When Wake County Public Schools made the decision to return to in-person learning, I faced a decision. I have followed the school schedule when operating my violin studio in Raleigh NC for years when it comes to storms, snow, and other potential safety issues. What would I do in response to the Pandemic that is Covid 19? After much thought and discussion with parents and students, the decision was made to resume in person violin lessons in Raleigh NC on a rotating basis.

After a month of in person violin lessons in Raleigh NC, the result has been phenomenal.

Aside from the obvious joy of just being in close proximity with violin students in Raleigh NC that I have grown to love over the years, the difference in musicality and student engagement was almost immediately overwhelming. We had all gotten burned out on on-line lessons. Students were practicing less and didn’t seem to have the passion they once did. While a lot of this likely had to do with the impersonal nature of on-line lessons, another issue was that I simply couldn’t HEAR the students on-line the way I could in person. As I mentioned in my previous blog article, tone quality, dynamics and even some intonation issues just could not be heard on-line. Once in person lessons resumed, I made the same statement to almost every student: “Use More Bow! Play With a Bigger Sound!” The fact was that I just couldn’t hear the issues on-line, and being in person for violin lessons in Raleigh NC gave me the opportunity to correct this.

Another problem of on-line teaching was that I couldn’t always SEE the student. True, we used video to see one another, but camera placement didn’t always allow for full view of the student, and even when it did, there were angles that were still out of view. Being in person again has allowed me to focus on left hand and right hand technique during violin lessons in Raleigh NC that I simply could not before.

It has become obvious to me that online violin lessons in Raleigh NC simply don’t equal in person violin lessons. But what about safety? Music is important, but keeping students, their families, my children and myself safe is priority one. As such I have updated my studio policies to keep folks safe during this time:

    • In person violin lessons in Raleigh NC will be held on alternating weeks with on-line lessons so that students from other families will not come into contact with one another. Each student will have 2 on-line lessons and 2 in person violin lessons per month.
    • In person violin lessons Raleigh NC require a mask to be worn at all times by all present.
    • Social distancing of 6 feet will be maintained at all times
    • If you are sneezing, coughing, have a fever, or have come into contact with someone who has tested positive or may test positive for Covid 19, let me know and we will have an on-line violin lesson in Raleigh NC that week!

While it may yet be some time before Raleigh NC violin lessons return to normal with weekly in person lessons, chamber ensembles and recitals, I am happy to report that progress is being made. Contact me today if you are interested in violin lessons for beginners in Raleigh NC,  intermediate violin lessons in Raleigh NC, or advanced violin lessons in Raleigh NC.