I tell my students to treat the violin like a baby. Of course you don't put a baby in a case or feed a violin, but it's still a pretty good rule of thumb: don't drop it, move it gently, keep it at a good temperature, and keep it clean.
Your violin should be kept at an even temperature as much as possible. In summer or winter, don't leave it in a car. If you must bring it along for multiple errands, you should bring it into the offices or stores with you. In extremely hot or cold weather, warm up or cool down the car before you put the instrument in the car. At home, do not store it next to a heater or cooling duct, or in direct sunlight. If you have radiant heat through the floor, don't set the case on the floor.
Violins that are exposed to extremes of temperature can develop cracks, or the top and bottom can come unglued. These are extremely expensive repairs. You don't want that.
Put your violin away when you finish playing. Leaving it out is tempting fate, which is never wise.
Always, always loosen the bow when you are done playing, even if you intend to come back later. The stick will warp out of shape if the bow is left tightened, and that will give your bow less flexibility.
Wipe the rosin off your strings and the body of the instrument every time you finish playing. Too much rosin is not just unsightly: it can hurt the varnish.
Friday, December 12, 2014
About changing teachers
People change teachers. It's a fact of life. Sometimes one person's location, style, or availability doesn't match yours anymore. Sometimes a student needs to hear a different voice (often one that will say the same things, but that's life). People move; circumstances change. Teachers know that.
If you are coming to me from another teacher and have already told them you are not coming back, the break is clean and I am fine with that. I will, however, expect to talk to the teacher in order to learn how they were working with you and what level you have reached.
I will not take on a student who is already working with another teacher, or one who has not made a clean break. Working with two teachers can be confusing; leaving a teacher without letting them know you are leaving is discourteous.
It would be unprofessional of me to take someone's student without the other teacher's knowledge. Other teachers are my colleagues, not my competitors, and professionals treat a change of teachers as a fact of life, not as a personal slight. It is best for a student if both teachers have a chance to discuss the student's current level of playing, strengths, and needs.
If you are going to quit lessons with me, whether you are going to another teacher or quitting lessons entirely, do tell me at least a week in advance so I can give your lesson time to someone else. All you need to tell me is that you are quitting. If you want to say more, I welcome that. If you are dissatisfied with my teaching, I want to know so that I can improve in future. Whatever your reason for changing teachers, I will be happy to discuss your student's progress and level of playing with their new teacher.
The one absolute DON'T for changing teachers is this: Don't do a no-show and then disappear. If I have held a time for you and you don't show up, I will be concerned that there may have been an accident or illness, and I will have an empty spot in my schedule that I don't know whether to fill.
If you are coming to me from another teacher and have already told them you are not coming back, the break is clean and I am fine with that. I will, however, expect to talk to the teacher in order to learn how they were working with you and what level you have reached.
I will not take on a student who is already working with another teacher, or one who has not made a clean break. Working with two teachers can be confusing; leaving a teacher without letting them know you are leaving is discourteous.
It would be unprofessional of me to take someone's student without the other teacher's knowledge. Other teachers are my colleagues, not my competitors, and professionals treat a change of teachers as a fact of life, not as a personal slight. It is best for a student if both teachers have a chance to discuss the student's current level of playing, strengths, and needs.
If you are going to quit lessons with me, whether you are going to another teacher or quitting lessons entirely, do tell me at least a week in advance so I can give your lesson time to someone else. All you need to tell me is that you are quitting. If you want to say more, I welcome that. If you are dissatisfied with my teaching, I want to know so that I can improve in future. Whatever your reason for changing teachers, I will be happy to discuss your student's progress and level of playing with their new teacher.
The one absolute DON'T for changing teachers is this: Don't do a no-show and then disappear. If I have held a time for you and you don't show up, I will be concerned that there may have been an accident or illness, and I will have an empty spot in my schedule that I don't know whether to fill.
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