Celebrate with your beloved!

Learning to play the violin as an adult string player is more inspiring when you have a group of fellow learners to play along with. 

Playing with others not only reinforces the techniques you’re learning via further practice and instruction…

String instrument bows, like the instruments themselves, come in a range of different qualities and price points. As a beginner, you are best off renting an instrument and bow from a reputable shop as you determine whether the string musician’s…

Film scores are instrumental (pun intended) to creating emotion and feeling in a movie. For example, imagine the iconic Jaws films without the famously haunting “Duh-nuh. Duh-nuh, duh-nuh,” film score riff. It simply wouldn’t be the same. 

We consider film…

Claude Debussy is a famous French composer, well-known for works such as Clair de Lune (Moonlight) and Prélude à l'Après-Midi d'un Faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun). A quick listen to either of those works is an aural…

Composer Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979) was a trailblazer for proficient female musicians and composers of the Victorian era. Despite living when professional musicianship, particularly the realm of composition, was largely considered the male domain, the UK-native and professional violist…

T he most successful concerts or performances typically balance two things from the audience: their listening and their active engagement. Playing songs that are easy to dance to, or that audience members can sing along to, is a wonderful way…

The ultimate goal of a string musician is to perform an exquisite piece without mistakes. Muscle memory is required to let go of obsessing over “where the notes are,” freeing you to focus on telling a story with the music…

If you suffer from stage fright or are reluctant to play in front of others, continuing to develop your courage to perform in public is important if you want a career as a string player. 

At some point, in-person symphonic…

The daily life of a substitute teacher is ever-changing. Without the rapport of day-to-day interactions with students, you’re bound to be met with a range of experiences, from the well-behaved and delightful to the unruly and challenging. 

Here are few…

A merican philosopher John Dewey believed, “There is no such thing as educational value in the abstract.” He also said, “Art is the most effective mode of communications that exists.” 

As a music teacher and instructor, you’re already helping students…

1. Introduction to Our Guide on Violin Strings 

“When you play a violin piece, you are a storyteller, and you're telling a story.” 

– Joshua Bell 

Some people tell stories through their writings – poems that are written in ink…

This is a controversial and passionate subject in the string instrument world. To give you an idea of just how contentious it is, we'll present multiple sides of the discussion, starting with a quote from the well-known and reputable Jay…

Social media channels are useful platforms for putting yourself in public and developing your performer persona (or “brand”). They can also be a way to promote upcoming performances or recordings. 

Carefully managing what you post — and what you don’t…

Looking for new and inventive ways to inspire – and deepen – your students’ experience? Some of the suggestions below are basic, and others are new and innovative, but all are cool tools that support music educators in their classrooms…

The picture of the typical student is someone young, anywhere from a toddler to college student. However, older adults are also often students. Whether it’s veterans, women's reentry or retirees who decided to learn to play the violin – adults…

Forming personal connections is the Number One, best thing you can do as a music educator to bring out the best in your students. When students feel connected and seen by their teachers and mentors, they automatically invest more in…

For many teachers, adult students are the calm in the teaching storm. What a treat it is to spend time teaching students who are eager and willing to learn because their interest in the violin is entirely self-generated. 

On the…

The spring semester can feel like an infinite haul for students – and even teachers. For most schools, the second “half” of the academic year is legitimately the longest period in terms of days-spent-in class. Plus, the spring semester offers…

Approach any circle of friends at random and you’ll find common interests. Maybe it’s gaming, or the Marvel or DC universe. Sports could be a common thread. Books, or culinary adventures, perhaps. 

When it comes to classical music, though, it…

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ometimes, string musicians get so set on becoming professional musicians that they forget to take a big-picture look at the variety of music-related careers available to them. 

Whether you’ve just graduated from college, or you’re trying to figure out…