At the discretion of the instructor, young students may receive two "individual" lessons per week in a small group setting. The purpose of a small group is mainly to extend the amount of time that a young student is exposed to the instructor and the violin. In such a setting, the student may have several short individual sessions with the instructor, participate in a few play activities, and have his/her own lessons reinforced by being exposed to the lessons of the other children in the group. Thus, a young student who is ready for violin lessons, but who may have a relatively short attention span, can spend more time learning than would otherwise be possible. Again, it is the instructor who initiates these small group arrangements.

Group Lessons
Violin students at the Institute also receive weekly or bi-monthly group lessons. The purpose of group lessons is to provide students with motivation, develop their self-confidence, teach them reading skills and music theory, and to have fun! Group lessons are often a student's favorite music-related activity. The younger or less advanced students benefit from the modeling provided by the older students, and the older students enjoy being leaders. The informal learning situation and practice in front of an "audience" increases the self-confidence of all of the students. Group lessons are also an excellent opportunity for parents to meet each other and share experiences.

While each instructor's group lessons differ, there are two basic kinds of group lessons: repertoire lessons and "specific point" lessons. In repertoire group lessons, pieces are introduced in a vertical arrangement, starting with the most advanced students. As pieces are added, those students who can play them join the group, until everyone is playing Mozart's "Twinkle Variations." The importance of this type of lesson is that young students are exposed to pieces they will learn in the future. Often, a child will learn a new piece simply by attending group lessons.

In "specific point" group lessons, the instructor will have the students play one or two pieces from the group repertoire in a variety of different ways in order to reinforce a specific point.

In summary, group lessons are an important, fun way to expose students to more advanced musicians, to reinforce playing skills, to improve self-confidence and motivation, and to help the parent and child enjoy home practice.

The best time to observe a violin group lesson is from 4pm to 5pm on Wednesdays. Please contact an instructor if you wish to arrange an observation.

Enrollment Information
Please contact an instructor regarding enrollment. Students are enrolled at the instructor's discretion - the instructor may recommend that your child take the Sing & Play class before violin lessons. If you are interested in Viola lessons, please contact Karoline Vass. If you would like a referral to an instructor who teaches on the Eastside or an instructor who teaches other instruments, please visit our Resources page.