners, and for more advanced students, use various books, including the Suzuki book. Fun and learning, are the key! And, if a student wants some pointers on how to write a song, I am quite experienced in that, having written several Off Broadway kid's shows, including my popular, "The Everyday Life Of Kids", which played throughout the Westchester NY school system. Read More

Instruments: Cello

Even while getting my Bachelor and Master’s degrees at The Juilliard School, I knew that I wanted to explore more kinds of music. Strong fundamentals are necessary for every student, but from there every student should be able to explore the music that inspires them! I’ve spent over 13 years fusing my classical training with other genres: pop, rock, funk, EDM, folk, world, jazz, you name it. With my violin/cello duo, ARKAI, I’m on a mission to expand the possibilities of what a cello can do. Read More

Instruments: Cello

I am friendly and encouraging; I believe that everybody moves at their own pace and strive to help my students make progress. I believe in a goal-oriented mindset; sometimes I like to help students by creating practice guidelines for them to follow in between lessons. I also enjoy giving listening recommendations and the conversations that ensue - by discovering what a student likes or dislikes, I can have a clearer sense of his or her musical personality. Read More