Violin/ Viola Lesson With Dr. Lo

Hello, I am a graduate of Yale School of Music, New England Conservatory and University of Southern California. I have 8 years of experience teaching as a music minor/ non-major violin instructor and chamber music/ ensemble coach at the University of Southern California and Yale University. I have served as a teaching artist at Porterville Summer Strings for two summer seasons, giving individual instructions and coaching violin sectionals, and in September 2020 I will be teaching at the German-Polish Festival for Young Musicians Online. As a teacher, I guide my students to discover their own path in music, form their own artistic vision, and eventually become their own teachers. My teaching focuses largely on developing a good foundation of technique. This includes finding the most relaxed and natural physical set up for each individual, and maintaining a calm and relaxed mindset during practice. However, I believe it is important to always remember that it is music that informs the technique, not the other way around. I am familiar with a wide variety of classical repertoire, etudes, scale systems and exercises. I also often compose and transcribe personalized etudes and musical pieces according to each student’s need and interest. I work with music in different genres based on student interest, including pop, film music, anime music, Jazz standards and more. In my studio, students will be encouraged (but not required) to participate in my group sessions such as studio class and group discussion class. A studio class is where students perform in front of each other and give each other comments, observations, and compliments! I will be the facilitator and guide in a studio class. A group discussion class is where students bring any violin and music related questions they have and we will examine each question as a group. Sometimes I will bring a recording of a performance to present to the class.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND STORY...

I first took up violin lessons when I was four years old.

My cousins were learning to play the violin and my uncle, who worked at the largest seafood market in Taipei suggested that it would be fun for me to try it as well. I fell in love with the violin, and often picked it up to just “play” in addition to “practice”. Later on, I discovered that the two were basically the same thing when approached with the right intention and strategies. The violin soon became my loyal friend; it was the best listener. It always reflected my state of mind and emotions honestly. Of course, there were times of frustration when I would get stuck on the same passage for a long time or when things went well one day and not the next. However, by spending time and energy in the process of searching for an ideal sound, clean intonation, vivid character...I was also searching for myself. I was forging my mind and spirit in ways that also helped me overcome many other challenges in life.

And I want to guide my students to finding their own inspiration and meaning of life through and with music.