Archive for August, 2007
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007Buying or Renting a String Instrument
As a public and private school teacher, I often deal with student instrument purchases and rentals. After years of frustration with substandard selections, may I offer a few suggestions to parents and students considering purchasing or renting an instrument.
1. Go through a local, reputable dealer. Although you may get a great deal on […]
Choosing Repertoire
Choosing music can be one of the most difficult tasks for any music teacher. When I first started teaching junior high, I spent hours sifting through files of music that my school owned. I found it very overwhelming and frustrating. Here are a couple of suggestions for any orchestra teachers trying to […]
Tuesday, August 7th, 2007Motivation in an Orchestra Class
Most students begin playing an instrument are fairly motivated. They want to know everything there is to know about their instrument and constantly push the teacher to challenge them. After a few months, this motivation can wane as students possibly become frustrated or bored. Having taught both in a junior high (where […]
Friday, August 3rd, 2007Review of the “Bow Right” product
A few weeks ago, I purchased a product called the “Bow Right for Violin.” As both a private and public string teacher, I have always been frustrated trying to get my students to play with a straight bow stroke that is parallel to the bridge. I have been pleasantly surprised by this […]
Thursday, August 2nd, 2007Note Reading and Flash Cards
Because note reading is largely about memorization, students need their own set of flashcards by the second or third lesson (for the D and A strings). Although note reading while playing should not be introduced at this point, students should review note-reading flashcards on a regular basis to prepare them for this task later. […]