New To Violin? Here Are 3 Things I'd Do:

When I was nine years old, I had been asking my Mom for months (maybe years) if I could start taking violin lessons. My Mom is a music teacher and for a majority of her life she taught K-8 music education, directed numerous choirs for both children and adults, owned & taught at a dance studio she built from scratch, and played organ for our church. These are among many other talents and accomplishments she's upheld over the years.

To dive a little bit into my backstory: I have two sisters and one brother, all of whom have played musical instruments at some point in their lives. My mother used to take us to different concerts and festivals, exposing us to a wide variety of art forms. So, it likely didn't surprise her that I was asking as often as I was but I think she wanted to make sure I was serious. I'm sure whoever is reading this likely knows what kind of time and money it takes to start a new hobby, sport, or ahem musical instrument. We are a family of 6 and not that I was ever fully aware of our family budget at age nine; however, in the present day I am certainly aware that raising four children comes at a high cost even without extra curriculars. Alas, one day she finally folded and agreed to start lessons with a teacher I'll never forget. My very first violin teacher, Mrs. Trautwein. I was immediately in love...and this love story will continue in another post soon.

Now that I am a violin teacher and the first violin teacher to many, I want to share what I would do if I were brand new in taking violin lessons [or any music lessons in general].

ONE: Interview & "shop around" for a teacher! Finding a teacher that you connect with is probably the most important component to your growth as a musician. I can't stress this enough. The better the connection, the more you're going to learn, [the more you're going to] grow, and the more you're going to enjoy it. I will always approach this topic during my first lesson with a new student because it's so important for them to find a teacher that aligns with their personality as it is for me to find a student that aligns with mine. Every teacher also has a specific method of teaching, so on top of personality, check to see the way they teach also aligns with the way you [or your student] absorb information. Learning styles play a huge part in the way we navigate the world so don't shy away from checking this off of your list as well. If a teacher claims to be the best teacher for you or your student, they're probably not a good teacher. I know that I'm not "the teacher" for every student out there and that's wonderful because I know their match will be found...and I've got 50 recommendations for you if you need. 😉

TWO: Rent your violin! You don't need to buy a violin right off the bat. Renting is a really great option both economically and a comfortable commitment for a beginner. Most music & string instrument shops have a rent-to-buy program which provides incentive for your investment. It also gives you or your student time to see if you enjoy violin and want to continue taking lessons. Complete disclaimer: I rented violins for years until High School when I received a violin as a gift- and even then - I played on said violin for 24 years until another one found me in Cremona, Italy (which is another reallllly special blog post coming soon).

THREE: Have fun!! I can't tell you how many students put so much pressure on themselves within the first month or two of taking lessons. Tell me, right now: when was the last time you learned something brand new and were a professional on day 2?! or even day 32?! I'll wait. Give👏yourself👏grace👏 You are doing the thang, don't get caught up in what you can't do yet. Keyword yet. Instead focus on what you're doing! You're playing a musical instrument of which about 30% of people worldwide do. 30%! And only 13% are adults. Look at YOU! Whenever a student compares themselves to how I sound, I will remind them that I have been dancing with this piece of wood for 11,688 days (approximately 😜). But I can relate to their sentiment. I mean when I'm trying to do my taxes of-which-I've-spent-roughly-20-total-days-in-my-life-stumbling-through-the-various-terminology-that-still-makes-no-sense-to-me and then I meet an accountant who spends 525,600 minutes🎶 each year with these silly numbers; I can't exactly scoff and wonder why I just don't get it, I'll certainly continue to try though. The point is, remind yourself of the why. Why did you start taking lessons? What was your inspiration or motivation? And run with that--let yourself relish in all of the newness and all of the accomplishments along the way; big and small. Don't let yourself get caught up with the can'ts and lean into the "holy-crap-I-did-that! Wow!" I also highly recommend taking a video of yourself playing on week 1 and then go back on week 8 or 10 or 20 and watch the video. I guarantee you'll be gleaming. Oh how I wish smartphones existed when I started...

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!