My First Violin Teacher

I can still vividly remember the first day I held a violin. I remember exactly what it looked like: lifting the heavy black case with blue fuzzy fur on the inside and revealing this beautiful glossy amber-colored piece of wood, I picked up my new best-friend and felt its weight, I was absolutely elated to finally be meeting this instrument I had for so long watched from afar.

I had been asking my Mom for months (maybe years) to play the violin. For as long as I can remember, I was mesmerized by the sound of the violin and the effortless dance violinists performed as they played the instrument. It was all super majestic to me. My Mother is a music teacher and choir director and introduced me to many different genres of music. We'd listen to a lot of NPR and often they featured artists of all expressions (I think on the tiny desk concerts) and it opened my ears to many sounds. We also listened to a lot of classical music radio and by the time I started violin lessons I felt I knew every piece to its core.

My first violin teacher was Mrs. Trautwein. She was tall and slim with long blonde hair. She had delicate features and a gentle yet confident voice. A memory I've never forgotten-that might seem funny- is that she had the most wonderful fingers and the way they touched her strings as she played was a bit of wanderlust for me. Her nail beds were neatly trimmed and I don't think she ever wore nail polish. The way her finger tips so accurately found their place on the fingerboard was inspiring. She taught lessons from her living room and I remember walking in to her home for the first time. Mrs. Trautwein had a beautiful, light brown colored violin with lots of distress to the wood. Her violin laid in its case on a stool next to a music stand and a tall lamp. She had 2 cats and there was a large sofa where my Mom and I took our places as Mrs. Trautwein opened my violin case and started teaching me about all of the parts of the violin. She told me how to care for the instrument and taught me how to hold my bow. She showed me how to stand while holding the violin and discussed music we'd learn together. In those first weeks of lessons I remember pulling out my violin numerous times throughout the week thrilled to be holding this incredible instrument I had once dreamed of playing. Every lesson, I was eager and so excited to arrive to share with Mrs. Trautwein what I had practiced. My Mom would come along as well and take her seat in the big sofa with my violin notebook and record all of the notes we went over during each lesson. Over 30 years later and I still have that notebook. The impression Mrs. Trautwein left on me every week was incredibly warm and kind and has stayed with me ever since. We went on to learn many violin techniques and songs and a few years into lessons, Mrs. Trautwein announced that she was moving away and I needed to find another violin teacher. I went through one or two teachers who weren't quite the vibe (as the kids say) and eventually, I found another "Mrs. Trautwein" who catapulted my talent into another realm...a story for a future post.

When I became a violin teacher, I took my role extremely seriously. Not in an all-business-no-fun type of serious; rather in a serious responsibility type of role. I wanted to ensure I was leaving my students with the exact same feeling that Mrs. Trautwein had left with me. But more importantly, I wanted (and still want) them to procure a connection and love of music. In my opinion, being a teacher is not always about what I am teaching; the responsibility goes beyond that. Of course I want students to love the violin and to love music, but I also want them to learn something more about themselves. I want them to find a secret nook they didn't know existed within themselves. I want them to flourish and grow as a human and as a musician. I want them to explore learning in a deeper way. And I want them to feel proud, supported, and realllllly good doing it. 🤍

Takeaways:

1. Take photos and videos of those early days/years of learning any instrument or starting a new hobby. Smart phones didn't exist when I started taking violin lessons--if I'm being honest they hardly existed by the time I went to college. But boy what I'd give to hear little Claire playing the violin for the first time...

2. A teacher-student relationship is so so important; and especially the first teacher. Make sure it's the right connection for your student.

3. Never stop exploring and learning about yourself, the world, music, if aliens actually exist... I promise you won't regret it.

Did you enjoy this blog post? Share it with friends, family, the stranger at the grocery store...honestly, anyone who can read. Aside from playing and teaching the violin, I love writing and sharing my life lessons aaaand wouldn't mind getting paid for sharing my knowledge with the world. In all seriousness, thanks so much for reading! If even one person receives benefit from this post, I'm a happy little camper.

Share a comment, a question, or a story of your own--I'd love to hear from you. And stay tuned for the next post...arriving every week to an electronic device near you!