Contact/Lessons

As a lesson instructor, I aim to ensure that all students can effectively learn new music under instruction, that each student will be able to independently learn new material on their own, and that each student will have their needs met in lessons. More specifically, I aim to introduce each person to new cello music and that they are able to learn and perform each new piece of music at the end of each set of lessons.

My personal method for teaching new instrumental skills and techniques is called the EDGE Method. This method is used by Scout troops in the Boy Scouts of America to teach new skills and techniques and is mostly used in small group settings or one-on-one teaching situations, similar to music lessons. The word EDGE stands for “Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, and Enable”. In learning new skills on cello, such as vibrato, I will Explain what vibrato is and what it is used for, Demonstrate it to the student and have the student do vibrato along with me, Guide the student in doing vibrato themselves, and Enable them to continue using vibrato in the future. 

Learning new music can be difficult and sometimes frustrating, especially when approaching a technical piece of music that requires lots of shifting and alternative finger placement. At the same time, I know that each student learns in different ways, whether it be with supervision or more independently. When learning new music, I will be sure to walk through the piece with each student to point out difficult sections and parts that are deceptively technical, and then allow each student to learn the music in the way that works best for them. Some students may need more encouragement and demonstration from their instructor. Others may prefer to work on their own and figure out how to play each piece of music through trial and error, with some pointers from their instructor. As the lesson instructor, I will be sure to teach music in the way that works best for each student.

Learning an instrument is a very difficult undertaking, and it can take a long time to become proficient in playing music. Anyone who is willing to take lessons to learn how to play an instrument is doing something that not many people have the patience or willpower to do. If I can teach someone how to play music on the cello and they continue on with it even after we have stopped taking lessons, then I will have succeeded in teaching someone how to do something new and enriching their life with music.