It is my hope and belief that every human being should experience the unique joy that comes through music making. Music skills enhance creativity and expression, contribute to a positive sense of self-esteem, and enable life-long enjoyment of music.
On a more practical note, my approach lands somewhere between emphasizing playing technique and fostering musical expression, as well as developing both a great listening ear and confidence in reading notated music. These components slowly unfold and take shape for all students at all skill levels. I believe that students should take ownership over their own learning. I provide the tools and coaching, but it is the students themselves that improve their playing skills.
Additionally, I believe that taking the time to build a solid foundation in the beginning stages of learning an instrument is absolutely essential and worth it for the long-term benefits. Each student learns at a different pace and will find the greatest satisfaction in learning when they can feel confident with each stage before moving on to the next. My goal is for students to use excellent technique and produce a beautiful tone whether they are playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or a Vivaldi Concerto.
I aim to make every lesson enjoyable, focused, and efficient! Each lesson will start with a brief check-in about the past week of practicing, addressing any challenges or questions the student brings to the lesson. The bulk of the lesson will consist of playing technique exercises, solo work, and learning new practice strategies. Lessons end with a review of the material covered and making a specific practice plan for the week ahead.
Each new student will receive one trial lesson, free of charge. Trial lessons have two purposes. First, it gives us an opportunity to get to know one another so we can ensure that the student-teacher relationship will be a good fit. Second, we will use this time to prepare for subsequent lessons.
For beginning students: If your student has never played a string instrument before, there is no need to prepare or bring anything to the trial lesson! We will spend some time getting to know one another and discussing what to expect when learning an instrument for the first time. We may do a few introductory music or string instrument skill exercises. If time, we will also check instrument sizing and go over any materials you may need to rent or purchase for your student to get started. Please do not rent or purchase an instrument before this lesson!
For students who already play in school or have taken private lessons with another teacher: Please bring your current instrument and any music/lesson materials you have recently worked on. We will spend some time getting to know one another, discuss your playing experience, and then do a little playing. I may ask the student to play 1-2 short excerpts for me from what they already know so I can get a sense of where they are in the learning process. This is not an audition and students should be no means feel like they need to come with something polished.
Rent or own a high quality and correctly-sized instrument
Regular, at-home practicing
Minimum student age: 5 years old
Students 10 and younger must have a parent or guardian sit in on each lesson and supervise at-home practice sessions.
Compliance with lesson attendance and absence policies
Lesson content and repertoire will be decided by the teacher
Genuine interest in learning a string instrument!
*A full, detailed list of Lauren's private studio policies will be provided to students in a studio contract before the first trial lesson.
First trial lesson is FREE
30 minute lesson - $30
60 minute lesson - $60