Viola Lessons in Ridgewood, NJ

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Viola Clarinet Bass Guitar Banjo Ukulele Double Bass Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I use String Builder, Essential Elements, etudes, technical studies for each instrument and Suzuki Methods for strings and essential elements for clarinet. I emphasize good posture, holding the instrument and bow properly and correct finger placement. Also learning to play scales and music to prepare for auditions and a recital. I also teach students music theory and sight reading and assist with orchestral music. The repertoire is based on different musical genres and multicultural pieces and I allow the students to chose some of the music they would like to play. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola Music

Welcome to my Musika Profile.  My name is Tina, and I have been in the music industry for over 25 years.  My education background includes the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music in New York City.  I perform regularly in venues like Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York, and have worked with artists from all different genres namely Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Esperanza Spalding, John Legend, Patti LaBelle. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

Playing a string instrument is very difficult and for a student to really flourish as a musician requires that they develop confidence and discipline. I find that the relationship between a music student and teacher is one that develops skills for life, not just musical techniques. I feel very thankful to my own teachers for showing me how powerful my hard work and dedication was, how fun and exciting music can be, and most importantly that their criticisms of my playing always meant that they believed in me. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Cello Viola

I've enjoyed teaching piano, violin and viola students, for the past seventeen years! And what I've generally found is, that it's not how long you practice, but how well. I feel that a student needs to be taught how to practice! I travel around Westchester NY and in addition to teaching the instrument, I encourage students to compose their own original pieces. I am a published composer and many of my music videos can be seen on You Tube. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Viola Electric Violin Music Keyboard

For beginning students, I typically start with my method based on a combination of the Suzuki method, a base of the European School, and my intuition and vision of each student. 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. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

For beginner students, I like to work on positioning the instrument, proper bow hold, and simple string crossing exercises. A great beginners book is the quick steps to note reading. I believe beginner students should be practicing with this book every day. When they are ready to start learning pieces, I really like to use the Suzuki books. This works for both young beginners and adult beginners. For students who are more advanced, I am adamant about them practicing scales and etudes. Read More

Instruments: Violin Cello Viola Double Bass

I adjust my private instruction based on student interests- if a student is into composing or using programs like finale or garageband, we construct lesson content around these interests. There's always the inclusion of music theory, at all levels of experience, because I feel that it is necessary for students to understand how the music is created and why in order to become better performers and musicians. I never let a student let a bad day get in the way of having a productive lesson- I like to touch base on how they're doing, and if things aren't going so well, we will always be able to find something positive that's going on in the lesson. Read More