Teaching
Teaching Philosophy
I believe that we are all creatures of habit. For violinists, we form habits to go practice, to eat a banana before a concert, and to play in-tune and in-time. The most successful musicians skillfully evaluate their habitual patterns and use them to their advantage. My role as a pedagogue is to realize, invent and reinvent my students’ habits to help progress their playing, to inspire their imagination, and to curate their creativity. Being a great pedagogue doesn’t stop at giving a good weekly lesson, and having a healthy and stimulating relationship is the key to forming my students’ musical journey and molding their habits. I learned this at a young age, having grown up with musical parents who were serious pedagogues with impressive studios.
When I was young, my family went abroad when my father took a sabbatical from his university. He had a student preparing for a big international competition, and the student came abroad during that time so my father could work with him every day. That student went on to win the first prize. Of course, for that student to win that particular big international competition took more than the daily lessons. It was the student’s talent with guidance on building the tools he needed to execute every phrase successfully, worth ethics, approaching the music with individuality, and taking care of every detail to supplement the hard work. Those four aspects made impeccable habitual patterns for the young student to be successful and showcase the best of himself on that stage.
We now live in in the days of modern technology. Technology has helped music education greatly. With the help of easy access to recordings, students nowadays can closely and easily observe how their role model makes that one shift or phrase. However, the danger is that the easy access takes away from developing individual voices that are based on their own reasons and instincts rather than performance traditions and someone else’s validations. My job as a teacher is to inform my students more context and contents on which they can base their musical decisions. That way, I am able to give my students the encouraging, judgment-free environment where they can nurture the habit of safely experimenting their thoughts and ideas.
Lastly, playing the violin well alone is not the ticket to having a successful career as a violinist. I take a holistic approach in my teaching. Every detail matters on stage, however small or big. It can be anything from winding up strings correctly that they won’t easily slip in performances, tuning carefully and correctly, making sure their bow hair is tight or loose enough, to taking good care of their instruments.
I was very fortunate to have had first-class teaching from a young age. My goal was clear every step of the way: it was to play at the highest level that I physically could. My dream was never about winning a big competition or becoming a specific type of violinist. It was in that quest to be the best I can be that I found my love for teaching. Music education is not one-size-fits all, and I find great joy in catering to each student’s individual needs while training them to become a teacher of themselves, so that they will no longer need my instructions. I feel very fortunate to be handing down decades (and centuries) of excellent traditions in violin playing, musicianship that I have inherited from my mentors, and to share my own wisdom I have found in my musical and personal journey.
First and foremost, it is crucial to give my students the necessary tools: technique. The key is to give the students every instruction in clear and simple terms so that they are able to fully digest it and make it a habit. There are two elements of developing the necessary tools. One element is understanding the physics behind the instrument and how violin technique should work to enhance their art form. By giving my students the necessary exercises and repetitions, they not only develop the vocabulary, or the tools, but they are able to utilize them in the music they are learning and performing. Second element, which musicians sometimes overlook, is the athletic side of playing the instrument. Playing an instrument is very much like playing sports. It involves muscle memory and feeling the movements. By actively only forming good habits and repeating them, the students’ muscles learn only to perform well.
The next aspect is instilling work ethics in my students. I have expectations in my student to always be the best that they can be at that given time from an early stage of their studies, whether It is for a lesson, studio class, or a big debut. If I can successfully do that, I am able to turn it into a habit for them – to always demand high standards and be the best example that they can be.
We now live in in the days of modern technology. Technology has helped music education greatly. With the help of easy access to recordings, students nowadays can closely and easily observe how their role model makes that one shift or phrase. However, the danger is that the easy access takes away from developing individual voices that are based on their own reasons and instincts rather than performance traditions and someone else’s validations. My job as a teacher is to inform my students more context and contents on which they can base their musical decisions. That way, I am able to give my students the encouraging, judgment-free environment where they can nurture the habit of safely experimenting their thoughts and ideas.
Lastly, playing the violin well alone is not the ticket to having a successful career as a violinist. I take a holistic approach in my teaching. Every detail matters on stage, however small or big. It can be anything from winding up strings correctly that they won’t easily slip in performances, tuning carefully and correctly, making sure their bow hair is tight or loose enough, to taking good care of their instruments.
I was very fortunate to have had first-class teaching from a young age. My goal was clear every step of the way: it was to play at the highest level that I physically could. My dream was never about winning a big competition or becoming a specific type of violinist. It was in that quest to be the best I can be that I found my love for teaching. Music education is not one-size-fits all, and I find great joy in catering to each student’s individual needs while training them to become a teacher of themselves, so that they will no longer need my instructions. I feel very fortunate to be handing down decades (and centuries) of excellent traditions in violin playing, musicianship that I have inherited from my mentors, and to share my own wisdom I have found in my musical and personal journey.
First and foremost, it is crucial to give my students the necessary tools: technique. The key is to give the students every instruction in clear and simple terms so that they are able to fully digest it and make it a habit. There are two elements of developing the necessary tools. One element is understanding the physics behind the instrument and how violin technique should work to enhance their art form. By giving my students the necessary exercises and repetitions, they not only develop the vocabulary, or the tools, but they are able to utilize them in the music they are learning and performing. Second element, which musicians sometimes overlook, is the athletic side of playing the instrument. Playing an instrument is very much like playing sports. It involves muscle memory and feeling the movements. By actively only forming good habits and repeating them, the students’ muscles learn only to perform well.
The next aspect is instilling work ethics in my students. I have expectations in my student to always be the best that they can be at that given time from an early stage of their studies, whether It is for a lesson, studio class, or a big debut. If I can successfully do that, I am able to turn it into a habit for them – to always demand high standards and be the best example that they can be.
We now live in in the days of modern technology. Technology has helped music education greatly. With the help of easy access to recordings, students nowadays can closely and easily observe how their role model makes that one shift or phrase. However, the danger is that the easy access takes away from developing individual voices that are based on their own reasons and instincts rather than performance traditions and someone else’s validations. My job as a teacher is to inform my students more context and contents on which they can base their musical decisions. That way, I am able to give my students the encouraging, judgment-free environment where they can nurture the habit of safely experimenting their thoughts and ideas.
Lastly, playing the violin well alone is not the ticket to having a successful career as a violinist. I take a holistic approach in my teaching. Every detail matters on stage, however small or big. It can be anything from winding up strings correctly that they won’t easily slip in performances, tuning carefully and correctly, making sure their bow hair is tight or loose enough, to taking good care of their instruments.
I was very fortunate to have had first-class teaching from a young age. My goal was clear every step of the way: it was to play at the highest level that I physically could. My dream was never about winning a big competition or becoming a specific type of violinist. It was in that quest to be the best I can be that I found my love for teaching. Music education is not one-size-fits all, and I find great joy in catering to each student’s individual needs while training them to become a teacher of themselves, so that they will no longer need my instructions. I feel very fortunate to be handing down decades (and centuries) of excellent traditions in violin playing, musicianship that I have inherited from my mentors, and to share my own wisdom I have found in my musical and personal journey.
I believe that we are all creatures of habit. For violinists, we form habits to go practice, to eat a banana before a concert, and to play in-tune and in-time. The most successful musicians skillfully evaluate their habitual patterns and use them to their advantage. My role as a pedagogue is to realize, invent and reinvent my students’ habits to help progress their playing, to inspire their imagination, and to curate their creativity. Being a great pedagogue doesn’t stop at giving a good weekly lesson, and having a healthy and stimulating relationship is the key to forming my students’ musical journey and molding their habits. I learned this at a young age, having grown up with musical parents who were serious pedagogues with impressive studios. When I was young, my family went abroad when my father took a sabbatical from his university. He had a student preparing for a big international competition, and the student came abroad during that time so my father could work with him every day. That student went on to win the first prize. Of course, for that student to win that particular big international competition took more than the daily lessons. It was the student’s talent with guidance on building the tools he needed to execute every phrase successfully, worth ethics, approaching the music with individuality, and taking care of every detail to supplement the hard work. Those four aspects made impeccable habitual patterns for the young student to be successful and showcase the best of himself on that stage.
First and foremost, it is crucial to give my students the necessary tools: technique. The key is to give the students every instruction in clear and simple terms so that they are able to fully digest it and make it a habit. There are two elements of developing the necessary tools. One element is understanding the physics behind the instrument and how violin technique should work to enhance their art form. By giving my students the necessary exercises and repetitions, they not only develop the vocabulary, or the tools, but they are able to utilize them in the music they are learning and performing. Second element, which musicians sometimes overlook, is the athletic side of playing the instrument. Playing an instrument is very much like playing sports. It involves muscle memory and feeling the movements. By actively only forming good habits and repeating them, the students’ muscles learn only to perform well.
The next aspect is instilling work ethics in my students. I have expectations in my student to always be the best that they can be at that given time from an early stage of their studies, whether It is for a lesson, studio class, or a big debut. If I can successfully do that, I am able to turn it into a habit for them – to always demand high standards and be the best example that they can be.
I believe that we are all creatures of habit. For violinists, we form habits to go practice, to eat a banana before a concert, and to play in-tune and in-time. The most successful musicians skillfully evaluate their habitual patterns and use them to their advantage. My role as a pedagogue is to realize, invent and reinvent my students’ habits to help progress their playing, to inspire their imagination, and to curate their creativity. Being a great pedagogue doesn’t stop at giving a good weekly lesson, and having a healthy and stimulating relationship is the key to forming my students’ musical journey and molding their habits. I learned this at a young age, having grown up with musical parents who were serious pedagogues with impressive studios.
I believe that we are all creatures of habit. For violinists, we form habits to go practice, to eat a banana before a concert, and to play in-tune and in-time. The most successful musicians skillfully evaluate their habitual patterns and use them to their advantage. My role as a pedagogue is to realize, invent and reinvent my students’ habits to help progress their playing, to inspire their imagination, and to curate their creativity.Being a great pedagogue doesn’t stop at giving a good weekly lesson, and having a healthy and stimulating relationship is the key to forming my students’ musical journey and molding their habits. I learned this at a young age, having grown up with musical parents who were serious pedagogues with impressive studios. When I was young, my family went abroad when my father took a sabbatical from his university. He had a student preparing for a big international competition, and the student came abroad during that time so my father could work with him every day. That student went on to win the first prize. Of course, for that student to win that particular big international competition took more than the daily lessons. It was the student’s talent with guidance on building the tools he needed to execute every phrase successfully, worth ethics, approaching the music with individuality, and taking care of every detail to supplement the hard work. Those four aspects made impeccable habitual patterns for the young student to be successful and showcase the best of himself on that stage.
We now live in in the days of modern technology. Technology has helped music education greatly. With the help of easy access to recordings, students nowadays can closely and easily observe how their role model makes that one shift or phrase. However, the danger is that the easy access takes away from developing individual voices that are based on their own reasons and instincts rather than performance traditions and someone else’s validations. My job as a teacher is to inform my students more context and contents on which they can base their musical decisions. That way, I am able to give my students the encouraging, judgment-free environment where they can nurture the habit of safely experimenting their thoughts and ideas.
Lastly, playing the violin well alone is not the ticket to having a successful career as a violinist. I take a holistic approach in my teaching. Every detail matters on stage, however small or big. It can be anything from winding up strings correctly that they won’t easily slip in performances, tuning carefully and correctly, making sure their bow hair is tight or loose enough, to taking good care of their instruments.
I was very fortunate to have had first-class teaching from a young age. My goal was clear every step of the way: it was to play at the highest level that I physically could. My dream was never about winning a big competition or becoming a specific type of violinist. It was in that quest to be the best I can be that I found my love for teaching. Music education is not one-size-fits all, and I find great joy in catering to each student’s individual needs while training them to become a teacher of themselves, so that they will no longer need my instructions. I feel very fortunate to be handing down decades (and centuries) of excellent traditions in violin playing, musicianship that I have inherited from my mentors, and to share my own wisdom I have found in my musical and personal journey.
When I was young, my family went abroad when my father took a sabbatical from his university. He had a student preparing for a big international competition, and the student came abroad during that time so my father could work with him every day. That student went on to win the first prize. Of course, for that student to win that particular big international competition took more than the daily lessons. It was the student’s talent with guidance on building the tools he needed to execute every phrase successfully, worth ethics, approaching the music with individuality, and taking care of every detail to supplement the hard work. Those four aspects made impeccable habitual patterns for the young student to be successful and showcase the best of himself on that stage.
First and foremost, it is crucial to give my students the necessary tools: technique. The key is to give the students every instruction in clear and simple terms so that they are able to fully digest it and make it a habit. There are two elements of developing the necessary tools. One element is understanding the physics behind the instrument and how violin technique should work to enhance their art form. By giving my students the necessary exercises and repetitions, they not only develop the vocabulary, or the tools, but they are able to utilize them in the music they are learning and performing. Second element, which musicians sometimes overlook, is the athletic side of playing the instrument. Playing an instrument is very much like playing sports. It involves muscle memory and feeling the movements. By actively only forming good habits and repeating them, the students’ muscles learn only to perform well.
The next aspect is instilling work ethics in my students. I have expectations in my student to always be the best that they can be at that given time from an early stage of their studies, whether It is for a lesson, studio class, or a big debut. If I can successfully do that, I am able to turn it into a habit for them – to always demand high standards and be the best example that they can be.
We now live in in the days of modern technology. Technology has helped music education greatly. With the help of easy access to recordings, students nowadays can closely and easily observe how their role model makes that one shift or phrase. However, the danger is that the easy access takes away from developing individual voices that are based on their own reasons and instincts rather than performance traditions and someone else’s validations. My job as a teacher is to inform my students more context and contents on which they can base their musical decisions. That way, I am able to give my students the encouraging, judgment-free environment where they can nurture the habit of safely experimenting their thoughts and ideas.
Lastly, playing the violin well alone is not the ticket to having a successful career as a violinist. I take a holistic approach in my teaching. Every detail matters on stage, however small or big. It can be anything from winding up strings correctly that they won’t easily slip in performances, tuning carefully and correctly, making sure their bow hair is tight or loose enough, to taking good care of their instruments.
I was very fortunate to have had first-class teaching from a young age. My goal was clear every step of the way: it was to play at the highest level that I physically could. My dream was never about winning a big competition or becoming a specific type of violinist. It was in that quest to be the best I can be that I found my love for teaching. Music education is not one-size-fits all, and I find great joy in catering to each student’s individual needs while training them to become a teacher of themselves, so that they will no longer need my instructions. I feel very fortunate to be handing down decades (and centuries) of excellent traditions in violin playing, musicianship that I have inherited from my mentors, and to share my own wisdom I have found in my musical and personal journey.
First and foremost, it is crucial to give my students the necessary tools: technique. The key is to give the students every instruction in clear and simple terms so that they are able to fully digest it and make it a habit. There are two elements of developing the necessary tools. One element is understanding the physics behind the instrument and how violin technique should work to enhance their art form. By giving my students the necessary exercises and repetitions, they not only develop the vocabulary, or the tools, but they are able to utilize them in the music they are learning and performing. Second element, which musicians sometimes overlook, is the athletic side of playing the instrument. Playing an instrument is very much like playing sports. It involves muscle memory and feeling the movements. By actively only forming good habits and repeating them, the students’ muscles learn only to perform well.
The next aspect is instilling work ethics in my students. I have expectations in my student to always be the best that they can be at that given time from an early stage of their studies, whether It is for a lesson, studio class, or a big debut. If I can successfully do that, I am able to turn it into a habit for them – to always demand high standards and be the best example that they can be.
We now live in in the days of modern technology. Technology has helped music education greatly. With the help of easy access to recordings, students nowadays can closely and easily observe how their role model makes that one shift or phrase. However, the danger is that the easy access takes away from developing individual voices that are based on their own reasons and instincts rather than performance traditions and someone else’s validations. My job as a teacher is to inform my students more context and contents on which they can base their musical decisions. That way, I am able to give my students the encouraging, judgment-free environment where they can nurture the habit of safely experimenting their thoughts and ideas.
Lastly, playing the violin well alone is not the ticket to having a successful career as a violinist. I take a holistic approach in my teaching. Every detail matters on stage, however small or big. It can be anything from winding up strings correctly that they won’t easily slip in performances, tuning carefully and correctly, making sure their bow hair is tight or loose enough, to taking good care of their instruments.
I was very fortunate to have had first-class teaching from a young age. My goal was clear every step of the way: it was to play at the highest level that I physically could. My dream was never about winning a big competition or becoming a specific type of violinist. It was in that quest to be the best I can be that I found my love for teaching. Music education is not one-size-fits all, and I find great joy in catering to each student’s individual needs while training them to become a teacher of themselves, so that they will no longer need my instructions. I feel very fortunate to be handing down decades (and centuries) of excellent traditions in violin playing, musicianship that I have inherited from my mentors, and to share my own wisdom I have found in my musical and personal journey.