Another successful and joy-filled two weeks of summer camp are officially wrapped, and I am reminded again of why StringTime is truly the best place to begin learning the violin, viola, or cello.
Learning to play a stringed instrument is no easy feat. Besides learning to read the language of music and understanding how to interpret the notes and symbols on the musical staff, you must learn to position your arms, hands, and fingers in new and unnatural-feeling ways. The physical aspect of learning an instrument is a challenging one, and it is imperative to be taught proper technique from the start.
Breaking bad habits is a whole lot harder than learning correctly from the beginning, which is why we designed StringTime to include lots of positive reinforcement, constant attention and supervision, and teachers who are specialists in each instrument and demonstrate for the students exactly what to do in order to produce a beautiful sound with a healthy posture.
Rather than having a 30-minute lesson once a week, attempting to hold the instrument correctly, and then forgetting everything by the time your next lesson rolls around, the StringTime schedule allows for multiple hours per day spent with guided instrument time.
You learn the bow hold, you practice with it, and then after Music History class you come back to learning the bow hold. This repetition and supervised practice time helps our students become accustomed to these new techniques at a much faster pace, and why it’s possible for our students to put on a concert only 5 days after touching their instruments for the very first time!
And of course, besides learning the oh-so-important proper techniques, StringTime is a place where students are allowed to fall in love with music and have FUN!
Our teachers, passionate about why music matters and how it can communicate with others, share their wealth of knowledge and experience with the students in order to foster and inspire the next generation of audience members and classical music aficionados.
Hearing great music, understanding where it comes from and who wrote it, and connecting pieces to important events in history helps our students to become better and more responsive listeners.
We already can’t wait until it’s time for StringTime Winter Camp, and we hope that you choose StringTime as the way to begin your musical journey. Come learn, have fun, perform, and be inspired!
With Joy,
Emera Gurath and the StringTime Family