Viola Lessons in NYC New York

Joey D

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Ukulele Recorder Electric Violin Double Bass Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Oboe Bassoon English Horn Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
Ever since I learned the saxophone in middle school after playing the clarinet for four years, I have loved learning new instruments! At first, I wanted to be able to play more types of music, and then I realized how similar the clarinet and saxophone were. From then on, I loved being able to play more and more instruments. As it turns out, they're all more alike than they are different!

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
The hardest thing about the clarinet—or any instrument—is being able to leave the technique behind. So often we get caught up in being able to play our instrument that we forget to *make music*.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
A normal practice session for me will involve a nice long warmup where I focus on my technique and sound, followed by playing all of the things I am currently working on. I'll try to play three things: something new that I want to learn; something that I will be playing in a concert soon; and something old that I just enjoy playing. If I have enough time, I will play until I get tired of playing (but not a second longer!).

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I'm currently finishing my Bachelor of Music in Music Education. I chose Music Education because I believe that music is most enjoyable when it is shared with others! My degree provides me with the chance to spread a love for music through accessibility, diversity, and inclusion.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
The best practice is the kind that you enjoy! I suggest setting clear goals for your practice sessions, and then planning how to achieve those goals. Most importantly, check in with yourself: if you're feeling frustrated or tired of playing, put your instrument down and come back later. Too much practice can be worse than too little!

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
For every stage in a person's development, theres a type of music for them, so I say a student is ready for music lessons when they show a desire to make music! For our youngest learners who are just learning to speak, Music Learning Theory can be used to help develop musical and linguistic skills from infancy to early childhood. There are also teaching methods designed for students as young as 3 to years old to give them a head start in playing an instrument (Orff), singing (Kodaly), or dancing (Dalcroze). All of these methods are proven to be immensely helpful to students' development in schools and as a musician.

When will I start to see results?
If you measure in joy, the results will be immediate! When we build a strong foundation of love for music, the technique just falls into place. Most importantly, I hope the result my students hope for is a well-rounded musicianship that can translate to listening skills, compositional/improvisational skills, and proficiency on their instrument.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I have always wanted to perform Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto. It is my favorite piece of music for the clarinet, and I love the fusion of classical and jazz that sounds so cool on the clarinet!

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
While I am incredibly proud of recently performing in my first solo recital, I am most proud to have been a member of the incredible ensembles at NYU. Making beautiful music with some incredibly talented groups of musicians has shown me the most important reason for making music is the shared joy of performing together.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I chose the clarinet because it looked cool! In my defense, I was only 9 years old, but I made a great decision. My love for the clarinet helped me learn the skills I needed to be a well-rounded musician and transfer my knowledge to many other instruments. Not only have I become an excellent clarinet player (if I do say so myself), I have become a better musician.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I'd say I'm very fortunate that every teacher I've had has inspired me to pursue music, but the most impactful teacher was my first music teacher at age 9: Mrs. Hughes. While I didn't start exceptionally young, my life was immediately changed by Mrs. Hughes's infectious enthusiasm. From then on out, I was hooked! After following in her footsteps, I hope to give the same excitement to my students so that they can be lifelong musicians no matter their path in life.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Funny enough, my family wasn't musical at all! It wasn't until I started learning to play clarinet that my little brother took up percussion, and we both went on to major in music in college. After seeing how much my brother and I enjoyed playing music, my parents then decided to learn themselves!

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
If I wasn't a musician, I would be very sad, first of all. That being said, I would probably be a fashion designer, since I have always loved to sew (and I even sew a lot of my own clothing!).

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