Rebecca Portillo's Violin Studio

If the student is a beginner, my first goals are to get them acquainted with the instrument and making a good sound through learning real songs - because I believe that's why we all decide to play an instrument, we want to play real songs and sound good! I use a specific sequence that focuses on the physical mechanics of playing first, and introduce reading music later on, depending on the student's age, goals, and any reading challenges. For students who already know how to play their instrument, I start with music or skills they already know, find out what their main goals are (which can be anything from a specific song to wanting to play with more ease or a better sound), and work systematically towards those goals through new repertoire.

I first started teaching when I was still a teenager in college as a music major. A fellow student told me there was a local music store that desperately needed a violin teacher and would hire me (even though I was only 17 at the time!). My first student through the music store was only 4 years old, and I had not started playing the violin that young so I had to rethink everything I knew to figure out how to teach this child - and it was so much fun!

Ask lots of questions! Ask about the teacher's training (as both a musician and a teacher), experience, and what is most important to them in working with their students. There is an ideal student-teacher match out there for everyone, keep looking until you find it!