Positivity! etc...
First and foremost, Bill absolutely believes in the power of positivity. Learning a musical instrument should be a joyous experience, and while learning anything involves some trial and error, students always respond better and are more motivated when the teacher provides feedback in an uplifting manner. Bill has studied and applied various teaching methods, and he adapts styles to students, depending on their individual needs and desires. As a partial believer in the Suzuki method for his youngest students, he will generally use the Suzuki repertoire as his foundation, but he also believes it’s important to utilize other methods and music.
Actually, Bill’s favorite idiom is improvisation, and for those who are game, he slowly works improv into students’ regimens as their hearing discernment gradually improves. Improvisation is a key component of Bill’s teaching that sets him apart from other instructors. “There’s nothing like having the ability to jump into a song you may know, or even not know, and immediately add more dimension to it,” says Bill. “I think that’s every bit as satisfying as mastering classical works, and I would love for my students to be able to do both.”
Breaking down types of students more specifically, Bill explains below:
young beginners
For young students, I heartily encourage a parent to attend lessons, especially at first. Parents should act as auxiliary teachers and supervise daily practice at home. Students inevitably will begin to hum the tunes they will hear on the YouTube versions of the Suzuki songs in Book 1, and that listening to these renditions over and over should be encouraged at home as it is a major part of the learning process. The Suzuki method will indeed be my main focus for the beginning youngster, and the primary focus will be on fundamentals such as tonal quality, ear training, practice techniques, good posture, and music reading. Although, the word “fundamental” has an intrinsically negative tone about it, I have ways to make these experiences more fun!
aDULT BEGINNERS
I’ve taught many adult beginners in the past, and I generally use an entirely different protocol than I use for children. I always discuss with my adult students what their goals are. Do they want to learn a particular type of music? Or do they even want to learn particular pieces? As beginners, they will obviously need to learn the fundamentals of playing, but I will cater to their individual long-term goals. This may or may not involve Suzuki training, depending on each adult’s vision.
Intermediate students
Once certain fundamentals learned in the early stages are achieved, students can move on to more demanding repertoire as they continue to improve their sound quality. Elements such as shifting, vibrato, different types of bow strokes, doublestops, and playing duets with someone else (myself, at first) are introduced as part of the violin maturing process. These more advanced aspects are often difficult and time-consuming to conquer, but I diagnose and help navigate to overcome any obstacles.
ADVANCED STUDENTS
Sorry, but I currently don’t take advanced students primarily because, in all honestly, I’ve learned that I don’t derive the same satisfaction from conveying the minute intricacies of high-level performance. I am much more elated by the revelations and “aha!” moments of beginning and intermediate students who make faster progress than the very subtle improvements made by advanced students. As such, when one of my intermediate students progresses to a certain level, I will refer that student to a teacher willing and able to potentially facilitate a professional trajectory. This strategy of moving on to someone new coincides with my strong belief that serious students should be exposed to different training and influences as their abilities grow. I myself experienced a teacher change as I advanced, and I’ve never known a professional violinist who trained only with one teacher.