Every cellist is unique, both in mind and body. My goal is to help you or your child develop the technique that fits them best, therefore my approach is individually tailored to each student.

 

There are some teachers who teach the same technique to every student, regardless of differences in size or proportion. This comes from a well-meaning place: those teachers believe they have come up with one “good cello technique,” which, if followed properly, will work for everyone.

 

If only that "one" technique existed! In my experience, both as a teacher and as a player, and knowing colleagues who have struggled through this as well, it is ineffective and can actually be dangerous to take a one-size-fits-all approach. Your child may be petite while another child is lanky with long arms and fingers. Common sense tells us their technique cannot be exactly the same. 

 

Here’s what I do instead. 

 

• I keep the result, rather than the exact technique, front and center.  What we are looking for—the rich, beautiful sound, the pure intonation (playing in tune), the facility and flexibility to play both fast and slow—comes about by taking technical basics and adjusting them slightly for each body.

 

• I teach ergonomic playing, which means finding the simplest, most natural movements to get the result we want with the least amount of physical effort or strain. 

 

• Almost always, the “middle way” is the best way. I teach students to sense what is “just enough, not too much” with every skill we learn.  

 

In the end, the best technique is the technique you can’t see. The more natural it is for your child’s body, the more their musical expression can come out, unhindered. 

 

I offer a free introductory lesson to all new students. Want more information? Click below to contact me:

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