Recently, I had the honor of being invited as the chief violin judge at the Happy Music Festival 2023. As part of this event, I conducted a workshop on the topic of grooming successful students. In this blog post, I will share some key insights and discussions from the workshop, focusing on important factors such as talent vs. hard work, getting a good instrument, finding a good teacher, and the significance of practice and inspiration.
This article is good for anyone who is looking for a Teacher or looking to change their Teacher, it also could be a useful read on how to better your relationship or learning journey with your Teacher. If you are looking to take up the violin, I would strongly suggest some formal lessons with a good teacher even if you are just deciding to take it up as a hobby. Some good and professional advice could really point you to the right direction. However, it is also important to find a Good Teacher to nurture this interest For most, you have no idea what to expect and what your own learning achievements might be when you first begin. A Good Teacher would know how to bring out the best ability at a good pace, which in turn your level of satisfaction in learning the instrument; time, money invested in lessons and practise would also be put to good use.
As a teacher who frequently sends in students for music competitions many times a year and adjudicating an upcoming Music competition, here are some ways I would like to share to prepare for a Music Competition which I hope would be useful if you have signed up for a music competition or considering to do so, here are some ways and tips you could prepare for them better than just good old practise. As Belcanto Violins Music Studios specialises in violin studies, this article is more for string players though if you are playing other instruments or singing, some points may be relevant to you as well.
Most Student Violins come as a set with a case, bow, rosin and violin in a ready to play set up mode. It is not surprising to know that most would neglect knowing proper care for the bow which can be very vulnerable as it is just a long wooden stick.
Of late due to the Covid-19 Virus, a lot has changed around the world affecting the way that we work, study and interact. In order to move on with the times and not to put our lives on hold, we need to adjust and adapt to some of these changes even if it means being uncomfortable and experimental. Here is an entry from me about adapting some of my teaching styles in the past 24 years to finally transitioning to a complete non physical contact with my students.