My studio at a glance
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One on one and group lessons
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Access to website with learning materials and student notes
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Weekly studio class (coming 2023)
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Option to pay weekly or monthly
Reviews
Teaching Philosophy
I hired Leah for violin lessons with my son. First, her Bio speaks for itself. When you work with her, you can tell she is skilled, knowledgeable and passionate. She is patient and absolutely brilliant. I didn't know how online lessons would work, but it just did. Not only is she teaching him correct form but also she guides him when he has to tune the violin as well. We have been with Leah for quite some time and really enjoy working with her. She keeps a smile and manages to make my kid smile is well. She is encouraging and makes learning fun. My son really enjoys learning cartoon theme songs and other pieces. He laughs when he realizes she knows the song too. Because of her care, my son has begun composing his own music (yes, I said composing). He writes, plays and laugh. If you're looking for a fun, knowledgeable and patient tutor. I highly recommend Ms. Leah.
Terrica J.
I am an enthusiastic and compassionate violin teacher focused on deepening the quality of many young students who are at the beginning or intermediate levels of their musical journey. I have cultivated a curriculum based around not only their musical artistry, interpretation, and technique, but one that is also deeply rooted in the fundamentals of music theory and musicianship skills so that they can unlock the skills to express their voices at their fullest capacities.
My methodology does not take a single linear route-- it is tailored to the individual needs and interests of the student. I draw from a series of different method and song books so that my students can become the most well-rounded musicians they can be. I have had students from all different kinds of musical and socioeconomic backgrounds and have become skilled at inferring the workload and lesson pace that is the most enjoyable for each student. Although my students have learned diverse repertoires spanning from classical to pop music, each one receives a portion of their lesson that is dedicated to learning the principals of music theory, such as rhythm, dictation and aural skills which provides them with the tools to form their own well informed musical voices and ideas.
It is extremely important to me to engage and include all students by captivating their interest in music. I love including their own music tastes and diving deep into different musical ideas from around the world and across many genres.In addition to my private lessons, I also offer a group studio class, similar to those found at the collegiate level. In these classes, we cover different themes in music history/performance practice, reinforce music theory through various musicianship games, and perform for each other. These classes provide a broader sense of community among my students where they can share their thoughts and their own favorite music. It also provides them with a safe place to practice performing and giving feedback to their peers.The most satisfying part of a student’s journey is when their goals are realized. Whether they are specific changes in their technique or winning school-wide and regional orchestra positions, it is important to me to celebrate all their progress and milestones. As artists, we are often too concerned about the possibility of growth ahead of us and don’t take enough time to appreciate the progress we have made. In my studio community, both perspectives are prominent: I like to create a healthy sense of self-motivation towards progress as well as a nurturing community of peers to support each other.
Leah is teaching my 8-year-old son, who wanted to learn violin but has no experience of any musical instrument. He can be impatient and easily distracted. Leah is very skilled and patient with him and keeps him encouraged and engaged through the difficulties with learning violin for the first time. I am looking forward to future lessons and highly recommend Leah especially for kids who are interested in violin.
Hong M.
Leah has the knowledge and experience no less than a graduate violin teacher. She doesn’t follow the violin textbook mechanically but adjusts based on your current level, interest, and the sequence of that piece. Leah really pays attention to every single mistakes that I make, helps me fix the left hand and bowing technique, and how to play elegantly! I have learned with several teachers at music school before but I believe Leah is the most conscientious and smart teacher who cares for the students and helps them better! Within a short period, I made significant progress in techniques, ability to understand the music and play different pieces on my own!
Ly N.
Rates
Studio Policies
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All students who require travel will within SF incur a $10 travel fee. All students who require travel to East Bay, Marin, or South San Francisco will incur a $15 travel fee.
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Please make arrangements to cancel lessons 24 hours before the next scheduled lesson, otherwise the lesson will be considered a late cancelation and the normal lesson fee will be charged. (Emergency situations excluded)
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Students are always welcome to reschedule lessons!
FAQs
For Beginning Students
Instrument/Instrument Rentals
For instruments, I would highly recommend renting a violin at a music store (you never know what you’ll get if you order cheap instruments from amazon). If you can make it out to Berkeley, Ifshin Violin is really great and I have friends who work there who can help you find a violin. Otherwise I’ve heard good things about Russo Music and Sunset Music. I would also recommend getting a violin through either a rental or rent to own program, just so you can have access to a decent instrument without making a big upfront commitment. Violins can get very expensive so it’s important to wait to invest in one until you can find the right one for you. Please get a shoulder rest as well.
Music & Books
I work through a couple different methods, mainly Suzuki and the series Solos for Young Violinists. It depends on your learning style and what kind of music you like playing more, so you don’t need to buy either of them yet until we determine which one will be the best fit for you. In the meantime, I have both books and am happy to make copies. One book that I think is imperative to increasing your independence + comfort learning violin is I Can Read Music. It does a great job introducing new notes in a logical way on the violin and I find that all my adult students can essentially use it to teach themselves how to read music on the violin (and we do checkins every week)
Lesson Format
We’ll probably spend the first lesson just getting to know the violin and setup/posture, but usually lessons start with an etude or sightreading, then we warm up with a scale/technique, and spend the last 3/4 of the lesson learning songs. When lessons are in full swing, I usually like to have one song that we’re working on polishing and introduce one new song each week, but the first few weeks can have slightly adjusted formats depending on what we need to work on.