Violin Lessons in La Grange Highlands, IL

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Saxophone Clarinet Recorder Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I am goofy kind of gal who is a kid at heart so, while I do not allow the students to goof-off during practice, I definitely encourage the children to have fun and take breaks. Learning a new skill is taxing on the brain so I do enjoy inserting some brain-breaks here and there, when necessary. I'm also a very big sticker advocate! Most children enjoy them, and I love rewarding them after completing a song we've been working on. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Violin Cello Viola Music Keyboard

Suzuki instructional books and supplemented by traditional methodology for reading the various clefs: treble, alto, tenor, and bass. In addition, historical and theoretical subjects are introduced appropriately to keep the student engaged no matter their current abilities. We also have at least two public performances a year at a venue which has a high quality grand piano so the students can get used to the notion that every piano will be different and performing scales before playing their chosen repertoire will help them immensely. Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola

I prefer to start young beginners with the Suzuki method. I feel it's the best method for not only instilling the correct posture and tone production, but also a great method for instilling a passion for the instrument. Students learn songs by rote in a lesson, and then practice at home along with a recording in order to train the ear. Once students have a good foundation, I add in I Can Read Music and use it as a supplement to continued Suzuki practice to begin developing music reading skills. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Clarinet Bass Guitar Synthesizer French Horn

The most effective teachers that I have had were teachers who recognized these important factors in the student-teacher relationship- that the best education experiences occur when both the student and the teacher embark on a positively-reinforced exploration together as opposed to the teacher solely dictating negatively to the student. It's with this spirit that I intend to conduct every lesson that I teach, because it is also through making the relationship one of mutual exploration and nurturing that I will give my past experiences of joy to my students. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Violin Cello Viola

My teaching philosophy is that of encouraging and inspiring my students to do their personal best in a creative, positive and enriching learning environment. I teach students of all ages using various teaching materials, focusing on the individual student’s learning style. I enjoy teaching students at various stages in their development whether they are preparing for University auditions, studying for their own enjoyment or preparing to join a local community string ensemble or orchestra. Read More

Instruments: Violin

For my beginner students who are children, I usually start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements and sometimes Lee W. Kikuchi's Musicianship for Strings. Scales and arpeggios follow shortly after. As the student progresses, I follow up with Harvey S. Whistler's Introducing the Positions (this book can also work with adults). Etude books such as Wohlfahrt and Kreutzer come into play when the student is ready. As far as repertiore, I use the first few Suzuki books and Barber's "Soloists for Young Violinists" for my younger students (the latter can also work with adults). Read More

Instruments: Violin Viola Music

I find the learning process to be so fun as an educator, as I believe we learn life skills through challenge, goal setting, and accomplishments. What better way to learn how we are motivated and how we build work ethic than through a difficult instrument! To me, I understand every student is unique and so I don't just have 1 way of teaching. Each lesson is tailored to my individual student and I help them progress at his or her own pace. Read More