About
If you’re looking for high quality violin teaching and music making, you’ve come to the right place. At The Modell Violin Studio you can learn the techniques of the great masters of the violin through Tiffany Modell's expertise and training in the celebrated Galamian school of violin. Her teachers have included Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School, and two Dorothy Richard Starling professors Sergiu Luca and Kurt Sassmannshaus. Other proteges and decendents of the Galamian school include such famous violinists as Itzhak Perlman, Pinkas Zukerman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Sarah Chang, and many more. Let The Modell Violin Studio show you how to reach your highest artistic potential by growing with the violin just as these great artists did.
Serving all of San Diego and North County,
The Modell Violin Studio is located just off of Del Dios Highway in East Rancho Santa Fe.
In this flatscreen, touchscreen, preprogrammed world, I enjoy guiding my students to strive, struggle, and ultimately "play" at something that uses their whole brain.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Step 1: Discuss and schedule an audition/musical assessment with Ms. Modell.
Step 2: New students receive 5 provisional "jump-start" lessons over the course of 2.5 weeks. During this time Ms. Modell assesses the student's appropriate grade level in the Royal Conservatory of Music. While following the RCM syllabus is not required for membership, it is a mainstay of the Modell Violin Studio. The jump-start period helps beginning and established violinists build a solid foundation for further growth with Ms. Modell's teachings.
Step 3: After the Jump-start lessons, students commit to completing a level of study in the Royal Conservatory of Music Development Program (for a complete syllabus visit www.musicdevelopmentprogram.org) & enroll in the Modell Violin Studio for a minimum of 1 semester (at least 15 lessons).
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
$80/1 hr
$65/.75 hr (under 6 yrs)
How did you get started teaching?
During her college years Ms. Modell began teaching at private homes and elementary schools.
What types of students have you worked with?
Beginning - Advanced players
4 years old through adults
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
During his violin lesson, a young student sat down at the piano and said to me, "I don't like violin."
My mind started reeling: "Wow! That came out of left field. How can I possibly get him to 'like' violin? I'm a teacher, not a manipulator! Maybe he'd rather study piano. I guess I'll have to tell his parents that his violin lessons are over, but first I'll ask him if he'd like to end his lesson right..."
"I LOVE it!"
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
You may have heard that the violin is the most difficult instrument to learn to "play". This means that beginning violinists have a lot to learn just to make a decent sound, so "play" is delayed gratification. Finding an experienced teacher who really knows how to play the violin well, is the most economical use of your time and money.
Also consider how musically comprehensive your lessons will be. One day you will want to be able to learn a piece of music on your own or with family/friends, without a teacher telling you how to make it work. In addition to having good technical violin skills, learning music on your own is facilitated by a complete understanding of musical structure, keys, rhythms, terms, etc. Hire a teacher who can broaden your understanding of music, not simply show you how to play a piece. "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime."
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
In my wildest dreams, what would I like to do with violin?
Do I have enough time to bring my dreams for the violin to life?
Where is violin study on my list of priorities?
With the minimum amount of effort, what can I accomplish during my violin practice?
The violin has the steapest learning curve of any instrument; do I have the patience, persistence and grit to succeed in the learning journey?