Student & Family Expectations
What contributes to a violin student’s success?
Dedication: Music requires DAILY practice. I expect all my students to practice six days a week. Students should plan to spend at least the same amount of daily practice time as the lesson length.
Practice 30 minutes each day for a 30-minute lesson per week
Practice 45 minutes each day for a 45-minute lesson per week
Practice 60 minutes each day for a 60-minute lesson per week
Perseverance: As with most things that are difficult, the more effort you put into it, the greater the rewards.
Support, if under the age of 12: A dedicated family member needs to bring the student to lessons and supervise or practice with them at home.
The Right Tools
Families are expected to rent or buy a good quality violin, bow and case and all necessary sheet music.
Browse some of my favorite resources.
Contact me for recommendations for local violin shops in your area.
The Suzuki Method
This internationally known music curriculum and teaching philosophy was created by the 20th century pedagoge and violinist, Shinichi Suzuki.
The method is based on the idea that children learn by copying what they hear.
As children learn to speak by copying what they hear, they can learn to play music in much the same way. Listening to music daily paves the way to a student learning how to produce music themselves.
Especially for beginners, parents need to be present in weekly lessons and work in tandem with the teacher to support the student at home.
Lesson Times & Lengths
Lesson lengths are scheduled based on the approximate age and developmental level of the student.
Beginner: 30 minutes per week. Parent stays for the lesson
Intermediate-Ages 8-12: 45 minutes per week
Advanced-Ages 13-Adult: 60 minutes per week
“Meredith is patient and kind and has the perfect demeanor to put children and parents alike at ease. Her skill, experience, and warmth of personality fully qualify her as a violin teacher.”