VIOLIN LESSONS

Sean teaches violin lessons to adults and children of all ages! Traditional and Suzuki lessons are offered year-round, on a flexible schedule with no commitments. While Sean does not guarantee a set lesson day and time due to a changing performing schedule, Zoom and in-person make up lessons are optional. Students are invoiced monthly for any lessons completed. There is no charge for cancelation more than 24 hours before a lesson, or within 24 hours in the event of illness, severe weather, or emergency. See rates and more details below.

FAQ

What is Suzuki violin?
Suzuki is an approach to learning the violin which is based on the philosophy of talent education; if the right conditions are found, anyone can learn to play, and play well! Originally developed for children, it presents students with a similar learning experience to what they had in developing their native language. Students are immersed in music through listening, demonstration, imitation, and repetition. Since its creation, Suzuki’s effectiveness has made it a worldwide success, and is now one of the most common approaches to childhood violin education.

Traditional vs. Suzuki - What’s the difference?

The word “Traditional” is a broad way of describing how Western classical violin has been taught around the world. The goal of traditional study is to steadily and equally improve reading, music theory, technique, and ear training, to produce well-rounded violinists. The specific balance of these depends entirely on the teacher. A collection of Western classical music is selected so that each new piece gradually introduces new concepts to widen a student’s abilities. The Suzuki books are a very popular collection with the same intention. The Suzuki method focuses at first on technique and, most importantly, ear training, with reading introduced further along. It’s taught this way for a similar reason that learning to read occurs well after learning to speak. While Suzuki is designed to be accessible to children as young as two, it is still an effective vehicle for learning at any age.

Where do I find an instrument?
Sharmusic.com offers a selection of student instruments with the appropriate craftsmanship to get a new player started. As a student, I purchased violins by mail from Robertson and Sons (Albuquerque, NM), who carry my highest recommendation. For a physical shop local to Brooklyn, try AZG Musical Inc.

I want to learn Jazz/Rock/Fiddle/Etc, do you teach other styles?
Classical violin study ultimately provides a technical understanding of the instrument that allows a violinist to branch out in just about any direction. I do not have a progressive curriculum that directly involves any other styles of music, but I help with side projects as long as they are written within the limits of what is technically possible for my students.