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Personal Violin Tuition - Now Available Online!
In-person tuition also available in London, New York and Berlin
On this page, you can book a personal violin lesson with me, either in the comfort of your own home (using Skype videoconferencing via the webcam on your computer), or an in-person tuition session in London, New York or Berlin.
This page will tell you about the teaching I offer, and if you have any questions you can find my contact details at the bottom of the page.
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Welcome video coming soon!
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Contact Simon | Frequently Asked Questions (coming soon)
One of the great joys in my life is ‘teaching’ violinists. I put ‘teaching’ in inverted commas because my lessons aren’t really about imparting information. They’re more like conversations that make you think. You’re in charge of where you’re going. I just help you get there.
Sure, I guide my regular students through technical matters in an organized way, and point out universal principles that you may find helpful. But the greatest teachers make themselves obsolete by teaching their students to teach themselves (and I’d like to be a great teacher!).
"Give a man a fish and he’ll feed himself for a day. Teach him to fish and he’ll feed himself for a lifetime."
My London studio was so successful in 2007 that I became oversubscribed and no longer needed to advertise. That was really nice, but it was also frustrating because I couldn’t help the number of people I wanted to (especially as I travel a lot and most of my time is spent performing ). So nowadays I’m moving away from weekly sessions (apart from a few longstanding students) and will be offering as much online guidance as I can here on this website, backed up by regular - eg fortnightly - or occasional private consultations in London or Berlin (elsewhere by arrangement).
My students are a fascinating, amazing group of adults and young people, ranging from serious amateurs to young violinists considering a professional career in music. My current class in London includes a management consultant, two schoolchildren, a medical secretary, an international executive, a banker, a retail assistant, a surgeon, and a couple of violinists in their teens. We all meet two or three times a year in London to play to each other in an informal concert, meet with each other, and exchange ideas.
My students’ experiences of playing the violin before coming to study with me are extraordinarily varied. Some had started teaching themselves but wanted proper guidance, some had learnt the violin before but really wanted to come back to it after several years, some had run into problems whilst previously learning the violin, and some had never even picked up a violin before.
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Click to play! Enjoy my performance of the melody The Violin Player as you read the site! |
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Tuition Dates Because dates come and go more often than I update this website, I don’t publish them here! Please call my assistant in London on +44 (0) 20 7060 0607 for next available tuition days. Or just email me . I generally teach in London and Berlin once or twice a month, and New York once every two to three months. |
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Why book personal violin tuition?
Some of the many reasons that people like you come to me include:
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You’ve always wanted to play violin, but think you’ve left it too late …
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You stopped playing violin for a few years but want to pick it up again …
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You want to find an experienced violin teacher for yourself or your children…
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You’re working towards an exam or performance and need some proven advice on how to Prepare and Practice?
Why play the violin?
Playing a musical instrument is not just a ‘hobby’ (though it is massive fun!). Ask any music graduate who has gone to work in the city, and they’ll tell you: good violin-playing encompasses many, many of the skills necessary for everyday working life, from technical accuracy, to concentration skills, to release of tension, to quality of performance in stressful situations.
Playing a musical instrument is a great way to build on these skills indirectly, whilst simultaneously doing something relaxing and fun, yet intellectually stimulating.
What if you don’t know where to start?
Many people have told me that they’ve been really quite confused about how to go about developing their knowledge of how to play the violin. Because it’s such a demanding art, it’s quite understandable that you might find it overwhelming at first. But with the right guidance, even the biggest obstacles can be overcome! I’ll help you take the first small steps towards mastery of the instrument.
My unique programme of tuition includes:
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Fully personalized advice / study plan, revised every lesson. I don’t rely on a single ‘method’; I properly assess your needs and act accordingly
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Focused study of practice techniques to enable you to teach yourself, and to achieve maximum improvement in minimum time
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Aural and other musical training if requested
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Away on Business? Let’s Videoconference using Skype!
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An Organic Approach to violin learning - I will help you explore the violin in context by recommending books and resources to check out, pieces of music to listen to, and current musical trends to follow. I’ll show you how to explore violin history and violin DVDs/CDs which will help illustrate abstract concepts and of course… inspire you!
Click here to arrange your Personal Tuition Session!
Who do I teach? What standard do you need to be to benefit from my teaching?
Your age / experience / standard / goals are irrelevant to whether or not I will teach you. There are only two things I ask of my students…
Committment… and enthusiasm.
I’m assuming that you already have enthusiasm if you’ve found this page! And don’t be scared by committment - once you find how to enjoy the journey of discovery that you are about to embark on, you will always want more.
If you are passionate about playing the violin, you can safely ignore the rest of this page. Don’t worry about things like fees, logistics, current standards, age, achievement… anything. Just email me. Now.
Who Am I? Please let me introduce myself…
I won’t spend ages harping on about my credentials here. If you want to know who I am, visit my blog , read my biography , listen to my recordings , or see what we’re up to at Court Lane Music .
What inspires you to play the violin?
What were you were looking for when you came across this page? Something, somehow, must have sparked your imagination and inspired you to think about playing the violin. What was it? Was it hearing a beautiful slow movement from a violin concerto on the radio? Was it a violin solo on a film soundtrack? Or a young child giving their first school music performance?
I remember the moment when I first ‘clicked’ with the sound of the violin. I must have been really young. At the top of Tower Bridge in London, there was an exhibition - I don’t know if it’s still there - with a film about the bridge. At the climax of the film, the bridge swung majestically open… to the sound of an incredible violin-and-orchestra tune. Wow! Little did I know then that it was Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto , but when I came across it again years later, hearing Itzhak Perlman in concert at the Festival Hall… well, that electric excitement just came rushing back.
So did you have a similar moment of inspiration? Yes? GREAT! I want to meet you! Please, capture the sensation in your memory, and we’ll take that excitement and energy to power your relationship with the violin, and work out where you want to take your violin-playing!
Click here to arrange your Personal Tuition Session!
Things we’ll explore in our lessons
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Technical Skills - the basics of Violin-playing - how to get the instrument, the bow, the body, and the mind all working harmoniously.
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Musical Skills - you’ll hone your ability to understand and appreciate music and how music works, including rhythmic and aural skills.
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Motivation - if you’re reading this, I presume you don’t have this problem! But if you do, we’ll fix it!
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Sight-reading Skills - this is a fantastic thing to be able to do. Good sightreading helps you play in orchestras, get to know pieces quickly, play to entertain people, or play chamber music with friends etc.
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Practice Skills - If you learn to teach yourself, you’ll never stop improving!
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Performance - I believe learning to perform is an integral part of learning to play a musical instrument. You’ll be able to take part in orchestras, perform at events, and learn to tackle problems like performance anxiety, and how to harness nervous energy in a positive way. Plus you might just find that the principles relate to that last million-dollar pitch you did to one of your business clients, or that crucial college exam next semester…
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Examinations - if you’re interested in the ‘grade’ system I’ll support you and help you choose repertoire. I did them all as a child, and I know several ABRSM examiners, so I can give you the ‘inside knowledge’ on how it all works!
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And of course, how to build a wide knowledge of music in general and classical music in particular.
How about a trial lesson?
You need to know if I would suit you as a teacher. I need to know if I can be the best teacher for you. Don’t be offended if I don’t feel you should study with me - it does not reflect on you in any way. It is in fact my responsibility only to accept students if I think that I can give exactly what is needed.
Offline Fees: So that talented people can afford tuition, payment for consultations and lessons is by strictly by donation, most of which goes straight back into Court Lane Music (which includes other education projects as well as live concerts and recordings). My suggested donation for most students is $70-130 USD , but really you should pay whatever you think the lesson is worth (and please: only what you can afford). As a guide, my weekly London students paid either £40, £50 or £60 per lesson (around $80) in early 2008.
Online Fees: £25 per 30 minutes, £40 per hour. If you want to test the connection on your computer, choose the 5 minute test option (£1). Have your violin ready, and I will communicate with you for 5 minutes over skype in order that we can make sure we can both hear and see clearly.
Tel: +44 20 7060 0607 (UK) | +49 17675 549 368 (Germany)
I always have a small waiting list for offline lessons so do contact me as far in advance as possible in order to avoid disappointment!
If you’d like to set up an appointment, just send a message to me using the contact form (preferred) or leave me a voice message.
Obviously you will need to have your own violin for all personal tuition sessions including the first trial lesson! I can advise you on this if necessary.
So, send me a message! Don’t wait… do it now! The trial session is exactly that; there’s no obligation for any further lessons unless you are delighted with the trial!
Simon’s Violin Tuition Studio is part of Court Lane Music www.courtlanemusic.com .
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7060 0607