We knew she was moving, so we started looking for another teacher in late spring/early summer. There were two options that appealed most to me: another Suzuki teacher or an Irish fiddle teacher. Another Suzuki teacher had been recommended by a friend, but despite repeated calls and messages, I could never actually speak to her. The Irish fiddle teacher, on the other hand, got back to me quickly.
About two years ago Mr M took a beginners fiddle class from her through the Irish music school LMS takes classes at and I had the chance to talk with her a little about her background, which included Suzuki lessons when she was younger. This meant she knew where we were coming from and what we were used to. As a bystander to Mr M and his class, I knew that he was learning to play from memory.
I was never strong at playing memorized music, so that was an important point for me. LMS's first teacher had started LMS learning to play by ear, and that was something the the fiddle teacher planned to continue to work on. I never learned to play by ear and always wished I could, so that was another important point I was looking for. At the same time, LMS needs to learn how to read music (and eventually how to sight read). LMS had started learning the notes before her first teacher moved, and the fiddle teacher is more than willing to continue down that road.
LMS's first teacher is a good player, but teaching violin is not something she does full-time. In fact, LMS was her only student. The fiddle teacher, on the other hand, is a professional musician who tours and performs regularly, has several cd's out, and teaches a number of students. And she only charges $1/hour more than the first teacher.
We've gone to a couple lessons now and LMS loves Miss A. She's very encouraging and frequently points out what LMS is doing right, which important since it can be easy to get discouraged when you have to play the same thing over and over. They started right in on an Irish fiddle piece (we're no longer using the Suzuki book), and LMS was able to play part of it by ear, after listening to it once. Yes, I'm jealous.
We're improving some form issues (practicing during the summer without regular lessons allowed us to get more lax than we should about some things) which requires a lot of repetitive playing, but LMS is looking forward to learning more songs and more notes. After the first lesson she asked me if she'd be able to start playing fiddle at her weekly Irish class instead of doing tin whistle. She's still only learned 3 of the 4 strings, though, so I don't think she's quite ready. I'm hoping that come January and a new semester she'll be able to join in though.
Miss A also plays the guitar and banjo, and yesterday she accompanied LMS on the guitar while LMS played a fiddle tune. She plays with LMS on the violin (as did her first teacher), but playing a tune while somebody is playing something else takes some getting used to. LMS did great, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her continue to learn and progress.
Miss A also has a fun studio with lots of character.
left hand corner with various instruments
right corner with great windows
These pics show only one half of the studio, which is in a renovated barn next to her house. I took them while sitting in a chair that's to the left of the piano. There's also a loft full of books on that wall. And look at the herringbone floors! Such a great space for being creative.
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