Cello Lessons in Mendon, MA

Instruments: Cello

From July to December 2014, I taught individual and group lessons in the Somerville public school system. I also taught privately throughout college. Now, I am a private instructor at the Sistema Somerville program, and I also teach privately here at Musika! 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 Trumpet Trombone Flute Clarinet Double Bass Euphonium

I cater lessons to YOUR needs and goals. I am not invested in there being a "right" technique of any kind. Together we will create a custom approach so that you will love the experience of playing the music you love.  I will share fun and efficient ways to practice so that you get immediate results. If desired, I also guarantee you will be playing a blues and improvising within a maximum of 6 weeks as long as you practice at least 10 minutes, three times a week.  You will have the option of playing along with recordings minus your part so that you can experience the joy of ensemble playing early on in the safety of your own home. I love creating small ensemble groups of students at similar levels and arranging concerts at regular intervals. 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: 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

Instruments: Cello

I do not use any particular "methods" of teaching, although I did begin out on Suzuki. And while I do believe this is an important methodogy, Suzuki does have its flaws as do most of its kind. As I mentioned earlier, theory, harmony, and music history (as rudimentary as they may be at the beginning) are crucial for all students regardless of their level. The more one knows about the piece, the easier it will be to interpret and understand what the composer is asking for. Read More

Instruments: Violin Cello Viola

I teach every student slightly differently depending on their needs and age and more. There is nothing more fun than playing music so I love to help build their passion for playing the violin/vla/cello. I like the lessons to be fun experiences. I find that playing with others can be very encouraging. So whenever they can have group classes or share two lessons back to back with both of them there the entire time I love to do that. Read More